JP7789307B2 - Vehicle door structure - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a vehicle door structure that includes a metal door outer panel and a door inner panel that is positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction than the door outer panel.

Doors generally have a space between the inner door panel and outer door panel for installing auxiliary equipment such as a window glass lifting device. Therefore, many door inner panels have an inner surface that extends vertically and longitudinally, spaced apart from the outer door panel inward in the vehicle width direction, and a wall that extends from the outer peripheral edge of the inner surface via a corner to the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

When an object strikes such a door from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the inner surface portion located in the center of the door inner panel when viewed from the front attempts to penetrate into the vehicle interior, causing a bending load to act on the wall portion located on the outer periphery of the door inner panel when viewed from the front, compressing the outer side in the vehicle width direction and pulling the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

Recently, a door structure has been known in which the door inner panel is made of resin in order to reduce the weight of the door and improve productivity.
However, if the door inner panel is made of resin, during a collision, the above-mentioned bending load acts on the wall of the door inner panel, making it more likely that cracks will occur in the corners where stress is concentrated and in the wall parts supporting those corners, which could result in an increase in the amount of door deformation.

Patent Document 1 below also proposes a technology for reinforcing a resin door inner panel attached to a door by incorporating fibers such as carbon fiber into the resin that forms the base material of the door inner panel, and by providing a frame-shaped reinforcing member, particularly on the outer periphery of the door inner panel, from the outside in the vehicle width direction (the door outer panel side).

However, Patent Document 1 does not mention the problem of cracks occurring in the resin door inner panel due to the aforementioned bending load acting on the outer periphery of the door during a collision, nor does it mention any specific measures to address this problem.

In other words, if the door inner panel itself is reinforced from a material standpoint, as in the door structure of Patent Document 1, in order to give the door inner panel enough strength (rigidity) to withstand the bending load acting on its outer periphery during a collision, there is a risk that material costs will increase. Furthermore, if the door inner panel is thickened by providing a reinforcing member on its outer periphery, there is a risk that the weight of the door will increase.

Therefore, if measures are taken to counter the bending load acting on the outer periphery of the door during a collision based on the reinforcement structure of the door inner panel as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a concern that the benefits of using a resin door inner panel will be lost.

Special table 2019-526494 publication

The present invention was made in consideration of these issues, and aims to provide a vehicle door structure that can reduce the door's weight and improve productivity while ensuring door strength in the event of a collision.

The present invention relates to a vehicle door structure including a metal outer panel and an inner panel disposed inward in a vehicle width direction from the outer panel, the inner panel including a resin door inner panel and a reinforcing member having a tensile strength higher than that of the resin door inner panel and reinforcing the resin door inner panel, the resin door inner panel including an inner surface portion extending in the up-down and front-rear directions and spaced apart inward in the vehicle width direction from the outer panel, and a wall portion extending outward in the vehicle width direction from an edge portion of the inner surface via a corner portion, and the resin door inner panel includes a reinforcing member having a tensile strength higher than that of the resin door inner panel and reinforcing the resin door inner panel, the inner surface portion ... The corner portion is formed continuously along the front edge, lower edge and rear edge of the inner panel when viewed from the front of the door, the reinforcing member is provided on at least one of the outer side and the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the resin door inner panel in an area spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel when viewed from the front of the door, a closed cross section extending along the wall portion is formed between the reinforcing member and the resin door inner panel, and the closed cross section is formed continuously along the front edge, lower edge and rear edge of the inner panel when viewed from the front of the door .

