FR3016556A1 - DEVICE FOR PREVENTING THE OPENING OF A SIDE DOOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE IN CASES OF LATERAL SHOCK - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for preventing the opening of a lateral door in the event of a side impact on this door comprising a sheet metal reinforcement (4) intended to support the lock (5) of this door, this reinforcement (4) comprising a face (6) intended to be fixed to a wall (3) of the lining (1) of the door extending substantially perpendicular to the panel (2) of the door, characterized in that the sheet metal reinforcement (4) comprises at least a first wall (7) folded with respect to said face (6) of the sheet metal reinforcement (4), the fold (8) between said wall (7) and said face (6) extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said panel (2); ) of the door, when said reinforcement (4) is attached to the lining (1) of the door.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for preventing the opening of a side door of a motor vehicle in the event of a side impact against this door. The invention also relates to a vehicle side door equipped with such a device. It is known that the side doors are equipped with various reinforcements in sheet metal, such as lock reinforcements.

These lock reinforcements are intended to reinforce the fastening of the lock to the lining of the door. In known manner, these sheet metal reinforcements comprise a face intended to be fixed for example by welding to a wall of the lining of the door extending substantially perpendicularly to the outer panel of the door.

In standard side impact tests, a barrier is projected at a speed equal to 50 km / h against a side door of the vehicle to be tested. During this side impact, the outer panel of the door sinks inwards and may touch the lock that controls the opening of the door. If there is no protective device, the lock may be damaged, which may cause the door to open unexpectedly. This inadvertent opening is usually caused by the rupture of the cable plastic outlet tip that controls the opening of the door. Such an opening is a cause of non-homologation of a vehicle.

Current sheet metal reinforcements are not specifically designed to prevent the opening of a side door in the event of a side impact. The object of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage. This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a device for preventing the opening of a side door in the event of a side impact on this door comprising a sheet metal reinforcement intended to support the lock of this door, this reinforcement comprising a face intended to be fixed to a wall of the lining of the door extending substantially perpendicular to the door panel, characterized in that the sheet metal reinforcement comprises at least a first wall bent with respect to said face of the sheet metal reinforcement, the fold between this wall and said face extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said door panel, when said reinforcement is attached to the door liner. The folded wall of the sheet metal reinforcement of the lock considerably increases the stiffness of the reinforcement in the direction of the fold of this wall.

Since this fold is oriented in the direction of the forces exerted during a side impact against the vehicle, this fold reinforces the resistance of the reinforcement to these efforts and thus protects the lock against the risk of inadvertent opening of the door. In a preferred version of the invention, said first folded wall of the sheet metal reinforcement is perpendicular to said face of this reinforcement. This perpendicular arrangement makes it possible to optimally increase the resistance of the sheet metal reinforcement to the aforementioned forces. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sheet metal reinforcement comprises a second wall folded substantially perpendicular to said face of the reinforcement and said first folded wall. Preferably, the fold of this second wall comprises a transversely embossed rib with respect to said fold. According to a particularly advantageous version of the invention, the sheet metal reinforcement further comprises a third folded wall located opposite the second wall and substantially perpendicular to said face of the reinforcement and parallel to said second wall. Said first, second and third walls thus form with said face of the reinforcement a box-shaped housing for receiving the lock. Thanks to these three folded walls, the housing of the reinforcement effectively protects the lock against the risk of crushing during a side impact. According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the adjacent edges of said first, second and third folded walls are interconnected. In a preferred embodiment, said adjacent edges are interconnected by crimping a longitudinal edge of the first folded wall on sheet portions connected to respective adjacent edges of the second and third folded walls.

The connections created by crimping between the three walls make it possible to further increase the resistance of the box serving as a housing for the lock in the direction of the forces generated in the event of a frontal impact. According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle side door equipped with a lock and a device according to the invention. Preferably, this lock is in contact with said face and said first wall of the reinforcement. According to another advantageous feature of the side door according to the invention, the second wall is spaced from the lock and protects the exit of the cable which connects the lock to the opening control member of the door. Thus, the second wall of the reinforcement prevents the deformation of the outer panel created during a side impact causes rupture of the cable outlet and thus the unwanted opening of the door. According to another feature of the door according to the invention, the lock is in contact with said third wall and the latter partially covers a wall of the lining which is substantially parallel to the outer panel of the door and substantially perpendicular to said wall of the door. liner with which is contacted said face of the sheet metal reinforcement. This third wall of the reinforcement resting on a wall of the lining makes it possible to further protect the lock against the stresses exerted in the event of a side impact. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent throughout the description below. In the accompanying drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example: FIG. 1 is a partial view in section along a horizontal plane of a motor vehicle side door equipped with a lock reinforcement according to the invention; Figure 2 is another perspective view in section of the side door shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sheet metal reinforcement of the device according to the invention. Figures 1 and 2 show in horizontal section a side door of a motor vehicle.

This door essentially comprises a lining 1 and an outer panel 2 made of sheet metal. The lining 1 comprises a wall 3 which is substantially perpendicular to the panel 2.

This wall 3 carries a lock reinforcement 4 made of sheet metal on which is fixed the lock 5. This lock reinforcement 4 is shown alone in Figure 3. This reinforcement 4 comprises a flat face 6 which is intended to be fixed on the wall 3 of the liner 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

According to the invention, the sheet metal reinforcement 4 comprises (see FIG. 3) a first wall 7 folded with respect to the flat face 6 of the sheet metal reinforcement 4. The fold 8 between this first wall 7 and the flat face 6 s extends (see Figure 1) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the panel 2 of the door, when the reinforcement 4 is fixed to the wall 3 of the lining 1 of the door.

