FR2936004A1 - Guiding assembly for sliding lateral door of motor vehicle, has rail including flared end such that roller is disintegrated from rail and pin is in contact with centering guide corresponding to non zero centering length in closed position - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly (3) has a roller (5) cooperating with a guiding rail (7). A door centering pin (23) cooperates with a centering guide (21). The guiding rail includes a flared end (9) such that the roller is disintegrated from the guiding rail and the corresponding centering pin is in contact with the centering guide corresponding to a non zero centering length in a closed position of a sliding lateral door (1), where the centering length ranges between 17 mm and 25 mm. An independent claim is also included for a motor vehicle including a structure on which a lateral door is mounted.

Description

Sliding side door centering. The invention particularly relates to a guide assembly for a sliding side door of a motor vehicle comprising at least one guide rail, at least one roller shaped to cooperate with a corresponding guide rail, at least one centering guide and at least one door centralizer shaped to cooperate with a corresponding centering guide. In the closed position, a sliding side door of a motor vehicle has several elements that can vibrate when the vehicle is in operation. Such vibrations generate unpleasant parasitic noise for the passengers of the motor vehicle. By way of example of such elements, there may be mentioned a guide assembly comprising a roller cooperating with a corresponding guide rail and a door centralizer in contact with a corresponding centering guide. The roller and the centering guide are generally mounted on the sliding side door while the guide rail and the door centraliser are generally mounted on the structure of the motor vehicle. An operating clearance between the roller and the guide rail as well as between the door centering device and the centering guide is necessary to be able to ensure both the sliding of the roller and the centering of the door centraliser.

More precisely as regards the guide rail, the latter comprises two wings connected by a base. The roller is usually in contact with one of the two wings. In addition, the disparity in manufacture and mounting of such systems lead to the appearance of games that contribute to the increase in noise. The presence of these different games makes the roller tends to vibrate on the guide rail. In order to limit the effect of these vibrations, the roller must be constrained when the sliding side door is in the closed position. In other words, the roller must be wedged on one of the two wings forming the guide rail with a relatively large contact force.

In this perspective, it is known to slightly shift the position of the support of the roller, called carriage, or the guide rail to force the state of the roller in a stress position. In general, the carriage or the guide rail is offset by a length of between 0 mm and 2 mm.

Such a method has the drawback of developing a long and expensive sliding side door. In addition, such a method generates an increase in the closing forces of the sliding side door, such as the sliding end forces of the rollers in their guide rails, the centering forces of the door centrators in their centering guides, without counting the closing forces of the sliding side door on the structure. In order to avoid such drawbacks, other alternatives have been proposed. In the patent application FR 2 893 661, there is provided a guide assembly of a sliding side door comprising a roller cooperating with a guide rail. One of the wings of the guide rail has a V-shaped profile in cross-section. The roller is shaped to come into contact only with the surfaces of said wing, which limits the operating gaps. In the patent application FR 2 858 645, there is provided a guide assembly in which the roller is mounted on a carriage supporting the door centraliser. In order to limit the operating clearances, a spring is inserted into the carriage so as to press the roller on the corresponding guide rail. In US Pat. No. 6,286,890, there is provided a guide assembly comprising an insert for wedging the roller on the guide rail when the sliding side door is in the closed position. Nevertheless, these three guide assemblies have the disadvantage of being long and complex to manufacture and install on a sliding side door.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide an effective guide assembly and simple to implement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guide assembly to further limit the parasitic noise of the sliding side door in the closed position while maintaining a good quality of closure of the latter.

To this end, the present invention relates to a guide assembly for a sliding side door of a motor vehicle comprising: - at least one guide rail; at least one roller shaped to cooperate with a corresponding guide rail; at least one centering guide; and at least one door centralizer shaped to cooperate with a corresponding central guide, characterized in that each guide rail has a flared end so that in the closed position of the sliding side door, the roller is detached from said rail corresponding guide while the door centraliser is in contact with a corresponding centering guide on a non-zero length. Flared end means here an end of a guide rail whose two wings move away from each other, in particular following a curved shape. In other words, the flared end represents an area in which the width between the two flanges of the guide rail increases. It is also possible that the base of the guide rail extends to the flared end by flaring. Thus, the assembly of the invention is configured so that in the closed position, at least a portion of each door centraliser is in contact with a centering guide at at least one point; and - no part of each roller is in contact with a wing of a corresponding guide rail when the roller is located in the region of the rail having the flared end thereof.

The whole of the invention has the advantage of greatly reducing any parasitic noise from the position of the sliding side door. Indeed, the presence of flared end on each guide rail prevents contact of the roller on the corresponding guide rail. The vibrations due to the operation of the motor vehicle are not sufficient to cause each roller to come into contact with a portion of the corresponding guide rail. In addition, the whole of the invention has a good quality of closure. Indeed, each roller is guided in a corresponding guide rail to the flared end of the latter. The door centering guide then comes into contact in the centering guide over a non-zero length. As a result, the centering of the sliding side door is maintained. The assembly of the invention also allows easy opening and closing of the sliding side door insofar as each roller is not stressed against the corresponding guide rail, as is necessary in the prior art. The presence of a flared end advantageously allows to guide any roller in the corresponding rail even if it is slightly offset from said guide rail.