The present invention also provides a door structure for a vehicle including a metal outer panel and an inner panel disposed inward in a vehicle width direction from the outer panel, the inner panel including a resin door inner panel and a reinforcing member having a tensile strength higher than that of the resin door inner panel and reinforcing the resin door inner panel, the resin door inner panel including an inner surface portion extending in the up-down and front-rear directions and spaced apart inward in the vehicle width direction from the outer panel, and a wall portion extending from an edge portion of the inner surface via a corner portion to the outward in the vehicle width direction, the reinforcing member being attached to the resin door inner panel in a region spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel in a front view of the door. The reinforcing member is provided on at least one of the outer side and the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a closed cross section extending along the wall portion is formed between the reinforcing member and the plastic door inner panel, and the reinforcing member is joined to the plastic door inner panel from the inner side in the vehicle width direction, the reinforcing member being a first reinforcing member, and a second reinforcing member having a higher tensile strength than the plastic door inner panel is joined to the region of the plastic door inner panel spanning the wall portion and the corner portion from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, the reinforcing member is provided with the second reinforcing member, and a closed cross section extending along the wall portion is formed between the second reinforcing member and the plastic door inner panel .

With this configuration, by forming the inner panel from a resin door inner panel across the interior surface, corners, and wall sections, the overall weight of the door can be reduced compared to when the entire inner panel is made from metal. Furthermore, because resin door inner panels can be formed by molding such as injection molding, high productivity can be ensured.

Furthermore, by providing a closed cross section extending along the wall between the resin door inner panel and the reinforcing member, the bending strength of the area between the corner of the resin door inner panel, where stress is most concentrated, and the wall supporting the corner when an object collides with the door (i.e., when a collision load is input to the inner panel), can be increased. In other words, the strength of the area between the wall and corner of the inner panel can be increased from a structural standpoint by providing the inner panel with a closed cross section.

As a result, cracking of the resin door inner panel can be suppressed even when the areas of the inner panel that require high strength, including the wall and corner sections, are formed from the resin door inner panel.

In short, it is possible to reduce the weight of the door, improve productivity, and ensure door strength in the event of a collision.

As described above, the reinforcing member is joined to the resin door inner panel from the inside in the vehicle width direction.
When an object strikes the door from the outside in the vehicle width direction, a tensile load acts outward on the resin door inner panel in a front view of the door in a region spanning the corners and wall of the resin door inner panel.

Therefore, as described above, by joining the reinforcing member to the resin door inner panel from the inside in the vehicle width direction, the resin door inner panel, which is subjected to a tensile load in the event of a collision, can be effectively reinforced by the reinforcing member.

Furthermore, as described above, the reinforcing member is a first reinforcing member, and a second reinforcing member having a higher tensile strength than the resin door inner panel is joined from the vehicle width direction outer side to the region of the resin door inner panel spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel, so that when an object strikes the door from the vehicle width direction outer side, the first reinforcing member can effectively reinforce the resin door inner panel from the vehicle width direction inner side against tensile loads, among other loads, that act on the resin door inner panel.In addition, the second reinforcing member can effectively reinforce the resin door inner panel from the vehicle width direction outer side against compressive loads, among other loads, that act on the resin door inner panel.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, a closed cross section can be formed between the second reinforcing member and the plastic door inner panel, i.e., on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (inward when viewed from the front of the door) of the plastic door inner panel, so that the plastic door inner panel can be more effectively reinforced from the outer side in the vehicle width direction against compressive loads, among the loads acting on the plastic door inner panel during a collision.

In one aspect of this invention, the resin door inner panel has an outer surface portion that extends from the outer edge of the wall portion in the vehicle width direction toward the outside of the door (the side opposite the inner surface portion located at the center of the door) in a front view of the door, and the reinforcing member has a reinforcing member wall portion that extends in the vehicle width direction along the wall portion, a reinforcing member outer surface portion that protrudes from the outer edge of the reinforcing member wall portion in the vehicle width direction toward the outside of the door (the side opposite the inner surface portion), and a reinforcing member inner surface portion that extends from the inner edge of the reinforcing member wall portion in the vehicle width direction toward the inside of the door (toward the inner surface portion) in a front view of the door, and the reinforcing member outer surface portion is joined to the outer surface portion and the reinforcing member inner surface portion is joined to the inner surface portion so that the closed cross section is formed over the entire length in the vehicle width direction between the wall portion and the reinforcing member wall portion.

