Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 022~673~ 1998-11-30
W097/45283 PCT~S97/09594-
MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR MODULE
Technical Field
This invention relates to automotive doors,
and more particularly to a modular motor vehicle door
assembly.
Backqround Art
Automotive doors normally include sheet metal
inner and outer door panels, an interior trim panel
which faces into the passenger compartment, and various
hardware situated between the panels. Conventionally,
these components of the door have been assembled at the
same time and place. To decrease the time and
complexity of assembling the entire door, recent
proposals have been made to construct some of the
hardware as a unitary subassembly. This subassembly can
then be joined with the remainder of the door at any
given place and time.
U.S. Patent No. 5,355,629 to Kimura et al.,
for example, shows a door for a vehicle that is
assembled by joining three modules together to
facilitate the assembly process. U.S. Patent No.
4,648,208 to Baldamus et al. shows an automobile door
with a unit carrier on which bui7t-in units, especially
a complete window winder with window pane, can be
preassembled. U.S. Patent No. 4,882,842 to Basson et
al. shows a modular trim panel unit with the preassembly
of the interior trim panel for the door including one or
more basic mechanical and/or electrical components.
However, it has remained a goal to develop a
design which decreases the time and complexity of the
automotive door assembly process.
,
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W097/4S283 PCT~S97/09594
S = ary of The Invention
The present invention is a door assembly for
a motor vehicle. The door assembly comprises a molded
door panel having a first side and a second side. The
first side of the door panel is adapted to face into a
passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. The second
side of the door panel supports a belt line
reinforcement, a lock and catch assembly, and a window
lift assembly. The door assembly of the present
invention is adapted for joining with a door exterior.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a door assembly of the type
described above which is formed of molded plastic.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide a door assembly of the type described above
which simplifies the automotive door assembly process.
Still another object of the present invention
is to provide a door assembly of the type described
above in which the electrical components can be tested
prior to assembly with a door outer panel.
These and other objects, features, and
advantages of the present invention are readily apparent
from the following detailed description of the best mode
for carrying out the invention when taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description Of The Drawinqs
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a door
assembly according to the present invention for the
right hand side of a motor vehicle;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an
alternative embodiment of the door assembly for the left
hand side of the motor vehicle;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a belt line
reinforcement and door window frame subassembly;
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FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the belt
line reinforcement and door window frame subassembly
connected to the door assembly;
FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along
line 5-5 in Figure 1 of a self-aligning, self-docking
electrical connection of the door assembly;
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the door
assembly showing a method of attachment to a door outer
panel;
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of an
alternative embodiment of the door assembly showing an
alternative method of attachment to the door outer
panel;
FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of an injection
molded door trim panel and a belt line reinforcement
prior to assembly of any components to the door trim
panel;
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a
compression molded door trim panel, a belt line
reinforcement, a latch reinforcement and a speaker
reinforcement prior to assembly of any components to the
door trim panel;
FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a glass
reinforced urethane door trim panel and a molded-in belt
line reinforcement;
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a closed
cell foam watershield for use with the door assembly;
FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of an
alternative embodiment of the door assembly with the
watershield in place;
~ FIGURE 13 is a cross-sectional view taken
along line 13-13 in Figure 12;
FIGURE 14 is an exploded perspective view of
an exterior lock and handle assemblyi
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FIGURE 15 is an exploded rear perspective view
of the exterior lock and handle assembly;
FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of the mostly
assembled exterior lock and handle assembly;
FIGURE 17 is a perspective view similar to
Figures 6 and 7 and showing an alternative method of
attaching the door trim panel to the door outer panel;
FIGURE 18 is a perspective view of another
alternative embodiment of the door assembly;
FIGURE 19 is a perspective view of still
another alternative embodiment of the door assembly;
FIGURE 20 is a perspective view of still
another alternative embodiment of the door assembly;
FIGURE 21 is a perspective view similar to
Figure 17 and showing another alternative method of
attaching the door trim panel to the door ou~er panel;
and
FIGURE 22 is a cross-sectional view of the
door assembly shown in Figure 21.
