Patent ID: 12215533

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG.1is a schematic perspective diagram of a vehicle side structure according to an embodiment of the disclosure, andFIG.2is a schematic cross-sectional diagram along line A-A′ of the vehicle side structure shown inFIG.1. The specific structure and the like of a vehicle side structure100of this embodiment will be described below with reference toFIGS.1and2, but the vehicle side structure100of this embodiment is only one example of the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring toFIGS.1and2, in this embodiment, the vehicle side structure100is for being mounted near a door50, for example, between the door50located on the side of the vehicle and a vehicle body60located inside the vehicle, and is adjacent to a door glass (not shown) mounted inside the door50. The vehicle side structure100includes an electric motor110, a fitting member120, and a connecting member130. The electric motor110is disposed inside the door50to drive the door glass to move up and down. The fitting member120(shown inFIG.2) fits the door50to the vehicle body60. The connecting member130connects the fitting member120and the electric motor110. However, the disclosure does not limit the application of the vehicle side structure100on the vehicle and the specific structure thereof. For example, the presence or absence of the guide rails in the prior art may be adjusted according to requirements, and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In detail, in this embodiment, as shown inFIG.2, the door50includes a door inner panel52and a door outer panel54. The door inner panel52and the door outer panel54are connected to each other, and an inner space is formed. Therefore, the vehicle side structure100may be mounted in the inner space between the door inner panel52and the door outer panel54while being hidden inside the door50. Moreover, at a lower end of the door50, the fitting member120is connected to the door inner panel52via a fixing member150(e.g. a bolt), and the fitting member120is fitted into a recess62aformed in a side sill62of the vehicle body60, thereby connecting the door inner panel52and a part of the vehicle body60(e.g. the side sill62). That is, the fitting member120fits the door50to the vehicle body60, thereby restricting the displacement of the door50. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be adjusted according to requirements.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the door inner panel52includes a first surface52aextending downward (e.g. a vehicle downward direction D) along a vehicle up-down direction (a vehicle upward direction U and the vehicle downward direction D inFIG.2), a second surface52bextending from the first surface52aoutward (e.g. a vehicle left direction L) along a vehicle width direction (the vehicle left direction L and a vehicle right direction R inFIG.2), and a third surface52cextending downward from the second surface52bin the vehicle up-down direction. That is, the door inner panel52is formed in a stepped shape. The above-mentioned extension along the vehicle up-down direction or along the vehicle width direction serves to describe the relative position of each surface, and does not limit each surface to be a plane or to extend in a linear direction and be perpendicular to each other. Each surface may also be a surface with a concave-convex shape or slightly inclined; the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown inFIG.2, the electric motor110is mounted on the first surface52a. Between the electric motor110and the first surface52a, a lifting mechanism (not shown) for performing the lifting and lowering of the door glass and a guide rail160for guiding the lifting and lowering of the door glass are further provided. Although the electric motor110and the guide rail160are shown as being separated from each other in the cross section ofFIG.2, the electric motor110and the guide rail160are actually an integrated structure. Therefore, the electric motor110may be mounted on the first surface52avia a housing162of the guide rail160. Moreover, although a fixing member170(e.g. a bolt) is shown as penetrating the guide rail160in the cross section ofFIG.2, in fact the fixing member170does not penetrate into the guide rail160and is staggered from the guide rail160. In other cross sections not shown, the fixing member170penetrates the electric motor110, thereby fixing the electric motor110to the first surface52a. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be adjusted according to requirements.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown inFIG.2, the fitting member120is mounted on the third surface52c. The fitting member120is connected to the door inner panel52via the fixing member150, and the fitting member120is fitted into the recess62aformed in the side sill62of the vehicle body60. Thereby, the connecting member130is mounted near the door inner panel52and spans across the first surface52ato the third surface52c, to connect the electric motor110mounted on the first surface52aand the fitting member120mounted on the third surface52c, and correspond to the stepped shape of the door inner panel52(i.e. the first surface52ato the third surface52c), but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Therefore, in this embodiment, at the lower end of the connecting member130corresponding to the third surface52c, the fixing member150for mounting the fitting member120to the third surface52cof the door inner panel52further penetrates into the connecting member130. Correspondingly, although the electric motor110and the connecting member130are shown as being separated from each other in the cross section ofFIG.2, in other cross sections not shown, the connecting member130is connected to a housing112of the electric motor110at an upper end of the connecting member130corresponding to the first surface52a. Preferably, the connecting member130is integrally formed with the housing112of the electric motor110. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be adjusted according to requirements.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown inFIG.2, the connecting member130includes a first portion132disposed along the first surface52a, a second portion134disposed along the second surface52b, and a third portion136disposed along the third surface52c. Disposition along the surface serves to illustrate the relative position of each portion and each surface, and does not limit each portion and each surface to be parallel to each other or to fit each other, as long as their extension directions correspond; the disclosure is not limited thereto. As a result, the connecting member130is formed in a stepped shape similar to the door inner panel52, such that the fitting member120and the electric motor110may be connected closely to the door inner panel52, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the connecting member130is formed in a stepped shape and includes the first portion132, the second portion134, and the third portion136, an area open to the outside is formed between the first portion132and the second portion134, so preferably, the connecting member130includes a vertical wall138connecting the first portion132and the second portion134. The vertical wall138is, for example, a rib-like or beam-like structure, and may extend obliquely from an upper end portion of the first portion132to an outer end of the second portion134, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown inFIG.2, the vehicle side structure100may further include a door beam140. The door beam140is disposed inside the door50and faces the electric motor110. That is, the door beam140is disposed in the inner space between the door inner panel52and the door outer panel54, and faces the electric motor110mounted on the first surface52aof the door inner panel52. Therefore, the door beam140is located between the door outer panel54and the electric motor110, and substantially corresponds to the electric motor110and the first surface52aof the door inner panel52in the height direction. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and may be adjusted according to requirements.

