Patent ID: 6968650

Claim:
A vehicle door comprising: a window opening; a side impact beam; an inner panel having an inside surface and an outside surface and defining a portion of a body of said door disposed below said window opening; an outer panel mounted on said outside surface of said inner panel forming a cavity between said inner and outer panels, said side impact beam disposed within said cavity, said outer panel is adapted to be disposed further away from a vehicle body than said inner panel when said door is mounted thereto; and an elongated hardware carrier beam defining a generally U-shaped channel in vertical cross-section configured to receive vehicle door hardware for operating vehicle door components, said channel of said hardware carrier beam facing said inner panel, said hardware carrier beam mounted onto said inside surface of said inner panel forming a cavity therebetween; wherein substantially all of said carrier beam is disposed above said side impact beam and said carrier beam having an opening extending into said carrier beam cavity for receiving a latch element mounted on the vehicle body.