Best Mode For CarrYinq Out The In~ention
With reference to the drawings, the preferred
embodiments of the present invention will be described.
Figures 1 and 2 show a door assembly 10 according to the
present invention for a motor vehicle. The door
assembly 10 comprises a base door trim panel or
substrate 12, a belt line reinforcement 14, a lock and
catch assembly 16, and a window lift assembly 18. The
base door panel 12 is preferably a unitary, injection
molded piece comprising an olephenic thermoplastic such
as polypropylene which is relatively rigid after curing,
an engineered acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), or
a glass-reinforced composite.
The base door panel 12 has a first or front
side and a second or back side 22. The front side is
,
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adapted to face into a passenger compartment of the
motor vehicle, and may include as attachments or
integral parts thereof an arm rest, a bolster, a map
pocket 24, a cloth applique or other trim finish, any
lights or reflectors, power switch controls, a speaker
compartment 26 and a speaker grill, and an aesthetic
carpet.
The belt line reinforcement 14 provides
increased structural rigidity to the door panel 12, and
in particular provides a structure against which a side
window glass 28 can be loaded, a function normally
provided by the same structure which is conventionally
part of the door inner. The belt line reinforcement 14
may either be formed integrally with the door panel 12,
or separately formed as a metal stamping or casting for
attachment to the back side 22 of the door panel. In
the latter case, the belt line reinforcement preferably
comprises steel, magnesium, an engineered plastic or any
o~her material with sufficient structural properties.
Figure 3 shows another alternative embodiment in which
the belt line reinforcement 14' is integrally formed
with or welded to a window frame or header 29, while
~igure 4 shows the belt line reinforcement and window
frame subassembly attached to the door panel 12.
The lock and catch assembly 16 includes a door
inner handle 30, a lock assembly 32 and a catch assembly
33. The door inner handle 30 slides into place within
a door handle housing 34 formed in the door panel 12 or
separately provided and attached to the door panel. A
metal bracket attaches an exterior handle assembly 39 to
the door panel 12. The catch assembly 33 is secured to
the door panel, preferably with three fasteners such as
screws 43. Lock release rod 41 extends between the
keyhole of the lock assembly 32 and the catch assembly
33, while lock release rod 45 extends between the lock
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W097/45283 PCT~S97/09~94
assembly and the exterior handle assembly 39. A cable
38 connects the door inner handle 30 to the lock
assembly 32, as ls well known. The lock and catch
assembly 16 uniquely combines anti-theft, lock mounting
and glass edge guides functions into one unit.
Figures 14-16 show an alternative embodiment
lO0 of the lock and exterior handle assembly. The
assembly 100 includes an alternative embodiment 101 of
the metal mounting bracket which attaches the assembly
to the belt line reinforcement. Unlike its counterpart
shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bracket 101 does not
incluae glass run guides as described below. A cover or
carrier 102 has a flange 103 with holes 104 that engage,
preferably by snap fit, projections 105 on the bracket
101. Arms 106 and 107 respectively extend through
vertical slots 108 and 109 in the carrier 102, through
an adhesive-backed seal llO provided on the carrier, and
out through slots 111 and 112 in a sheet metal door
outer 113 for snap fit attachment to exterior handle
114. To secure the arms 106 and 107, pin 127 extends
through projections 128 on the rear side of the carrier,
through a hole in the arm 106, through spring 129 and a
holes in the arm 107, and mates with a pin 130.
Lock release rod 41 is attached at its upper
end to hole 115 in a lock cam 116, and at its lower end
is attached to a projection 117 on door latch 118.
Similarly, lock release rod 45 is attached at its upper
end to a hole 119 in arm 106, and is attached at its
lower end to projection 121 on the door latch 118.
