Patent ID: 12208665

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Referring initially toFIGS.1and2, a vehicle10is illustrated in accordance with a first embodiment. The vehicle10has a rear door12(FIGS.1and2) that includes an impact pad14(shown inFIG.3), as described in greater detail below.

As shown inFIG.3, the rear door12(a vehicle door structure) includes an inner door panel18, an outer door panel20, a door handle assembly22, a window track24and the impact pad14. It should be understood that the rear door12is a rear side door in that it is adjacent to a front side door along one side of the vehicle such that a passenger can enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle when the rear door12is open.

The rear door described in U.S. Ser. No. 17/539,147 filed Nov. 30, 2021 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0166586) is identical to the rear door12described herein, except the impact pad and the access opening described and shown in Ser. No. 17/539,147 have been replaced with the impact pad14and the access opening34shown herein and described below. U.S. Ser. No. 17/539,147 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

A description of the inner door panel18is now provided with specific reference toFIGS.3-7. The inner door panel18has an inboard surface30(FIGS.4and6) and an outboard surface32(FIGS.3,5and7) with an access opening34that extends from the inboard surface30to the outboard surface32. The inner door panel18has an outer periphery36. The access opening34is defined by at least a forward edge38, a rearward edge40, and upper edge42and a lower edge44.

The upper edge42includes a first mounting flange42athat extends downward into the access opening34. The lower edge44has a second mounting flange44athat extends upward into the access opening34.

The inner door panel18also includes an upper brace45that borders a lower edge of a window opening46, a mid-reinforcement bracket47and a lower brace48. The upper brace45, the mid-reinforcement bracket47and the lower brace48all extend from a forward portion of the inner door panel20to a rearward portion of the inner door panel20and are welded in place in a conventional manner. As shown inFIG.3, the door handle assembly22is located between the mid-reinforcement bracket47and the upper brace45. Further, the impact pad14is also located between the mid-reinforcement bracket47and the upper brace45within the access opening34.

The outer door panel20has an inboard surface (not shown) and an outboard surface50. A pair of handle openings52extend from the inboard surface to the outboard surface50. The outer door panel20also has an outer periphery56that is fixed to the corresponding outer periphery36of the inner door panel18. A hollow area or cavity58is defined therebetween.

A window regulator (not shown) is installed within the cavity58. The window regulator includes at least the one window track24that extends vertically between the door handle assembly22and a portion of the impact pad14, as is described further below. Since window regulators are conventional mechanisms, further description of the window regulator is omitted for the sake of brevity.

The door handle assembly22has a base portion60and a lever portion62. The base portion60overlays the inboard surface (not shown) of the outer door panel20within the cavity58. The lever portion62extends along the outboard surface50of the outer door panel20and pivots relative to the base portion62in order to open the rear door12in a conventional manner.

As shown inFIGS.4-7, the impact pad14is installed in the access opening34in a generally vertical orientation in which the impact pad14extends vertically from the first mounting flange42ato the second mounting flange44a, as described in greater detail below. It should be noted that the impact pad14is spaced apart from the forward edge38of the access opening34.

A description of the impact pad14is now provided with reference toFIGS.8-20. As shown inFIGS.8-15, the impact pad14has a block portion68and a main portion70. As shown inFIGS.11-13, the block portion68includes a first section74and a second section76. The first section74has an irregular rectangular-like shape with the second section76extending from the first section74and having a tapered or inclined surface such that the thickness of the second section76decreases going from the first section toward the main portion70.

The main portion70includes a lower attachment section80, an upper attachment section82and a central section84that has a contoured forward edge86. The lower attachment section80extends below the block portion68and has a fastener receiving opening88. The lower attachment section80also includes a rearward extending flange section80a, as shown inFIGS.8-14and16. The upper attachment section82extends above the block portion68and has a fastener receiving opening90. The contoured forward edge86of the central section84includes a convex curved part92and a concaved curved part94.

As shown inFIG.14, the flange section80aand the first section74of the block portion68define a gap G1. With the impact pad14installed in the access opening34, the flange section80aextends the inboard surface30of the inner door panel18adjacent to the rearward edge40, as shown inFIG.4. At the same time, with the impact pad14installed, the block portion68extends the outboard surface32of the inner door panel18adjacent to the rearward edge40, as shown inFIGS.5and7.

It should be understood that the first section74of the block portion68is positioned vertically above the flange section80awith the impact pad14installed in the access opening34. In other words, the flange section80ais located below the block portion68the impact pad14installed in the access opening34. The vertical relationship between the block portion68and the flange section80ais shown inFIGS.8,11,13and15. Therefore, the gap G1is only visible inFIG.14.

Once the impact pad14is installed within the access opening34, snap-fitting fasteners F1are inserted into the openings88and90, respectfully, as shown inFIGS.4,5,17and19-20.

With the impact pad14installed to the inner door panel18, a portion of the block portion68of the impact pad14overlays and contacts a portion of the outboard surface32of the inner door panel18adjacent to the access opening34. Once the impact pad14is installed, the block portion68is preferably in alignment with a portion of the base portion60of the door handle assembly22.

With the impact pad14installed to the inner door panel18, a portion of the main portion30of the impact pad14is located along the inboard surface30of the inner door panel18.

The impact pad14is preferably formed as a single, unitary, monolithic and generally homogeneous member. The impact pad14can be made of any of a variety of materials that absorb impact energy, such as resin materials, polymers, rubber or rubber-like materials, . . . etc. Further, the impact pad14is made of a material that is compressible but resilient in order to absorb a maximum amount of impact energy.

As is shown inFIG.3, the window track24extends vertically between the base portion60of the door handle assembly22and the block portion68of the impact pad14. Due to these relationships, the base portion60of the door handle assembly22, the spacer material94, the window track24and the block portion68of the impact pad14define an impact receiving path. An impact receiving path is such that in response to an impact event where impact force impacts the outer door panel20proximate the door handle assembly22, the impact force is transmitted from the outer door panel20to the base portion60, then to and through the window track24, to the block portion68of the impact pad14and finally to the inner door panel18.

One advantage to the arrangement of the door handle assembly22, the window track24and the impact pad14is that the impact force more directly impacts a rearward area of the rear door12in its entirety. Consequently, the impact force has less of an impact on the door handle assembly22itself. In the absence of the impact pad14, the outer door panel, the inner door panel and the door handle assembly22is more likely to be deformed by an impact.

Second Embodiment

Referring now toFIG.21-23, an impact pad114in accordance with a second embodiment will now be explained. In view of the similarity between the first and second embodiments, the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the first embodiment. Moreover, the descriptions of the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity.

The impact pad114includes many of the shapes and features of the impact pad14of the first embodiment. Specifically, the impact pad114includes the block portion68with its first section74and the second section76, as described in the first embodiment.

The impact pad114includes a main portion170that has been modified as compared to the main portion170of the first embodiment. The main portion170includes the lower attachment section80, the fastener receiving opening88, the rearward extending flange section80a, the upper attachment section82and its fastener receiving opening90, as described in the first embodiment. However, the contoured forward edge86of the first embodiment is replaced with a contoured forward edge186that includes a first concaved area192and a second concaved area194.

The various vehicle structures and elements, other than the above-described features of the rear door12, are conventional components that are well known in the art. Since such vehicle structures and elements are well known in the art, these structures will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the components can be any type of structure and/or programming that can be used to carry out the present invention.

In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe the above embodiment, the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle door assembly. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a vehicle equipped with the vehicle door assembly.

The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such features. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.