VEHICLE DOOR

Abstract

A vehicle door for a motor vehicle, including a support structure, an inner shell fixed to the support structure, and an outer panelling fixed to the inner shell. The inner shell is formed and connected to the support structure in such a way that it is a load-bearing component, thereby increasing the overall rigidity of the vehicle door.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. A vehicle door for a motor vehicle, comprising: a support member having a space-frame structure; an inner shell configured to be fixed to the support structure to serve as a load-bearing component of the vehicle door, wherein the inner shell forms an interior trim of the vehicle door; and an outer panelling fixed directly to the inner shell via a plurality of adhesively bonded connections, the outer panelling and the inner shell being connected to each other in an area of their respective outer edges.

19. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein the inner shell comprises one of a thermoformed plastic component, an injection-moulded component, or a compression-moulded part.

20. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein the inner shell is configured to be fixed to the support member through a plurality of second adhesive bonded connections.

21. The vehicle door of claim 20, wherein the second adhesive bonded connections comprise an elastic adhesive.

22. The vehicle door of claim 21, wherein the thickness of the elastic adhesive is between a range of 2 mm and 5 mm.

23. The vehicle door of claim 18, further comprising a reinforcing element arranged at least in some areas between the inner shell and the support member.

24. The vehicle door of claim 23, wherein the reinforcing element has a surface which is not formed continuously parallel to a surface of the inner shell.

25. The vehicle door of claim 18, further comprising a detachable access panel fitted to a face of the inner shell facing an interior of the motor vehicle, in order.

26. The vehicle door of claim 25, wherein the access panel is detachably connected to the inner shell to permit to access to an installation space when in an opened state.

27. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein the outer panelling comprises a metal material.

28. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein the adhesive bond connections further serve as a seal.

29. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein the outer edges of the outer panelling comprise a flange.

30. A vehicle door for a motor vehicle, comprising: a support member having a space-frame structure; an inner shell configured to be fixed to the support structure to serve as a load-bearing component of the vehicle door, wherein the inner shell forms a surface of the vehicle door which is visible from inside of the motor vehicle; and an outer panelling fixed directly to the inner shell via a plurality of adhesively bonded connections, the outer panelling and the inner shell being connected to each other in an area of their respective outer edges.

31. The vehicle door of claim 30, further comprising a reinforcing element arranged at least in some areas between the inner shell and the support member.

32. The vehicle door of claim 31, wherein the reinforcing element has a surface which is not formed continuously parallel to a surface of the inner shell.

33. The vehicle door of claim 30, further comprising a detachable access panel fitted to a face of the inner shell facing an interior of the motor vehicle, in order.

34. The vehicle door of claim 33, wherein the access panel is detachably connected to the inner shell to permit to access to an installation space when in an opened state.

35. The vehicle door of claim 30, wherein the adhesive bond connections further serve as a seal.

36. The vehicle door of claim 30, wherein the outer edges of the outer panelling comprise a flange.

37. A vehicle door for a motor vehicle, comprising: a support member having a space-frame structure; an inner shell configured to be fixed to the support structure to serve as a load-bearing component of the vehicle door, the inner shell to be fixed indirectly to the support structure via a first plurality of adhesively bonded connections, wherein the inner shell forms an interior trim of the vehicle door; and an outer panelling configured to be fixed directly to the inner shell and the support structure via a second plurality of adhesively bonded connections.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0030] Embodiments will be illustrated by way of example in the drawings and explained in the description below.

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a three-dimensional exploded view, which shows components of a vehicle door, in accordance with embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 2a illustrates a view of the vehicle door of FIG. 1 from behind in the direction of travel of a motor vehicle, and shows the position of the section A-A.

[0033] FIG. 2b illustrates a sectional view of a vehicle door corresponding to A-A of FIG. 2a.

[0034] FIG. 3a illustrates a view of a vehicle door corresponding to FIG. 2a.

[0035] FIG. 3b illustrates a sectional view of vehicle door corresponding to B-B of FIG. 3a.

DESCRIPTION

[0036] FIG. 1 in an exploded view shows the components of a vehicle door in accordance with embodiments. The vehicle door comprises a support structure 1, which forms a part of a space-frame structure of a vehicle door, an inner shell 2, and an outer panelling 3. The support structure 1, the inner shell 2, and the outer panelling 3 are of approximately equal size, the inner shell 2 and the outer panelling 3 being configured to extend slightly beyond the support structure 1. The support structure 1, the inner shell 2, and the outer panelling 3 are configured to have a similar, substantially rectangular geometry, including an opening for a window pane being left free above half-height in the upper halves of each of the rectangles. The inner shell 2 is fixed to the support structure 1 via a plurality of flat, adhesively bonded connections. The outer panelling 3 may be fixed to the inner shell 2 likewise via extensive bonding, and in addition, in some areas may also be adhesively bonded directly to the support structure 1 (as represented in the detail in FIGS. 2b and 3b).