With this configuration, a closed cross section can be formed over the entire length in the vehicle width direction between the wall portion and the reinforcing member wall portion, effectively preventing damage to the resin door inner panel when an object collides with the door.

In one aspect of this invention, the outer surface portion of the reinforcing member and the outer surface portion can be joined together in surface contact, and the inner surface portion of the reinforcing member and the inner surface portion can be joined together in surface contact.

With this configuration, the outer surface portions of the reinforcing members and the inner surface portions of the reinforcing members are joined in surface contact, thereby increasing the contact area between the reinforcing member and the plastic door inner panel and firmly joining them to each other around the door periphery. This allows for increased rigidity and vibration suppression at the joint between the plastic door inner panel and the reinforcing member by increasing the thickness.

In one aspect of this invention, the reinforcing member is made of metal, and the outer surface of the reinforcing member has a reinforcing member outer flange portion that extends outward from the joint with the plastic door inner panel to form the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel, and a hem portion that crimps to connect the reinforcing member outer flange portion can be provided on the outer peripheral edge of the outer panel.

With this configuration, the outer panel and the plastic door inner panel can be joined to each other at the outer periphery of the door via a metal reinforcing member. Therefore, even though the main parts of the inner panel (inner surface, wall portions, and outer protrusions) are made of resin, the joint strength between them can be increased by the crimped connection between the outer periphery of the outer panel and the outer flange portion of the reinforcing member, both of which are made of metal.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the reinforcing member can cooperate with the outer panel to clamp the inner panel in the vehicle width direction in the area spanning the wall and corner portions of the resin inner panel, thereby effectively suppressing damage to the resin door inner panel due to side impact loads input to the door .

As an aspect of the present invention, the second reinforcing member may be provided at a mounting portion of the door hinge to the resin door inner panel, and may be formed as a door hinge reinforcement that reinforces the mounting portion.

According to the above configuration, by forming the second reinforcing member as a door hinge reinforcement, it is possible to suppress an increase in door weight compared to when a second reinforcing member is provided separately from the door hinge reinforcement, and while reducing the number of parts, it is possible to more effectively reinforce the resin door inner panel from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

In one aspect of this invention, the first reinforcing member and the door hinge reinforcement can be configured to be fastened together to the plastic door inner panel by fastening means that fastens the door hinge to the plastic door inner panel.

With this configuration, the attachment portion of the door hinge to the resin door inner panel can be reinforced (from both sides in the plate thickness direction) by the door hinge reinforcement and the first reinforcing member.

Furthermore, by fastening the first reinforcing member and door hinge reinforcement to the plastic door inner panel using the fastening means that fastens the door hinge to the plastic door inner panel, the door hinge reinforcement and first reinforcing member can be firmly attached to the plastic door inner panel without the need for any other attachment means.

In one aspect of this invention, the reinforcing member is preferably made of aluminum.

According to the above configuration, by combining a resin door inner panel with an aluminum reinforcing member as described above, it is possible to achieve both lightweight and high strength.

Furthermore, when a resin door inner panel is made from a base resin that does not contain, for example, carbon fiber, galvanic corrosion can be prevented at the contact points between the two, even when the resin door inner panel is combined with an aluminum cabin-side reinforcing member.

Furthermore, unlike resin, which breaks with small deformations, aluminum has excellent ductility. Therefore, by joining the aluminum reinforcing member to the resin door inner panel, particularly from the inside in the vehicle width direction, the reinforcing member can take advantage of aluminum's excellent ductility, effectively reinforcing the resin door inner panel from the inside in the vehicle width direction against tensile loads acting on the resin door inner panel.

In one aspect of this invention, the resin door inner panel is preferably formed from a thermoplastic resin.

This configuration allows the resin door inner panel to be made from thermoplastic resin, which is generally inexpensive among resins, while still preventing cracking and deformation of the resin door inner panel during a side collision.

