B-pillarless opposite sliding door

Abstract

Embodiments provide a B-pillarless opposite sliding door in which a hook fastening means is used instead of an upper latch to be installed at an upper end of the B pillarless opposite sliding door. An upper end of a door B-pillar beam, which serves to support a B-pillar, can fastened to a roof part of a vehicle body to ensure a ceiling strength performance when the hook fastening means is applied.

Claims

1. An vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a sliding door that can slide forward and rearward in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; a hook installed at a roof part of the vehicle body; a hook support portion formed at an upper end of a B-pillar beam of the door so that the hook can be caught by or released from the hook support portion; a hook catching portion that protrudes from an upper portion of the hook support portion so that the hook can be caught by the hook catching portion; a hook retracting/extending mechanism configured to that the hook is automatically retracted or extended by the hook retracting/extending mechanism as the sliding door is opened or closed, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism comprises: an actuator that has a pinion; and a rack that is provided at a lower side of the hook and engages with the pinion so as to be retracted or extended.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook is exposed when the sliding door is closed such that the hook remains exposed while the sliding door is closed, and the hook is inserted into a side outer portion as the sliding door is opened.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook maintains an exposure mode when the door is in a closed state, a main latch is unlocked when a door handle is pulled, and the actuator operates to switch a mode of the hook to a non-exposure mode, and the hook maintains the non-exposure mode when the door is in an opened state, the main latch is locked when the door is closed, and the actuator operates to switch the mode of the hook to the exposure mode.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook is exposed when the sliding door is closed.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook is inserted into a side outer portion as the sliding door is opened.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook maintains an exposure mode when the door is in a closed state, a main latch is unlocked when a door handle is pulled, and the actuator operates to switch a mode of the hook to a non-exposure mode, and the hook maintains the non-exposure mode when the door is in an opened state, the main latch is locked when the door is closed, and the actuator operates to switch the mode of the hook to the exposure mode.

7. An vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a sliding door that can slide forward and rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; a hook installed at a roof part of the vehicle body; a hook support portion formed at an upper end of a B-pillar beam of the door so that the hook can be caught by or released from the hook support portion; an inner panel and an outer panel wherein the hook support portion is located between the inner panel and the outer panel; a hook catching portion that protrudes from an upper portion of the hook support portion so that the hook can be caught by the hook catching portion; a hook retracting/extending mechanism configured to that the hook is automatically retracted or extended by a hook retracting/extending mechanism as the sliding door is opened or closed, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism comprises: an actuator that has a pinion; and a rack that is provided at a lower side of the hook and engages with the pinion so as to be retracted or extended.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook is exposed when the sliding door is closed such that the hook remains exposed while the sliding door is closed, and the hook is inserted into a side outer portion as the sliding door is opened.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook maintains an exposure mode when the door is in a closed state, a main latch is unlocked when a door handle is pulled, and the actuator operates to switch a mode of the hook to a non-exposure mode, and the hook maintains the non-exposure mode when the door is in an opened state, the main latch is locked when the door is closed, and the actuator operates to switch the mode of the hook to the exposure mode.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook is exposed when the sliding door is closed.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook is inserted into a side outer portion as the sliding door is opened.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism is configured so that the hook maintains an exposure mode when the door is in a closed state, a main latch is unlocked when a door handle is pulled, and the actuator operates to switch a mode of the hook to a non-exposure mode, and the hook maintains the non-exposure mode when the door is in an opened state, the main latch is locked when the door is closed, and the actuator operates to switch the mode of the hook to the exposure mode.

13. A method of operating a sliding door of a vehicle that comprises: a vehicle body, the sliding door attached to the vehicle body so that it that can slide forward and rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; a hook installed at a roof part of the vehicle body; a hook support portion formed at an upper end of a B-pillar beam of the door so that the hook can be caught by or released from the hook support portion; a hook catching portion that protrudes from an upper portion of the hook support portion so that the hook can be caught by the hook catching portion; a hook retracting/extending mechanism configured to that the hook is automatically retracted or extended by a hook retracting/extending mechanism as the sliding door is opened or closed, wherein the hook retracting/extending mechanism comprises: an actuator that has a pinion; and a rack that is provided at a lower side of the hook and engages with the pinion so as to be retracted or extended wherein the method comprises: maintaining the hook in an exposure mode while the door is in a closed state; unlocking a main latch when a door handle is pulled; operating the actuator to switch a mode of the hook to a non-exposure mode; and opening the door to an opened state.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: maintaining the hook in the non-exposure mode when the door is in the opened state; locking the main latch is locked when the door is closed; and operating the actuator to switch the mode of the hook to the exposure mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a state in which an upper latch is installed on a sliding door in the related art.

(2) FIG. 2 or 3 is a view made by extracting only a hook fastener according to the present invention, in which FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which a hook is fastened to a hook support portion and a catching portion, and FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a state in which the hook support portion and the catching portion are formed at an upper end of a door B-pillar beam.