Fasteners 122 extend through respective slots 123 and
124 in the carrier 102 and seal 110 to secure the unit
100 as a subassembly, and snap into holes or slots 125
in doghouse brackets 126 attached to the outer panel 113
to secure the unit 100 to the outer panel. A~ter the
trim panel 12 is attached to the outer panel, the handle
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114 is snapped onto arms 106 and 107, and a lock
cylinder 127 inserted through corresponding holes in the
door outer 113 and the carrier 102, and into engagement
with the lock cam 116.
Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the window
lift assembly 18 includes a motor 40, a generally
horizontally oriented regulator 42, and a generally
vertically oriented guide member 44 for the window
regulator. The motor 40 is attached to the door panel
12, preferably by snap fit, and the window glass 28 is
secured into a groove in the regulator 42 by one or more
fasteners 46. The window glass 28 is supported by glass
run channels or edge guides 48 and 50, each of which
includes a weather seal. The guides 48 and 50 are
either integrally molded with the door panel 12, or
formed as separate metal or plastic pieces and fastened
at their lower ends to the door panel 12 or to an
extension of the belt line reinforcement, and at their
upper ends to the belt line reinforcement 14. It should
be understood, of course, that a motor is not required
for manual operation of the window glass.
The regulator 42 thereafter moves the window
glass up or down when the motor 40 alternately draws
cables 52 and 54. A belt line glass seal or sweep 56
attached to a flange on the belt line reinforcement 14
generally adjacent the top of the door panel 12 provides
an additional weather seal. A water management sheet
68, preferably formed of plastic such as polyethylene,
polyurethane or a closed cell foam, inhibits the
introduction of water, noise and dust from the interior
of the door into the passenger compar~ment.
Figure 18 shows an embodiment 500 of the door
assembly including a scissors type or arm-and-sector
window lift assembly. A window lift motor 502 has a
rig~t angle drive which drives a toothed member 504
., .. .~ . ~ . ...... .. .. . . . .
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either clockwise or counterclockwise about a pivot point
506. The toothed member 504 is fastened to or integral
with an extension 508, which at its distal end includes
a roller 510. The roller 510 rides in a track in a
regulator 512 fastened to the bottom of the window. A
similar roller 514 also rides in the regulator track,
and is connected to a cross member 516 pivotally
connected at 518 to the extension 508. The opposite end
of the cross member 516 includes a roller 520 that rides
in a stationary horizontal track 522. The track 522 may
be fixed to the door panel, formed as an extension of
the assembly that includes the motor 502, or fastened at
its opposite ends to the belt line reinforcement. As
the motor 502 drives the toothed member 504 clockwise,
the regulator 512 ascends and the window 28 is raised.
As the toothed member 504 turns counterclockwise, the
regulator descends and the window is lowered.
Figure 19 shows an embodiment 600 of the door
assembly including a dual regulator window lift
assembly. Two spaced apart regulators 602 and 604 ride
on guide members 606 and 608, and engage the bottom of
the window 28. A window lift motor 610 draws a
continuous cable 614 in opposite directions to
respectively move the regulators 602 and 604 and the
window up or down along the guides 606 and 608.
Figure 20 shows an embodiment 700 of the door
assembly in which the catch assembly 733 is allowed to
float on the door panel 712. Prior to assembly with the
outer panel, the catch assembly 733 is suspended by the
lock release rods and other attachmen~s which allow the
catch assembly a small amount of movement relative to
the door panel 712. This feature allows the door inner
and outer panels to be brought together without the need
for precisely locating the catch assembly 733 relative
to the outer panel. For final assembly, fasteners
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extending through holes 750 secure the belt line
reinforcement 714 to the outer panel, and fasteners
extending through holes 752 secure the catch assembly
733. The door panel 712 may also be secured to the door
outer by fasteners, ultimately concealed by appliques
754, engaging receivers 756. A door grab 758 is also
provided which is attached for strength to the belt line
reinforcement 714.
Figures 21 and 22 show an embodiment 800 of
the door assembly in which the door panel 812 is loaded
to the outer panel by first locating guides 806 and 808
above corresponding mounting receivers in the outer
panel, and then pivoting door panel 812 about its lower
end as indicated by the arrow in Figure 22. The door
panel 812 is thereafter lowered into place, by gravity
or otherwise, such that a male electrical connector 872
described more fully below vertically engages a female
electrical connector 874 as indicated by the arrows in
Figures 21 and 22. The door panel 812 is thereafter
secured to the outer panel by any method described
herein.