In one aspect of this invention, the corner portion is formed in a protruding (convex) shape that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the inner surface portion, and the closed cross section can be configured to extend inward in the vehicle width direction beyond the inner edge of the wall portion in the vehicle width direction, up to the inner edge of the protruding corner portion in the vehicle width direction.

With this configuration, by forming the corners along the outer periphery of the inner surface portion into a protruding shape, the corners can be formed into a bead shape extending along the outer periphery of the inner surface portion. This increases the strength of the outer periphery of the door inner panel.

Furthermore, by extending the closed cross section inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner edge of the wall portion to the inner edge of the protruding corner portion in the vehicle width direction, the closed cross section can be made longer in the vehicle width direction, further increasing the strength of the inner panel.

This configuration makes it possible to reduce the weight of the door, improve productivity, and ensure door strength in the event of a collision.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a front side door as viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, with the door outer panel shown in imaginary lines. A side view of FIG. 1 with various reinforcements removed. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the main part of a front side door as viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction, with the door outer panel shown in phantom lines. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a front side door as viewed from the front of the vehicle and from the inside in the vehicle width direction. Side view of the resin door inner panel seen from the inside in the vehicle width direction An enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. Enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. Enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 1. Enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in FIG. Enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a front side door according to a modified example, corresponding to FIG. 6 .

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, the rear side of the vehicle has a substantially symmetrical shape, and therefore the description will be based on the door structure on the right side of the vehicle. In the drawings, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, arrow U indicates the upper side of the vehicle, arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle, arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, arrow OUT indicates the outer side in the vehicle width direction (outside the passenger compartment), and arrow IN indicates the inner side in the vehicle width direction (inside the passenger compartment).

The door structure of the present invention is applied to a front side door 1 that opens and closes a front opening on the side of a vehicle body through which passengers get in and out. As shown in Figure 1, the front side door 1 of this embodiment is composed of a door body 2 and a door sash 3 provided above the door body 2.
Although not shown, the front side door 1 is provided with weather strips, for example, on the outer periphery of the door body 2 and the door sash 3 as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, the door sash 3 has a generally arched shape in a side view that protrudes above the belt line BL when viewed from the front of the front side door 1 (i.e., when viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction) (hereinafter abbreviated as "door front view") and connects the front and rear of the door inner panel 5 through a position above the belt line BL.

The door sash 3 includes a door sash front edge 3f that extends at an angle from the front of the door inner panel 5 so that it is positioned rearward as it rises, and a door sash rear edge 3r that extends upward from the rear of the door inner panel 5 to the rear edge (upper edge) of the door sash front edge 3f.

A door sash front edge reinforcement 98 is joined to the door sash front edge 3f, and a door sash rear edge reinforcement 99 is joined to the door sash rear edge 3r, both of which are joined to the resin door inner panel 10 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. The door sash rear edge reinforcement 99 has a downward extension portion 99a whose lower edge extends downward below the door sash 3 to the upper rear portion of the door body 2. A window opening 6A is formed in the door sash 3, and the window opening 6A is opened and closed by window glass (not shown) that is raised and lowered by a lifting device (not shown) provided inside the door body 2.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the front side door 1 is composed of a door outer panel 4 (shown by phantom lines in Figures 1 to 3) located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and a door inner panel 5 (see Figures 2 to 4) located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. The door body 2 is configured so that the cross-sectional shape along the vehicle width direction is a closed cross-section due to the door outer panel 4 and door inner panel 5 (see Figures 6 to 10).

The door outer panel 4 is an exterior panel that forms the exterior design surface of the vehicle, and is formed by press-forming steel or aluminum plate so that the entire panel, including the door sash 3, has a thickness in the vehicle width direction (in other words, extends in the vertical and longitudinal directions) when viewed from the front of the door. The peripheral edge of the door outer panel 4, excluding the upper edge of the door body 2, is joined to the edge of the door inner panel 5 by hemming, which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the door inner panel 5 comprises a resin door inner panel 10 and a passenger compartment-side reinforcing member 30 that has a higher tensile strength than the resin door inner panel 10 and reinforces the resin door inner panel 10. For clarity of illustration, the passenger compartment-side reinforcing member 30 is indicated by dots in Figures 1 to 4.