Thus, it can be seen that in this embodiment, since the vehicle side structure100uses the connecting member130to connect the fitting member120and the high-rigidity electric motor110, when an impact load from outside the vehicle (arrow F inFIG.2) acts on the door50, even if the door50is deformed by the load from outside the vehicle, the load may be dispersed via the connecting member130. Thus, the fitting member120connected to the high-rigidity electric motor110via the connecting member130is less likely to be displaced to the outside of the vehicle (e.g. in the vehicle left direction L inFIG.2), thereby preventing the fitting member120from disengaging. Accordingly, the vehicle side structure100can prevent the fitting member120from being displaced and disengaged when receiving a load from outside the vehicle.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle side structure100further includes the door beam140, which is disposed facing the electric motor110and roughly corresponding to the electric motor110and the first surface52aof the door inner panel52in the height direction. Therefore, when an impact load from outside the vehicle (arrow F inFIG.2) acts on the door50, the door beam140abuts against the high-rigidity electric motor110while receiving the load from outside the vehicle. Thereby, the load applied to the door beam140may be distributed to the side sill62of the vehicle body60via the connecting member130and the fitting member120connected to the high-rigidity electric motor110, thereby suppressing deformation of the door50. At this time, since the electric motor110and the fitting member120are connected to each other, and the load may be dispersed via the connecting member130, such that the electric motor110, which is abutted by the door beam140, can be prevented from being displaced to the inside of the vehicle (e.g. in the vehicle right direction R inFIG.2).

