Vehicle sliding door structure

1. A vehicle sliding door structure comprising:

an inner door panel having an outer peripheral edge, an outboard facing surface and a vertically oriented reinforced section extending along an area of the outboard facing surface adjacent to a rearward side of the outer peripheral edge, the reinforced section having a latch mechanism supporting part with a latch opening located proximate a mid-region of the rearward side of the outer peripheral edge;

an outer door panel fixed to at least part of the outer peripheral edge of the inner door panel; and

at least one bulkhead including a central flat part and an attachment flange, the central flat part extending laterally from the reinforced section toward a forward side of the outer peripheral edge and extending outboard from the reinforced section toward the outer door panel, the attachment flange extending around a peripheral edge of the central flat part and the attachment flange being fixedly attached to the reinforced section.

2. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one bulkhead is fixedly attached to the reinforced section above the latch opening.

3. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 2 , wherein

the central flat part of the at least one bulkhead extends laterally angularly offset relative to an upper side of the outer peripheral edge of the inner door panel.

4. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one bulkhead comprises a first bulkhead fixedly attached to the reinforced section above the latch opening and a second bulkhead fixedly attached to the reinforced section below the latch opening.

5. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 4 , wherein

the central flat part of the first bulkhead extends laterally angularly offset from a central flat part of the second bulkhead.

6. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the attachment flanges of the at least one bulkhead includes a first section fixedly attached to the reinforced section and a second section attached to an interior facing surface of the outer door panel.

7. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the reinforced section has a plurality of contoured surfaces, and the attachment flange of the at least one bulkhead includes a first flange part and a second flange part, each one of the first and second flange parts being fixedly attached to a corresponding one of the plurality of contoured surfaces of the reinforced section.

8. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 7 , wherein

the attachment flange of the at least one bulkhead includes a third flange part that is attached to the inner facing surface of the outer door panel.

9. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 7 , wherein

the plurality of contoured surfaces includes a first surface, a second surface angularly offset from the first surface, and a third surface angularly offset from the second surface such that the third surface faces the first surface, and

the attachment flange further comprises a third flange part, with the first flange part being fixedly attached to the first surface, the second flange part being fixedly attached to the second surface, and the third flange part being fixedly attached to the third surface.

10. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 9 , wherein

the inner door panel includes a window section, with the third surface of the contoured surfaces being defined along an area of the window section, and the central flat part of the at least one bulkhead bridges a space between the first surface and the window section.

11. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 1 , further comprising

an upper roller support part located at a forward upper corner of the inner door panel;

a lower roller support part located at a forward lower corner of the inner door panel;

a rear roller support part located proximate the mid-region of the rearward side of the outer peripheral edge; and

a sash section defined by a first line connecting the latch mechanism supporting part to the upper roller support part, a second line connecting the upper roller support part to a rear upper corner, and a third line connecting the rear upper corner to the latch mechanism support part.

12. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 11 , wherein

the at least one bulkhead comprises a first bulkhead that is fixedly attached to the reinforced section above the latch opening such that the central flat part of the first bulkhead extends laterally in a direction parallel to the first line.

13. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 1 , wherein

the reinforced section includes a reinforcing bracket that is fixedly attached to the outboard facing surface of the inner door panel along a region of the reinforced section that extends from below the latch mechanism supporting part to above the latch mechanism supporting part and having a second latch opening in alignment with the latch opening of the latch mechanism supporting part, with the at least one bulkhead being fixedly attached to the reinforcing bracket.

14. A vehicle sliding door structure comprising:

an inner door panel that includes an outer peripheral edge, an outboard facing surface, and a vertically oriented reinforced section extending along an area of the outboard facing surface adjacent to a rearward side of the outer peripheral edge, the reinforced section having a latch mechanism supporting part with a first latch opening located proximate a mid-region of the rearward side of the outer peripheral edge;

an upper roller support part located at a forward upper corner of the inner door panel;

a lower roller support part located at a forward lower corner of the inner door panel;

a rear roller support part located proximate the mid-region of the rearward side of the outer peripheral edge;

an outer door panel fixed to at least part of the outer peripheral edge of the inner door panel; and

at least one bulkhead that includes a central flat part and an attachment flange that extends around a peripheral edge of the central flat part, the attachment flange being fixedly attached to the reinforced section such that the central flat part extends laterally from the reinforced section toward a forward side of the outer peripheral edge and the central flat part extends outboard from the reinforced section toward the outer door panel.

15. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 14 , wherein

the at least one bulkhead is attached to the reinforced section above the second latch opening.

16. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 15 , wherein

the central flat part of the at least one bulkhead extends laterally angularly offset relative to an upper side of the outer peripheral edge of the inner door panel.

17. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 14 , wherein

the at least one bulkhead comprises a first bulkhead fixedly attached to the reinforced section above the latch opening and a second bulkhead fixedly attached to the reinforced section below the latch opening.

18. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 17 , wherein

the central flat part of the first bulkhead extends laterally angularly offset from a central flat part of the second bulkhead.

19. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 14 , wherein

the attachment flanges of the at least one bulkhead includes a first section fixedly attached to the reinforced section and a second section attached to an interior facing surface of the outer door panel.

20. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 14 , wherein

the reinforced section has a plurality of contoured surfaces, and the attachment flange of the at least one bulkhead includes a first flange part and a second flange part, each one of the first and second flange parts being fixedly attached to a corresponding one of the plurality of contoured surfaces of the reinforced section.

21. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 20 , wherein

the attachment flange of the at least one bulkhead includes a third flange part that is attached to the inner facing surface of the outer door panel.

22. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 20 , wherein

the plurality of contoured surfaces includes a first surface, a second surface angularly offset from the first surface, and a third surface angularly offset from the second surface such that the third surface faces the first surface, and

the attachment flange further comprises a third flange part, with the first flange part being fixedly attached to the first surface, the second flange part being fixedly attached to the second surface, and the third flange part being fixedly attached to the third surface.

23. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 22 , wherein

the inner door panel includes a window section, with the third surface of the contoured surfaces being defined along an area of the window section, and the central flat part of the at least one bulkhead bridges a space between the first surface and the window section.

24. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 14 , wherein

the inner door panel includes a sash section defined by a first line that extends from the latch mechanism supporting part to the upper roller support part, a second line that extends from the upper roller support part to a rear upper corner of the inner door panel, and a third line that extends from the rear upper corner of the door panel to the latch mechanism support part, and

the at least one bulkhead is fixedly attached to the reinforcing bracket above the second latch opening and oriented such that the central flat part of the first bulkhead extends in a direction parallel to the first line.

25. The vehicle sliding door structure according to claim 14 , wherein

the reinforced section includes a reinforcing bracket fixedly attached to the outboard facing surface of the inner door panel along a region of the reinforced section that extends from below the latch mechanism supporting part to above the latch mechanism supporting part and the reinforcing bracket defining a second latch opening in alignment with the first latch opening, and

the attachment flange of the at least one bulkhead is fixedly attached to the reinforcing bracket.