The resin door inner panel 10 is formed entirely by injection molding using thermoplastic resin so that its horizontal cross-section along the vehicle width direction has a generally hat-shaped cross section that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction.

In this way, the resin door inner panel 10 is formed to have a generally hat-shaped cross section, which, in cooperation with the door outer panel 4, creates an internal door space 7 that is configured as a closed cross-sectional space (see Figures 6 to 11(a) and (b)).

Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the resin door inner panel 10 has an inner surface portion 11 that forms the main surface at the generally inner portion (central portion) of the door body 2 when viewed from the front, a front edge portion 12 that forms the front edge of the door inner panel 5, a rear edge portion 13 that forms the rear edge, and a bottom edge portion 14 that forms the bottom edge.

As shown in Figures 1, 6, and 8, the front side door 1 is supported on the vehicle body so as to be able to be opened and closed freely via two door hinges 80U, 80D fastened to upper and lower door hinge base portions 18 (see Figures 5, 6, and 8) on the front edge portion 12 of the resin door inner panel 10.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, each of the upper and lower door hinges 80U, 80D (upper door hinge 80U, lower door hinge 80D) consists of a door-side hinge bracket 81 that is fastened to the front edge 12 with a bolt B and a nut N, and a vehicle-side hinge bracket 83 that is pivotally supported by the door-side hinge bracket 81 via a pivot pin 82 and fastened to the vehicle body.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, at the front edge 12 of the resin door inner panel 10, an upper door hinge reinforcement 95U is joined to the resin door inner panel 10 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction (strictly speaking, from the rear of the vehicle) at a location corresponding to the upper door hinge 80U of the pair of upper and lower door hinges 80U, 80D.

As shown in Figures 1 and 8, at the front edge 12 of the resin door inner panel 10, a lower door hinge reinforcement 95D is joined to the resin door inner panel 10 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction (strictly speaking, from the rear of the vehicle) at a location corresponding to the lower door hinge 80D of the pair of upper and lower door hinges 80U, 80D.

The upper and lower door hinge reinforcements 95 (upper door hinge reinforcement 95U and lower door hinge reinforcement 95D) (abbreviated as "hinge reinforcements") are both made of iron or aluminum, which have higher tensile strength and compressive strength than the resin door inner panel 10.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a beltline reinforcement 91 that connects the upper part of the front edge portion 12 and the upper part of the rear edge portion 13 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle along the beltline BL is joined to the resin door inner panel 10 from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, the resin door inner panel 10 described above is provided with two door impact bars 92, 93 (an upper door impact bar 92 and a lower door impact bar 93) spaced apart in the vertical direction, connecting the front edge 12 and the rear edge 13 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. These two door impact bars 92, 93 cooperate with the beltline reinforcement 91 to absorb collision loads applied to the front side door 1 from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

The upper door impact bar 92 extends in the front-to-rear direction along the lower edge of the beltline reinforcement 91 directly below the beltline reinforcement 91, and its front edge is joined to the plastic door inner panel 10 via the upper hinge reinforcement 95U. The rear edge of the upper door impact bar 92 is joined to the plastic door inner panel 10 via the downward extension 99a of the door sash rear edge reinforcement 99 provided on the door sash rear edge 3r.

The lower door impact bar 93 extends at an angle below the upper door impact bar 92 so that it is positioned lower toward the rear, and its leading edge is joined to the plastic door inner panel 10 via an upper hinge reinforcement 95U. The rear edge of the lower door impact bar 93 is joined to the plastic door inner panel 10 via a reinforcement 94.