The assembly of the present invention also has the advantage of being simple to implement and mount on an automobile vehicle. According to other features of the invention, the structure of the invention comprises one or more of the following optional features considered alone or in any combination possible: - in the closed position of the sliding side door, the roller is removed the beginning of the flared end of a distance and the door centraliser is in contact with a centering guide on a centering length, the distance being less than the centering length which allows, in the open position and also in the closing, maintain continuity of centering and guiding the sliding side door; the centering length is between 17 mm and 25 mm, which makes it possible to obtain a good compromise between a good centering of the door centraliser and a security in that said centralizer protrudes with respect to the structure of the door sliding side; the distance is between 10 mm and 15 mm, which makes it possible to limit the vibrations likely to generate spurious noise while limiting the effect of the dispersion of the manufacture and installation of the roller; - The guide rail has two wings and a base connecting the two wings, each wing extending longitudinally projecting out of the base according to an extension of the flared end; - At least one roller is mounted on a carriage which comprises a centering guide which limits the distance between the distance and the centering length.

According to another aspect, the present invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a structure on which a side door is slidably mounted by means of a guide assembly of the invention, the structure comprising the guide rail as well as the door centralizer and the sliding side door comprising the roller and the centering guide.

The invention will be better understood on reading the nonlimiting description which follows, with reference to the appended figures. - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of the assembly of the invention; FIG. 2 is a partial schematic longitudinal section of an embodiment of the invention; - Figures 3 to 5 show a partial schematic section of the embodiment of Figure 2 when the sliding side door moves to the open position to a closed position.

According to the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the motor vehicle (not shown) comprises in particular a structure (not shown) and a sliding side door 1. The sliding side door 1 is intended to slide along the structure by the 3. As shown in Figure 1, the sliding side door 1 is in the closed position on the structure. The guide assembly 3 of the invention comprises at least one guide rail and at least one roller shaped to cooperate with the corresponding guide rail. Only a roller 5 and a corresponding guide rail 7 are shown in Figure 1. Nevertheless, an assembly 3 of the invention may comprise a plurality of rollers with the associated guide rail. The guide rail 7 is fixed generally to the structure by any fastening means known to those skilled in the art.

The guide rail 7 comprises two wings 11 and 13 connected by a base 12. The flared end 9 is formed by the two wings 11 and 13 which move away from each other, in particular by following a substantially curved shape .

According to one embodiment, the base 12 extends into the flared end 9, in particular by flaring out. In other words, the base 12 has a profile substantially similar to that of the wings 11 and 13. According to a preferred variant, the base 12 does not extend into the flared end 9. As a result, the flared end 9 only comprises the wings 11 and 13.

The guide rail 7 has a substantially constant width Ir corresponding substantially to the width of the base 12. The flared end 9 has a width on the other hand between the two wings 11 and 13 which increases when one moves away from the rail 7. The guide rail 7 is intended to receive a roller 5 which is configured to slide in said rail 7. For this purpose, the roller 5 has a substantially cylindrical shape of substantially constant thickness. Nevertheless, any other form of the roller 5 capable of allowing the sliding of the latter in the guide rail 7 may be suitable. The roller 5 is mounted on a carriage 20 which is fixed by any means known to those skilled in the art on the sliding side door 1.

The guide assembly 3 also comprises at least one centering guide and at least one door centraliser. Only a central guide 21 and a door centralizer 23 are shown in FIG. 1. Nevertheless, an assembly 3 of the invention may comprise a plurality of door centrers with the associated central guide.

The door centralizer 23 is mounted on a corresponding support 25 by any means known to those skilled in the art. The door centralizer 23 and the support 25 may be molded together, for example so as to form a single piece. On the contrary, the door centralizer 23 and the support 25 may be manufactured separately and then fastened together later, for example by welding. The support 25 is intended to be fixed by any means known to those skilled in the art on the structure. The door centralizer 23 is shaped to cooperate with the corresponding centering guide 21. As a result, the door centralizer 23 has a shape complementary to that of the central guide 21. By way of example, the door centralizer 23 is in the form of a finger which is intended to penetrate into the cavity 28 of the central guide 21. The central guide 21 is fixed by any known fastening means in the sliding side door 1.