Moreover, in this embodiment, the door inner panel52is formed in a stepped shape and includes the first surface52a, the second surface52b, and the third surface52c, and the connecting member130is formed in a stepped shape and includes the first portion132, the second portion134, and the third portion136. Therefore, when an impact load from outside the vehicle (arrow F inFIG.2) acts on the door50, even if the door inner panel52is pressed by the door beam140toward the inside of the vehicle (the vehicle right direction R inFIG.2) on the first surface52acorresponding to the door beam140and the electric motor110, and receives the aforementioned load, the second surface52bis provided with the second portion134(i.e. the stepped shape of the connecting member130) extending along the second surface52bof the door inner panel52and is not easily deformed. Thereby, the fitting member120mounted on the third surface52ccan be prevented from being displaced and disengaged from the door50and the vehicle body60.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the connecting member130is formed in a stepped shape and further provided with the vertical wall138connecting the first portion132and the second portion134, when an impact load from outside the vehicle (arrow F inFIG.2) acts on the door50, even if the fitting member120mounted on the third portion136receives a load to the outside of the vehicle (e.g. in the vehicle left direction L inFIG.2), the vertical wall138located between the first portion132and the second portion134receives the load as a compressive load (i.e. the load is applied in a manner of compression toward an area between the first portion132and the second portion134). Thereby, the deformation of the third portion136can be reduced, and the disengagement of the fitting member120can be prevented.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the connecting member130is formed integrally with the housing112of the electric motor110, the number of portions can be reduced. Further, since the housing112of the electric motor110is generally made of a material with high rigidity, the connecting member130formed integrally with the housing112is also constituted as a member with high rigidity. Thereby, the disengagement of the fitting member120can be prevented more effectively. However, the connecting member130and the housing112of the electric motor110may also be manufactured separately and then fixed. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and may be adjusted according to requirements.

In summary, in the vehicle side structure of the disclosure, the electric motor is disposed inside the door to drive the door glass to move up and down, the fitting member fits the door and the vehicle body, and the connecting member connects the fitting member and the electric motor. Preferably, the vehicle side structure further includes a door beam, which abuts against the electric motor when receiving a load from outside the vehicle, and the connecting member is disposed having a stepped shape (i.e. the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion) to transfer loads from outside the vehicle. In this way, compared to the prior art in which the fitting member is connected to a low-rigidity connecting plate, in the vehicle side structure of the disclosure, the fitting member and the high-rigidity electric motor are connected by the connecting member, and when an impact load from outside the vehicle acts on the door, the fitting member connected to the high-rigidity electric motor via the connecting member is not easily displaced, and disengagement of the fitting member can be prevented. Accordingly, the vehicle side structure of the disclosure can prevent the fitting member from being displaced and disengaged when receiving a load from outside the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the vehicle side structure further includes: a door beam, disposed inside the door and facing the electric motor so as to abut against the electric motor when receiving a load from outside the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the door includes a door inner panel. The door inner panel includes a first surface extending downward in a vehicle up-down direction, a second surface extending outward in a vehicle width direction from the first surface, and a third surface extending downward in the vehicle up-down direction from the second surface. The electric motor is mounted on the first surface. The fitting member is mounted on the third surface. The connecting member includes a first portion disposed along the first surface, a second portion disposed along the second surface, and a third portion disposed along the third surface.

In an embodiment of this disclosure, the connecting member includes a vertical wall connecting the first portion and the second portion.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the connecting member is integrally formed with a housing of the electric motor.

Based on the above, in the vehicle side structure of the disclosure, the electric motor is disposed inside the door to drive the door glass to move up and down, the fitting member fits the door and the vehicle body, and the connecting member connects the fitting member and the electric motor. In this way, compared with the prior art in which the fitting member is connected to a high-rigidity connecting plate, in the vehicle side structure of the disclosure, the fitting member and the electric motor having high rigidity are connected by the connecting member, and when an impact load from outside the vehicle acts on the door, the fitting member connected to the high-rigidity electric motor via the connecting member is not easily displaced, and disengagement of the fitting member can be prevented. Accordingly, the vehicle side structure of the disclosure can prevent the fitting member from being displaced and disengaged when receiving a load from outside the vehicle.

Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the disclosure, but not to limit them; although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: it is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements to some or all of the technical features; however, these modifications or substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the disclosure.