Door assemblies and vehicles including outer and inner bulkheads to transfer a side impact load to a pillar structure and methods incorporating the same

1. A door assembly of a vehicle that includes a first pillar structure and a second pillar structure positioned rearward of the first pillar structure in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the door assembly comprising:

a door outer panel;

a door inner panel coupled to and positioned inwardly of the door outer in a vehicle lateral direction;

an impact beam positioned between the door outer panel and the door inner panel, the door impact beam includes a first end and an opposite second end, the first end overlaps the first pillar structure and the second end overlaps the second pillar structure;

an inner bulkhead coupled to the door inner panel and positioned between the door inner panel and the first end of the impact beam, the inner bulkhead overlaps the first pillar structure; and

an outer bulkhead coupled to the door inner panel and positioned between the inner bulkhead and the first end of the impact beam, the outer bulkhead overlaps a portion of the inner bulkhead and the first pillar structure,

wherein in a side impact a load applied to the impact beam is transferred to the first pillar structure through the outer bulkhead, the inner bulkhead, and the door inner panel.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer bulkhead is spaced apart from the inner bulkhead, and in the side impact the load applied to the impact beam deforms the outer bulkhead inwardly in the vehicle lateral direction to contact the inner bulkhead to transmit the load applied to the impact beam to the first pillar structure.

3. The door assembly of claim 2 , wherein the door outer panel includes an interior surface and the door inner panel includes exterior surface that faces the interior surface of the door outer panel, the door inner panel includes a side wall that extends generally parallel to the vehicle lateral direction from the exterior surface of the door inner panel, the door inner panel includes an outer wall that extends generally parallel to the vehicle longitudinal direction from a distal edge of the side wall,

wherein the outer bulkhead is coupled to the outer wall of the door inner panel.

4. The door assembly of claim 3 , wherein the impact beam includes an impact beam paddle that is coupled to the outer wall of the door inner panel, the impact beam paddle is coupled to and supports the first end of the impact beam,

wherein the outer bulkhead is coupled to the impact beam paddle.

5. The door assembly of claim 4 , wherein the outer bulkhead includes an outer contact wall, a pair of outer flanges, and a pair of outer side walls that extend between the outer contact wall and the pair of outer flanges, the pair of outer flanges are coupled to the impact beam paddle.

6. The door assembly of claim 5 , wherein the inner bulkhead includes an inner contact wall, a pair of inner flanges, and a pair of inner side walls that extend between the outer contact wall and the pair of inner flanges, the pair of inner flanges are coupled to the exterior surface of the door inner panel.

7. The door assembly of claim 6 , wherein one of the outer contact wall and the inner contact wall includes a shaped recess and the other of the outer contact wall and the inner contact wall includes a shaped protrusion that corresponds to the shaped recess,

wherein in the side impact the shaped protrusion is received within the shaped recess to transfer the load applied to the impact beam to the first pillar structure through the outer bulkhead, the inner bulkhead, and the door inner panel.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a first pillar structure;

a second pillar structure positioned rearward of the first pillar structure;

a door outer panel;

a door inner panel coupled to and positioned inwardly of the door outer panel in a vehicle lateral direction;

an impact beam positioned between the door outer panel and the door inner panel, the door impact beam includes a first end and an opposite second end, the first end overlaps the first pillar structure and the second end overlaps the second pillar structure;

an inner bulkhead coupled to the door inner panel and positioned between the door inner panel and the first end of the impact beam, the inner bulkhead overlaps the first pillar structure; and

an outer bulkhead coupled to the door inner panel and positioned between the inner bulkhead and the first end of the impact beam, the outer bulkhead overlaps a portion of the inner bulkhead and the first pillar structure,

wherein in a side impact a load applied to the impact beam is transferred to the first pillar structure through the outer bulkhead, the inner bulkhead, and the door inner panel.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the outer bulkhead is spaced apart from the inner bulkhead, and in the side impact the load applied to the impact beam deforms the outer bulkhead inwardly in the vehicle lateral direction to contact the inner bulkhead to transmit the load applied to the impact beam to the first pillar structure.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the door outer panel includes an interior surface and the door inner panel includes exterior surface that faces the interior surface of the door outer panel, the door inner panel includes a side wall that extends generally parallel to the vehicle lateral direction from the exterior surface of the door inner panel, the door inner panel includes an outer wall that extends generally parallel to a vehicle longitudinal direction from a distal edge of the side wall,

wherein the outer bulkhead is coupled to the outer wall of the door inner panel.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the impact beam includes an impact beam paddle that is coupled to the outer wall of the door inner panel, the impact beam paddle is coupled to and supports the first end of the impact beam,

wherein the outer bulkhead is coupled to the impact beam paddle.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the outer bulkhead includes an outer contact wall, a pair of outer flanges, and a pair of outer side walls that extend between the outer contact wall and the pair of outer flanges, the pair of outer flanges are coupled to the impact beam paddle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the inner bulkhead includes an inner contact wall, a pair of inner flanges, and a pair of inner side walls that extend between the outer contact wall and the pair of inner flanges, the pair of inner flanges are coupled to the exterior surface of the door inner panel.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein one of the outer contact wall and the inner contact wall includes a shaped recess and the other of the outer contact wall and the inner contact wall includes a shaped protrusion that corresponds to the shaped recess,

wherein in the side impact the shaped protrusion is received within the shaped recess to transfer the load applied to the impact beam to the first pillar structure through the outer bulkhead, the inner bulkhead, and the door inner panel.