According to a preferred embodiment shown in Figure 2, in the closed position of the sliding side door 1 in the structure, the roller 5 is moved away from the beginning of the flared end 9 of the guide rail by a distance Lr. The distance Lr represents the length between first points 30 corresponding to the beginning of the flared end and the second points 31 corresponding to the position of the center of the roller 5 when the sliding side door 1 is in the closed position. The first points 30 show the points from which the width increases it with respect to the width Ir of the guide rail 7. At the same time, the door centralizer 23 is in contact with the centering guide 21 over a non-zero centering length Lc . The distance Lr is typically less than the centering length Lc, which makes it possible, when the sliding side door 1 opens, to have both the door centralizer 23 in contact with the centering guide 21 and the roller 5 in contact. With the guide rail 7. Thus, when passing from an open position to a closed position, the assembly of the invention 3 makes it possible to maintain a continuity of centering and guiding of the sliding side door 1 More precisely, the distance Lr as well as the centering length Lc satisfy the relationship: Lc = Lr + S + D Where S represents a strictly positive value between 4 mm and 6 mm, in particular equal to 5 mm, and D is a value taking into account the contribution of the dispersions relating to the manufacture and installation of the roller (s) 5, the guide rail (s) 7, the door centralizer (s) 23 and the centering guide (s) 21 of the of the invention 3. D has a value typically comprised between 20 mm and 7 mm, in particular between 2.5 mm and 5 mm. The centering length Lc is preferably between 17 mm and 25 mm. Such values for the centering length Lc provide a compromise between a proper centering of the door centralizer 23 and a security against the door centralizer 23 which has a shape protruding from the sliding side door 1. Similarly, the distance Lr is in particular between 10 mm and 15 mm. Such values for the distance Lr make it possible to limit the vibrations capable of generating parasitic noise while limiting the effect of the dispersion of the manufacture and installation of the roller 5.

Typically, the distance Lr represents the length of the guide rail of the prior art which is in contact with the roller 5 when the door centralizer 23 is in contact with the central guide 21. According to a preferred embodiment, not shown, the roller is mounted on a carriage which also comprises a centering guide to limit the distance between the distance Lr and the centering length Lc. In other words, such a configuration can reduce the values of S and D. When the sliding side door 1 is in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position as shown in Figure 3, the roller 5 is guided in the guide rail 7. In an interesting way, the roller 5 is wedged against the flange 11 of the guide rail 7. As a result, there is a play of operation between the roller 5 and the other flange 13 of the guide rail which ensures the sliding of the roller 5. However, the door centralizer 23 is not in contact with the centering guide 21. As shown in Figure 4, when the roller 5 slides along the guide rail 7, in particular along the wing 11, in the direction indicated by the arrows corresponding to the closing direction of the sliding side door 1. The door centralizer 23 then approaches the central guide 21.

In the case where the centering length Lc is greater than the distance Lr, there is an intermediate position in which the roller 5 is in contact with the guide rail 7 just as the door centralizer 23 is in contact with the guide. Thus, there is a continuity of guiding and centering of the sliding side door 1 when the latter passes from an open position to a closed position. When the sliding side door 1 is closed, as shown in Figure 5, the roller 5 is outside the guide rail 7. In the case where the end 9 has no base, the roller 5 can no longer vibrate on a portion of the guide rail 7 when the roller 5 is at the height of the end 9, as is the case in the prior art. lo In contrast, in the variant where the base extends in the flared end 9, the assembly of the invention 3 facilitates the guide of the roller 5 in the guide rail 7 even if the roller 5 is offset relative to to the guide rail 7.

Indeed, the presence of this flared end 9, and in particular of the flared base, prevents the roller 5 abuts against the guide rail 7 when the sliding side door 1 is arranged to open. It should be noted that we find the same characteristics when the sliding side door 1 passes from a closed position to an open position. As a result, the assembly of the invention 3 advantageously makes it possible to limit any parasitic noise due to the roller 5 in the closed position when the motor vehicle is in operation. Alongside this, it should be noted that the effort required to close the sliding side door 1 is lower than that of the prior art insofar as it is no longer necessary to compress the roller 5 against a wing of the guide rail 7 to prevent vibration against the other wing. However, as explained above, the closure of the sliding side door 1 is performed reliably and effectively since there is no discontinuity between the guide by the roller 5 in the guide rail 7 and the centering by the door centralizer 23 in the centering guide 21.

Claims (7)

REVENDICATIONS1. Guide assembly (3) for a sliding side door (1) of a motor vehicle comprising: - at least one guide rail (7); - At least one roller (5) shaped to cooperate with a corresponding guide rail (7); at least one centering guide (21); and at least one door centralizer (23) shaped to cooperate with a corresponding central guide (21), characterized in that each guide rail (7) has a flared end (9) so that in the closed position of the sliding side door (1), the roller (5) is disengaged from said corresponding guide rail (7) while the door centralizer (23) is in contact with a corresponding centering guide (21) for a length (Lc) no nothing. 2. Assembly (3) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that in the closed position of the sliding side door (1), the roller (5) is away from the beginning (30) of the flared end (9) d a distance (Lr) and the door centralizer (23) is in contact with a centering guide (21) on a centering length (Lc), the distance (Lr) being less than the centering length (Lc). 3. Assembly (3) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the centering length (Lc) is between 17 mm and 25 mm. 4. Assembly (3) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the distance (Lr) is between 10 mm and 15 mm. 5. Assembly (3) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide rail (7) comprises two wings (11, 13) and a base (12) connecting the two wings (11, 13), each wing (11, 13) extending longitudinally projecting out of the base (12). 6. Assembly (3) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one roller is mounted on a carriage which comprises a centering guide. Motor vehicle comprising a structure on which a side door (1) is slidably mounted via a guide assembly (3) according to any one of the preceding claims, the structure comprising the guide rail (7). and the door centralizer (23) and the sliding side door (1) comprising the roller (5) and the centering guide (21).