[0037] Because of this formation, and sufficiently strong adhesive bonding to the support structure 1, the inner shell 2 and the outer panelling 3 comprise load-bearing components, which serve to increase the overall rigidity of the vehicle door.

[0038] The inner shell 2 is a coloured, thermoformed, thermoplastic plastic component. The inner shell 2 extends substantially over the entire height and the entire width of a door wing of the vehicle door. The inner shell 2 is so formed that it simultaneously constitutes the interior trim of the vehicle door. The inner shell 2 also forms the coloured surface of the vehicle door visible from inside.

[0039] In some areas between the inner shell 2 and the support structure 1, a reinforcing element 5 may be arranged. The reinforcing element 5 may have a substantially rectangular frame shape which is arranged around the window pane opening, also present in the inner shell 2 and the outer panelling 3. The reinforcing element 5 is not formed parallel to the surface of the inner shell 2, and therefore, does not comprise a further layer of the inner shell 2. The reinforcing element 5 has a three-dimensional structure of is own, which forms braces between the support structure 1 and the inner shell 2 and the outer panelling 3 (as is represented in FIGS. 3a and 3b).

[0040] An access panel 6 may be fixed to the face of the inner shell 2 facing the vehicle interior, the access panel 6 affording access to an installation space between the inner shell 2 and the outer panelling 3. With the access panel 6 in an open state, assembly components 7 may easily be fitted, serviced, and replaced between the inner shell 2 and the outer panelling 3.

[0041] The outer panelling 3 is designed as a metal component, the metal component being adhesively bonded to the inner shell 2 at the periphery thereof. The low gap widths on the outer panelling 3 usual in conventional door structures may thereby be achieved.

[0042] A window pane 8 may be fixed to the frame of the window opening in the outer panelling part 3, in particular, by adhesive bonding.

[0043] A spare-wheel carrier 9 may furthermore be mounted on the outside of the support structure 1.

[0044] FIG. 2a illustrates a view of a vehicle door in accordance with embodiments from behind in the direction of travel of a motor vehicle and at the same time the position of the section A-A, which is represented in FIG. 2b.

[0045] As illustrated in FIG. 2b, the inner shell 2 is fixed by bonding with an elastic adhesive 4 to the support structure 1, embodied as a square profile, the fixing being made indirectly via a reinforcing element 5, which in turn is adhesively bonded directly to the inner shell 2 and to the support structure 1.

[0046] The outer panelling 3 is adhesively bonded via elastic adhesive 4 directly to both the inner shell 2 and the support structure 1 and the reinforcing element 5. The layer thickness of the adhesive 4 is between 2 mm and 5 mm, to enable absorption of different rates of thermal expansion. A window pane 8 is likewise adhesively bonded to the outer panelling 3.

[0047] FIG. 3b illustrates in detail the sectional area B-B marked in FIG. 3a. FIG. 3b illustrates, as does FIG. 2b, that the outer panelling 3 is adhesively bonded together with the inner shell 2 all round in the area of their respective outer edges, so that no further external sealing is necessary. In this radial end area of the outer panelling 3 and the inner shell 2, the outer panelling 3 is inwardly flanged all round in the area of its outer edge, this flanging 7 being sealed by adhesively bonding the outer panelling 3 to the inner shell 2 via adhesive 4. Just above this sealing via adhesive 4, at the bottom edge of the inner shell 2 and of the outer panelling part 3, a condensation water drain 10 is provided in the form of multiple holes.

[0048] The outer panelling part 3 may optionally be fixed to the support structure 1 by way of a further reinforcing part, namely the brace 11, the brace 11 being adhesively bonded via adhesive 4 both to the outer panelling part 3 and to the support structure 1. The access panel 6 is detachably fixed to the inner shell 2 via a Velcro fastening 12.

[0049] The term coupled or connected may be used herein to refer to any type of relationship, direct or indirect, between the components in question, and may apply to electrical, mechanical, fluid, optical, electromagnetic, electromechanical or other connections. In addition, the terms first, second, etc. are used herein only to facilitate discussion, and carry no particular temporal or chronological significance unless other-wise indicated.

[0050] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the preferred embodiments, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of embodiments is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims. Aspects from the various embodiments described, as well as other known equivalents for each such aspects, may be mixed and matched by one of ordinary skill in the art to construct additional embodiments and techniques in accordance with principles of this application.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0051] 1 support structure [0052] 2 inner shell [0053] 3 outer panelling [0054] 4 adhesive [0055] 5 reinforcing element [0056] 6 access panel [0057] 7 assembly components [0058] 8 window pane [0059] 9 spare-wheel carrier [0060] 10 condensation water drain [0061] 11 brace [0062] 12 Velcro fastening