In any of the embodiments of the present
invention, a secondary seal can be provided around the
perimeter of the engagement between the door inner and
outer panels. The seal can be formed with a seal gun,
or a separately applied peel and stick seal can be used.
Any form of the seal has the additional advantage of
isolating the door inner to minimize the occurrence of
squeak and rattle.
Referring again to Figure 1, a wiring harness
58 carries electrical current to all necessary
components, and includes plug-in connectors such as
speaker connector 60, regulator connector 62, power lock
connector 64, and connectors for any power mirror
connected to flange 65. The harness 58 ls attached to
. , ~ ......... .
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the door panel 12 as necessary, preferably by
positioning some or all of its length within channels or
hooks molded into the door panel or the belt line
reinforcement. Door side impact components, such as a
foam block 70 or an air bag, may also be secured to the
door panel 12.
A male section 72 of a self-aligning and/or
self-docking electrical connector may be mounted
proximate the hinge side of the door panel 12 shown in
Figure 1. Figure 5 shows the electrical connector
comprised of the male section 72 mounted to the door
panel 12 and a female section 140 mounted on a door
outer panel 200. The male section 72 consists
preferably of four spring-loaded contacts 142 having
semi-spherical surfaces 143 located in a mounting plate
144 within a box 120. The female section 140 consists
of the same number of inverted semi-spherical or crown
shaped receptors 146. The receptors 146 can be made of
beryllium copper alloy (BeCo) or other suitable
material, and can be connected to a traditional
electrical connector in the body of the motor vehicle.
During assembly, the installer simply translates the box
120 relative to the adjacent female section 140 until
correctly positioned. At this point, the contacts 142
automatically fall into the receptors 146, thereby
facilitating an electrical connection. A locator pin
(not shown) can be provided in addition to the spherical
contacts 142. The connector 72 shown in Figure 1 can be
mated with an electrical extension 76 shown in Figure 4
as part of the door panel 12, or alternatively the
extension 76 can be separately provided as part of a
sheet metal door exterior for connection to the
connector 72 as shown in Figure 6. Further details of
the connector 72 can be found in U.S. patent application
filed August 28, 1996 and titled Self-Aligning and Self-
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Docking Electrical Connector, assigned to the assignee
of the present invention and hereby incorporated by
reference. Instead of the electrical connector section
72, the harness 58 may be provided with a conventional
pass through 78 including a seal 66 integral with the
harness at the door-to-body pass through point to
inhibit water seepage into the door cavity, as shown in
Figure 2.
The assembled door assembly 10 is adapted for
joining with the sheet metal door exterior by bringing
it adjacent the door exterior, and locating the
electrical connector section 72 with its mating section
if so provided of the door exterior. The door assembly
10 is attached to the door exterior at the belt line
with either a plurality of bolts or screws, or by
separate plastic fasteners or fasteners integrally
molded with the door panel, and finally securing the
door assembly 10 around its periphery. One significant
advantage of the door panel of the present invention,
however, is that its electrical components can be tested
prior to assembly with the door outer panel.
The assembly sequence for the structural door
of the present invention is as follows. First, the base
door panel 12 is placed on a conveyor for off line
assembly, and the water management provisions are added.
The belt line reinforcement is then attached to the base
door panel, if not already formed as an integral part
thereof. The door side impact components are then
attached, after which the door inner handle is slid into
place and secured and the lock subassembly is secured
with the three screws. The electrical wire harness is
then positioned, and the connectors are attached to
positions near their respective components. The lock
electrical attachment is then completed. The door
regulator is then positioned and snapped, screwed or
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bolted into place, the cables routed and the guide
secured and the electrical connection made. Next, the
left and right door glass edge guides are positioned and
secured at the top and bottom, and the door glass seals
are attached into the guides.