(3) FIGS. 4A and 4B, collectively FIG. 4, are views illustrating a state in which the hook fastener is installed on a B-pillarless opposite sliding door according to the present invention.

(4) FIG. 5 is a first cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 4.

(5) FIG. 6 is a second cross-sectional in of the structure of FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a state in which the hook according to the present invention is retracted or extended by a hook retracting/extending mechanism.

(7) FIGS. 8A and 8B are views illustrating a state in which the hook is retracted and extended by the hook retracting/extending mechanism according to the present invention, in which FIG. 8A is a view illustrating a state in which the hook is exposed, and FIG. 8B is a view illustrating a state in which the hook is inserted toward a roof part.

(8) FIG. 9 is a view illustrating operational logic for retracting or extending the hook by using the retracting/extending mechanism according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(9) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention pertains may easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different ways, and is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

(10) A part irrelevant to the description will be omitted to clearly describe the present invention, and the same or similar constituent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

(11) Terms or words used in the specification and the claims should not be interpreted as being limited to a general or dictionary meaning and should be interpreted as a meaning and a concept which conform to the technical spirit of the present invention based on a principle that an inventor can appropriately define a concept of a term in order to describe his/her own invention by the best method.

(12) Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(13) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the present invention broadly includes a hook no, a hook support portion 61 which supports the hook no, and a hook catching portion 62 to which the hook no is fastened, the hook no, the hook support portion 61 and the hook catching portion constituting a hook fastener 100.

(14) In the present invention, because the hook fastener 100, instead of an upper latch used in the related art, is installed at an upper end of a pillarless opposite sliding door 1, a space for installing the upper latch in the related art as illustrated in FIG. 1 is not needed, and an opening flange of a vehicle body may be formed in a straight and uniform shape because a door panel does not protrude.

(15) An upper end of a door B-pillar beam 60, which serves to support a B-pillar, is fastened to a roof part of the vehicle body by the hook no in order to ensure a ceiling strength performance when the hook fastener 100 is applied.

(16) The configuration is to support an external impact load in the event of a broadside collision, support a load from an interior caused by deviation strength, or ensure frame rigidity.

(17) In more detail, as illustrated in FIG. 2 or 3, the hook fastener 100 includes the hook no which is installed at a side outer portion 10, the hook support portion 61 which is formed at the upper end of the B-pillar beam 60 so that the hook no is caught by or released from the hook support portion 61, and the hook catching portion 62 which protrudes from an upper portion of the hook support portion 61 so that the hook no is caught by the hook catching portion 62.

(18) Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the hook no is configured to support door B-pillar rigidity by being fastened to an outer reinforcement 30 and a B-pillar beam compressing portion 60a as the door 1 is deformed and slightly moved inward due to an external impact load such as a collision, as illustrated in FIG. 4B or 5.

(19) Non-described reference numeral 20 is an outer panel, non-described reference numeral 40 is an inner surface of an inner panel, and non-described reference numeral 50 is an outer surface of the inner panel.

(20) As illustrated in FIG. 6, the hook no is configured to support the door B-pillar rigidity by being fastened by a hook catching structure of an inner reinforcement as the door 1 is slightly deformed and moved outward due to an internal load such as deviation strength or frame rigidity.

(21) FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a state in which the hook according to the present invention is retracted or extended by a hook retracting/extending mechanism. In the present invention, an electric control system (not illustrated) is used to automatically retract or extend the hook from the roof part.

(22) This configuration will be described below with reference to FIG. 7.

(23) A hook retracting/extending mechanism 200 according to the present invention includes an actuator 210 which has a pinion 211, and a rack in which is provided at a lower side of the hook no and engages with the pinion 211 so as to be retracted or extended.

(24) As illustrated in FIG. 8A, with the hook retracting/extending mechanism 200 configured as described above, the hook no is exposed when the sliding door is closed such that the hook no remains exposed while the sliding door is closed, and as illustrated in FIG. 8B, the hook no is inserted into the side outer portion as the sliding door is opened.

(25) In more detail, operational logic for retracting or extending the hook no by using the hook retracting/extending mechanism 200 will be described below with reference to FIG. 9.

(26) The hook is in an exposure mode (912) when the door is in a closed state (910).

(27) When the opening of the door is attempted, i.e., a handle is pulled, (914), a main latch (not illustrated) is unlocked (916), and the actuator 210 operates (918) to switch the mode of the hook to a non-exposure mode (920) (see FIG. 8B).

(28) In this case, the hook maintains the non-exposure mode even in a state in which the door is opened.

(29) In this state, when the closing of the door is attempted (926) and the door is open (922), the main latch is locked (928), and the actuator 210 operates (930) to switch the mode of the hook to an exposure mode (932).

(30) Therefore, since the mode of the hook is switched to the non-exposure mode when the door is opened, a protruding shape of an external appearance is reduced to improve high-grade properties and solve a problem caused when a passenger's head is caught and injured when the passenger gets in or out of the vehicle (see FIG. 8A).

(31) The present invention, which has been described above, is not limited by the aforementioned exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that various substitutions, modifications and alterations may be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.