This first wall 7 and the fold 8 are therefore oriented in the direction of the forces generated during a side impact, as shown by the arrow F in FIGS. 1 and 2. As a result, the wall 7 and the fold 8 increase. the strength of the lock reinforcement 4 to the aforementioned efforts.

In the example of FIGS. 1 to 3, the first folded wall 7 of the sheet metal reinforcement 4 is perpendicular to the flat face 6 of this reinforcement, which makes it possible to optimize its resistance to forces. In addition, the sheet metal reinforcement 4 comprises a second folded wall 9 substantially perpendicular to the face 6 of the reinforcement 4 and the first folded wall 7. This second folded wall 9 of the reinforcement 4 thus extends parallel to the panel 2 of the door and effectively protects the lock 5 against side impacts, as will be explained in more detail below. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the sheet metal reinforcement 4 further comprises a third folded wall 10 located opposite the second wall 9 and substantially perpendicular to the face 6 of the reinforcement 4 and parallel to the second wall 9.

This third wall 10 of the reinforcement 4 is in contact with the lining 1 of the door, as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 further shows that the adjacent edges of the first, second and third folded walls 7, 9, 10 are connected. between them by crimping a longitudinal edge 7a of the first folded wall 7 on sheet portions 9a, 10a connected to the respective adjacent edges of the second and third folded walls 9 and 10. These links between the adjacent edges of the walls 7, 9 and 10 further enhance the crush resistance of the reinforcement 4 to the forces generated in the direction of the arrow F in the event of a side impact.

Figures 1 and 2 further show that when the lock reinforcement 4 is fixed on the lining of the door and the lock 5 is in position on the reinforcement 4, the second wall 9 is spaced from the lock 5 and protects the outlet 11 of the cable 12 which connects the lock 5 to the body (not shown) for opening control of the door.

This output 11 of the cable 12 is constituted in the example shown in Figure 1 by an arcuate plastic tip that guides the cable outlet in a direction substantially parallel to the wall 9 of the reinforcement 4. In addition, the figures 1 and 2 show that the lock 5 is in contact with the third wall 10 of the reinforcement 4.

This third wall 10 covers a portion of the lining 1 which is substantially parallel to the outer panel 2 of the door and substantially perpendicular to the wall 3 of the liner 1 with which is in contact with the flat face 6 of the sheet metal reinforcement 4. We will now explain the behavior of the device according to the invention in case of side impact against a door of a vehicle. During such an impact, the forces are exerted in the direction of the arrow F shown in Figures 1 and 3, that is to say, directed perpendicularly to the panel 2 of the door. Under the effect of the forces, the panel 2 deforms towards the interior of the door, that is to say towards the second wall 9 of the lock reinforcement 4. Since this wall 9 extends parallel to the panel 2 this wall 9 forms a barrier that stops or at least slows the progression of the deformation of the panel 2 to the inside of the door.

The stiffness of this wall 9 is favored by the fact that the fold 9c between the face 6 and the wall 9 (see Figure 3) comprises a rib 9b transversely transverse to the fold above. As a result, the wall 9 protects the end piece 11 from the exit of the cable and thus prevents unintentional opening of the door under the effect of the transverse impact.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Device for preventing the opening of a lateral door in the event of a side impact on this door comprising a sheet metal reinforcement (4) intended to support the lock (5) of this door, this reinforcement (4) comprising a face (6) intended to be fixed to a wall (3) of the lining (1) of the door extending substantially perpendicular to the panel (2) of the door, characterized in that the sheet metal reinforcement (4) comprises at least a first wall (7) folded with respect to said face (6) of the sheet metal reinforcement (4), the fold (8) between said wall (7) and said face (6) extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said panel (2); ) of the door, when said reinforcement (4) is attached to the lining (1) of the door. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first folded wall (7) of the sheet metal reinforcement (4) is perpendicular to said face (6) of this reinforcement. 3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the sheet metal reinforcement (4) comprises a second folded wall (9) substantially perpendicular to said face (6) of the reinforcement (4) and said first wall folded (7). 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the fold (9c) of the second wall (9) has a rib embossed (9b) transversely relative to said fold (9c). 5. Device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the sheet metal reinforcement (4) further comprises a third folded wall (10) located opposite the second wall (9) and substantially perpendicular to said face (6) of the reinforcement (4) and parallel to said second wall (9). 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the adjacent edges of said first, second and third folded walls (7, 9, 10) are interconnected. 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said adjacent edges are interconnected by crimping a longitudinal edge (7a) of the first folded wall (7) on sheet metal parts (9a, 10a) connected to the edges. Respective adjacent ones of the second and third folded walls (9, 10). 8. side door of a motor vehicle equipped with a lock (5) and a device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the lock (5) is in contact with said face (6) and said first wall (7) of the lock reinforcement (4). 9. Side door of a motor vehicle equipped with a lock (5) and a device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the second wall (9) is spaced from the lock (5) and protects the exit (11) of the cable (12) which connects the lock (5) to the opening control member of the door. 10. Side door of a motor vehicle equipped with a lock and a device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the lock (5) is in contact with said third wall (10) and the latter partially covers a wall of the lining (1) which is substantially parallel to the outer panel (2) of the door and substantially perpendicular to said wall (3) of the lining (1) with which is in contact with said face (6) of the reinforcement sheet metal (4).