Note that the reference numeral 97 in Figure 1 denotes a latch reinforcement that is provided on the outer side of the plastic door inner panel 10 in the vehicle width direction, at the vertically intermediate position of the rear edge portion 13 of the plastic door inner panel 10.

Next, the resin door inner panel 10 will be described in detail using Figures 6 to 10. Note that Figure 10 omits the lower door impact bar 93 and reinforcement 94, Figure 11(a) omits the door sash front edge reinforcement 98, and Figure 11(b) omits the door sash rear edge reinforcement 99.

As shown in Figures 6 to 10, the inner surface portion 11 of the resin door inner panel 10 is disposed inwardly in the vehicle width direction and spaced apart from the door outer panel 4, and is formed in a generally flat plate shape with a thickness in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 1, a pair of front and rear guide rails 8 are disposed on the inner surface portion 11 and are provided as part of a lifting device that raises and lowers the window glass (not shown). These pair of front and rear guide rails 8 each extend in the vehicle's up-down direction from the door inner panel 5 to the door sash 3, and are disposed at a predetermined distance from each other in the fore-and-aft direction.

As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the front edge 12 is formed by a front wall portion 16f that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the front edge portion 11f of the inner surface portion 11 via the front corner portion 15f and defines the front surface of the door interior space 7, and a front outer surface portion 17f that protrudes from the outer edge of the front wall portion 16f in the vehicle width direction toward the front of the vehicle (outward when viewed from the front of the door (i.e., the opposite side from the inner surface portion 11)).

As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, flat door hinge bases 18, to which door hinges 80U, 80D can be attached, are formed at positions on the front wall 16f of the front edge 12, spaced a predetermined distance apart in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The door hinge bases 18 extend approximately parallel to the vehicle width direction to form the outer portion of the front wall 16f in the vehicle width direction, and are formed to protrude forward via a step 16fb relative to the inner portion 16fa in the vehicle width direction of the front wall 16f. The door hinge bases 18 correspond to the attachment locations of the corresponding door hinges 80U, 80D on the upper and lower sides, and have bolt insertion holes 18a formed therethrough.

The upper and lower hinge reins 95 are joined from the outside in the vehicle width direction to the area spanning the front wall portion 16f and the front corner portion 15f of the front edge portion 12 of the plastic door inner panel 10. As shown in Figures 6 and 8, bolt insertion holes 95a are formed through the upper and lower hinge reins 95 at locations corresponding to the bolt insertion holes 18a.

As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the lower edge portion 14 is formed by a lower wall portion 16d that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower edge portion 11d of the inner surface portion 11 via the lower corner portion 15d and defines the lower surface of the door interior space 7, and a lower outer surface portion 17d that protrudes outward from the outer edge of the lower wall portion 16d in the vehicle width direction below the vehicle (when viewed from the front of the door).

As shown in Figure 9, the lower wall portion 16d of the door inner panel 5 in this embodiment extends in the vehicle width direction, and its vehicle width direction outer portion 22 is integrally formed with an upper outer step portion 24 extending downward from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the vehicle width direction inner portion 23, a lower wall upper outer portion 25 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower edge of the upper outer step portion 24, a lower outer step portion 26 extending downward from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the lower wall upper outer portion 25, and a lower wall lower outer portion 27 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower edge of the lower outer step portion 26.
The outer edge of the lower wall lower outer portion 27 in the vehicle width direction corresponds to the outer edge of the lower wall portion 16d in the vehicle width direction, and is integrally connected to the upper edge of the lower outer surface portion 17d.

As shown in Figures 5 and 10, the rear edge portion 13 has a rear wall portion 16r that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear edge portion 11r of the inner surface portion 11 via the rear corner portion 15r and defines the rear surface of the door interior space 7.

As shown in Figure 10, the rear wall portion 16r of the door inner panel 5 in this embodiment is integrally formed with an inner portion 28 in the vehicle width direction that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear edge of the rear corner portion 15r, a step portion 29 that extends rearward from the inner portion 28 in the vehicle width direction, and an outer portion 19 in the vehicle width direction that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear edge of the step portion 29.