The speaker is then snapped or screwed into
the door panel, and the grille cover snapped over the
speaker and the electrical connection completed. The
exterior handle adapter subassembly/theft prevention
bracket is then attached and the rods for lock release
are attached to the lock. The belt line glass seal is
next pushed onto the belt line flange. The door glass
is then located in the glass edge seals and located to
the regulator guide and secured with the fasteners.
Finally, the mirror is installed using three studs with
the mirror and attaching three nuts and a foam seal. A
power or mechanical mirror cable is routed and
connected, if necessary.
An alternative assembly sequence is to first
snap fit the interior handle bezel 30 onto the base door
panel 12, and then fasten the map pocket on the base
door panel. Next, the base door panel is rotated 180
degrees so that the back side 22 faces upwardly, and the
map pocket is slued, screwed or ultrasonically or
vibrationally welded in place. The base door panel is
then unloaded from the conveyor and placed in a vertical
orientation, and the belt line reinforcement is added.
Contemporaneously or immediately thereafter, the
speaker, speaker grille, foam and wire harness are
added. After the wire harness is routed, the interior
handle lock cable 38 is added. The electrical
connections are then made, and the glass run channels
added. The window regulator is then positioned and
electrically connected. A pull cup is snapped into the
door panel arm rest, and any necessary electrical
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connections such as for power windows are made.
Finally, the window glass is added and connected to the
regulator.
Figure 6 shows one alternative ~or attaching
the door panel 12 to the door outer panel 200. As shown
by the arrow, a latch housing 202 of the door panel 12
is ~irst inserted through an opening 204 in the door
outer panel 200, and the female electrical connector 140
is aligned with the male connector on the door panel 12.
To partially secure the door panel 12 to the outer panel
200, a series of bolts or other fasteners are then
inserted through horizontally-aligned holes 210 and 212
in the door panel 12 and outer panel 200, respectively.
A bottom portion 213 of the window regulator guide
extending generally below the periphery of the door
panel 12 may be seated in an indentation 215 formed in
the door outer panel to assist locating the panels
relative to each other.
Figure 7 shows another alternative for
mounting the door panel 12 to an outer panel 200~. As
shown by the arrow, the door panel 12 is inserted
straight into the door outer panel 200' such that a
latch flange 214 fits into a notch 204' formed in the
outer panel and the electrical extension 76 aligns with
notch 206. Diagonally-aligned mounting holes 210~ and
212' are provided in the panels 12 and 200',
respectively, and thereafter the panels are secured
together as described above. The window regulator guide
portion 213 may again be seated in the indentation 215
to assist this loading.
Figure 17 shows another alternative build in
which a door panel 12' is located by the portion 213
cooperating with indentation 215 in outer panel 200''.
The door panel 12' is then secured with fasteners
including screws 250 inserted generally normally to the
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plane defined by the door panel 12' and screws 252
inserted generally parallel to the plane of the door
panel through flange 254 and into a portion 256 of the
door outer panel.
The base door panel 12 is either injection
molded, compression molded or formed of a glass-
reinforced urethane (GRU). Figures 8, 9 and 10 show the
back side of alternate door panels 12 formed
respectively by each of these methods. In Figure 9, a
combination speaker reinforcement and map pocket 300 and
a latch reinforcement 302, both preferably injection
molded, are provided. In the GRU door trim panel of
Figure lO, the belt line reinforcement 14 is molded in
so that only a flange 304 is exposed.
Figure 11 shows a watershield 400 for use with
the door assembly of the present invention. The
watershield 400 is preferably formed from a
polyethylene, polyurethane or a closed cell foam, and is
sealed, as least in part by means such as an adhesive
bead 402, over certain of the door panel components as
shown in Figures 12 and 13.
It should be understood that while the forms
of the invention shown and described above constitute
preferred embodiments of the invention, they are not
intended to illustrate all possible forms thereof. It
should also be understood that the words used are words
of description rather than limitation, and various
changes may be made without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention disclosed.
