Granted Patent B2

US 7,014,249 · App. 10/916,120 · Granted Mar 21, 2006

Assignee: General Motors Corporation

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A vehicle door structure comprising:

a generally rigid outer member;

a generally rigid inner member spaced apart from said outer member and having structure forming an opening therein;

an impact beam generally spanning the door structure lengthwise and rigidly affixed thereto;

a compliant target laterally aligned with said opening in said inner member;

a paddle member integrally formed with said impact beam and laterally aligned with said target; and

wherein a lateral impact on the door structure causes said impact beam and said paddle member to move together toward said target, pushing said target inboard of the impact; and

a substantially vertical window glass drop rail disposed between said target and said paddle member;

wherein said glass drop rail is formed with a weakened area such that, upon the impact, said glass drop rail fractures at said weakened area to allow said impact beam and said paddle member to push said target inboard of the impact.

2. The vehicle door structure of claim 1 , wherein said impact beam and said paddle member are laterally aligned with said opening formed in said inner member such that, upon the impact, said impact beam and said paddle member move together toward said opening.

3. The vehicle door structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a trim panel member spaced apart from said inner member opposite said outer member;

wherein said target is mounted to an inboard face of said trim panel member and continuously abuts said inboard face of said turn panel member.

4. The vehicle door structure of claim 3 , wherein said pushing on said target thereby pushes said trim panel inboard of the impact.

5. The vehicle door structure of claim 1 , wherein said impact beam includes a flange member, wherein said impact beam is rigidly affixed to the door structure at said flange member, and wherein said paddle member is integrally formed with said flange member.

6. The vehicle door structure of claim 1 , wherein an outboard face of said paddle member is juxtaposed with an inboard face of said outer member, wherein said inboard face has a contoured shape, and wherein said outboard face substantially follows the contoured shape of said inboard face.

7. The vehicle door structure of claim 1 , wherein said paddle member includes a bumper-engaging portion having an outboard face juxtaposed with an inboard face of said outer member wherein said inboard face has a contoured shape, wherein said outboard face substantially follows the contoured shape of said inboard face; and

wherein said paddle member includes a pusher portion connected to said bumper-engaging portion and disposed sufficiently inboard thereof such that said pusher portion extends toward said target.

8. The vehicle door structure of claim 7 , wherein said bumper-engaging portion is a steel plate integrally formed with said impact beam; and

wherein said pusher portion is a compliant foam material adhered to said steel plate.

9. The vehicle door structure of claim 1 , wherein said target extends through said opening in said inner member toward said paddle member.

10. A door for a vehicle comprising:

a rigid outer member;

a trim panel member spaced apart from the outer member to form a cavity spanning laterally therebetween;

an impact beam rigidly affixed to the door and disposed lengthwise between said trim panel member and said outer member through said cavity;

a paddle member integrally formed with said impact beam to extend therefrom in said cavity;

a compliant target mounted to said trim panel member and disposed in said cavity in alignment with said paddle member;

a glass drop rail vertically disposed in the door through said cavity;

wherein said glass drop rail is formed with a weakened area; and

wherein upon the impact, said glass drop rail fractures at said weakened area to allow said impact beam and said paddle member to push said target inboard of the impact;

wherein said impact beam, said paddle member and said target form a sufficiently continuous, energy-absorbing lateral path across said cavity from said outer member to said trim panel member such that a lateral impact upon said outer member is at least partially absorbed by said impact beam, and said paddle member pushes said target and said trim panel member inboard of the impact.

11. The door of claim 10 , wherein the compliant target is mounted to an inboard face of said trim panel member and continuously abuts said inboard face of said trim panel member to further define the sufficiently continuous lateral path;

wherein the paddle member has an outboard face juxtaposed with an inboard face of said outer member;

wherein said inboard face of said outer member has a contoured shape; and

wherein said outboard face of said paddle member substantially follows the contoured shape of said inboard face of said outer member to further define the sufficiently continuous lateral path.

12. The door of claim 10 , wherein said compliant target and said paddle member sufficiently continuously abut one another to further define the sufficiently continuous lateral path.

Assignments (13)

Continuity (1)