Vehicle with abrasion-resistant door panel
A personal automotive vehicle includes a door with a door panel that partly defines a reconfigurable passenger cabin. The door panel presents an abrasion-resistant portion to the interior of the passenger cabin at an upper section of the door panel below the window. A seat is mounted in the passenger cabin and can be rotated inwardly to increase the available range of movement of the seat occupant. The abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel is located to prevent scuff-related damage to the door panel when the seat occupant crosses his legs. The abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel can be selectively covered and uncovered by a moveable portion of the door panel, which may include an armrest.
1. A personal automotive vehicle having a reconfigurable passenger cabin, comprising:
a vehicle body;
a door mounted to the vehicle body and moveable to provide passenger access into and out of the passenger cabin, the door comprising a window and a door panel that partly defines an interior of the passenger cabin; and
a seat located in the passenger cabin and coupled with the body of the vehicle for rotational movement between a forward-facing position and an inwardly-rotated position, the seat having an inboard side and an opposite outboard side located between the inboard side and the door,
wherein the door panel comprises a lower portion below the window, said lower portion comprising an upper section that presents an abrasion-resistant portion to the interior of the passenger cabin, the abrasion-resistant portion having an abrasion resistance greater than an abrasion resistance of a different portion of the door panel,
wherein the door panel comprises an armrest configured for movement between a first position and a second position such that a free volume between the outboard side of the seat and the door is greater when the armrest is in the second position than when the armrest is in the first position, and
wherein the abrasion-resistant portion is not presented to the interior of the passenger cabin in the first position and the abrasion-resistant portion is presented to the interior of the passenger cabin in the second position.
2. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1 , wherein the door panel includes a moveable portion comprising the armrest, the first position is a first position along the door panel, and the second position is a second position along the door panel.
3. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein the moveable portion at least partly covers the abrasion-resistant portion in said first position and uncovers the abrasion-resistant portion in said second position.
4. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein the moveable portion includes the abrasion-resistant portion.
5. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein the movement of the moveable portion comprises translational movement.
6. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein the movement of the moveable portion comprises rotational movement.
7. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein the moveable portion is configured to be in the second position only when the seat is in the inwardly-rotated position.
8. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein the door is a non-sliding door.
9. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1 , wherein the passenger cabin is reconfigurable between a driving configuration, in which the seat is in the forward-facing position and the abrasion-resistant portion is not presented to the interior of the passenger cabin, and an autonomous configuration, in which the seat is in the inwardly-rotated position and the abrasion-resistant portion is uncovered presented to the interior of the passenger cabin.
10. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 9 , wherein presentation of the abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel is coordinated with movement of the seat.
11. A personal automotive vehicle having a reconfigurable passenger cabin, comprising:
a vehicle body;
a door mounted to the vehicle body and moveable to provide passenger access into and out of the passenger cabin, the door comprising a window and a door panel that partly defines an interior of the passenger cabin; and
a seat located in the passenger cabin and coupled with the body of the vehicle for rotational movement between a forward-facing position and an inwardly-rotated position, the seat having an inboard side and an opposite outboard side located between the inboard side and the door,
wherein the door panel comprises a lower portion below the window, said lower portion comprising an upper section that presents an abrasion-resistant portion to the interior of the passenger cabin, the abrasion-resistant portion having an abrasion resistance greater than an abrasion resistance of a different portion of the door panel,
wherein the door panel includes a moveable portion configured for movement between a first position, in which the abrasion-resistant portion is not presented to the interior of the passenger cabin, and a second position, in which the abrasion-resistant portion is presented to the interior of the passenger cabin, and
wherein the moveable portion at least partly covers the abrasion-resistant portion in said first position and uncovers the abrasion-resistant portion in said second position.
12. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 11 , wherein the moveable portion is configured to be in the second position only when the seat is in the inwardly-rotated position.
13. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 11 , wherein the moveable portion comprises an armrest.
14. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 11 , wherein presentation of the abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel is coordinated with movement of the seat.
15. A personal automotive vehicle having a reconfigurable passenger cabin, comprising:
a vehicle body;
a door mounted to the vehicle body and moveable to provide passenger access into and out of the passenger cabin, the door comprising a window and a door panel that partly defines an interior of the passenger cabin; and
a seat located in the passenger cabin and coupled with the body of the vehicle for rotational movement between a forward-facing position and an inwardly-rotated position, the seat having an inboard side and an opposite outboard side located between the inboard side and the door,
wherein the door panel comprises a lower portion below the window, said lower portion comprising an upper section that presents an abrasion-resistant portion to the interior of the passenger cabin, the abrasion-resistant portion having an abrasion resistance greater than an abrasion resistance of a different portion of the door panel,
wherein the door panel includes a moveable portion configured for movement between a first position, in which the abrasion-resistant portion is not presented to the interior of the passenger cabin, and a second position, in which the abrasion-resistant portion is presented to the interior of the passenger cabin,
wherein the moveable portion is configured to be in the second position only when the seat is in the inwardly-rotated position.
16. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 15 , wherein the moveable portion includes the abrasion-resistant portion.
17. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 15 , wherein the moveable portion comprises an armrest.
18. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 15 , wherein presentation of the abrasion-resistant portion of the door panel is coordinated with movement of the seat.
19. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1 , wherein the armrest at least partly covers the abrasion-resistant portion in said first position and uncovers the abrasion-resistant portion in said second position.
20. A personal automotive vehicle as defined in claim 5 , wherein the translational movement is in forward and rearward directions.