That is, as shown in Figure 5, the resin door inner panel 10 has an inner surface portion 11 and a wall portion 16 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the front edge portion 11f, the rear edge portion 11r and the lower edge portion 11d of the inner surface portion 11 via a corner portion 15.
As a result, the wall portion 16 is formed by the front wall portion 16f, rear wall portion 16r, and lower wall portion 16d, which are continuous with each other along the outer periphery of the inner surface portion 11 except for the upper edge. Similarly, the corner portion 15 is also formed by the front corner portion 15f, rear corner portion 15r, and lower corner portion 15d, which are continuous with each other along the outer periphery of the inner surface portion 11 except for the upper edge. That is, the wall portion 16 and the corner portion 15 are formed in a substantially U-shape from the front edge, rear edge, and lower edge of the resin door inner panel 10 in a front view of the door. Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 , a cross section of the corner portion 15 orthogonal to the extending direction thereof protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction in an arc shape relative to the inner surface portion 11.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 11(a) and (b), corners 15 are formed not only on the door body 2 but also on the door sash 3. Corner 15B of the door sash 3 is continuous along the extension direction of the door sash 3 (door sash front edge 3f and door sash rear edge 3r), and like corner 15A of the door body 2, is formed to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction of the door sash 3.

As shown in FIG. 5, corner 15A of door body 2 and corner 15B of door sash 3 are integrally connected to each other at the upper edge of front edge 12 of door body 2 and the lower edge of front edge 3f of door sash, and are also integrally connected to each other at the upper edge of rear edge 13 of door body 2 and the lower edge of rear edge 3r of door sash. As a result, corner 15 extends continuously in a closed loop along the outer peripheral edge of resin door inner panel 10.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6 to 8, the leading edge 17ff (see Figure 5) of the resin door inner panel 10 (front outer surface portion 17f) is located rearward of the leading edge 5ff of the door inner panel 5 (compartment-side reinforcement member 30). As shown in Figures 2 and 9, the lower edge 17dd (see Figure 5) of the resin door inner panel 10 (lower outer surface portion 17d) is located above the lower edge 5dd of the door inner panel 5 (compartment-side reinforcement member 30). As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the rear edge 16rr (see Figure 5) of the resin door inner panel 10 (rear outer surface portion 17r) is located forward of the rear edge 5rr of the door inner panel 5 (compartment-side reinforcement member 30).

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer peripheral edge of the resin door inner panel 10, excluding the upper edge, of the door body 2 is formed slightly smaller than the outer peripheral edge of the door inner panel 5 when viewed from the front of the door.

The cabin-side reinforcing member 30 is made entirely of aluminum, which has a higher tensile strength (excellent ductility) than the plastic door inner panel 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, when viewed from the front of the plastic door inner panel 10, it is attached to the plastic door inner panel 10 from the inside in the vehicle width direction, extending from the door body 2 to the door sash 3 to reinforce these components.

Specifically, the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30 includes a door body reinforcement portion 31 that reinforces the door body 2 and a door sash reinforcement portion 36 that reinforces the door sash 3.

As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 11(a) and (b), the door sash reinforcement portion 36 abuts almost the entirety of the plastic door inner panel 10 of the door sash 3 from the inside in the vehicle width direction with no gaps, thereby increasing the thickness of the plastic door inner panel 10 and thereby reinforcing the door sash 3 to increase its rigidity (mainly its rigidity against vibration).

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the door body reinforcement portion 31 is integrally formed and includes a front edge reinforcement portion 32 that reinforces the front edge portion 12, a rear edge reinforcement portion 33 that reinforces the rear edge portion 13, a bottom edge reinforcement portion 34 that reinforces the bottom edge portion 14, and a belt line reinforcement portion 35.

The beltline reinforcement portion 35 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the beltline BL to connect the upper portion of the front edge reinforcement portion 32 and the upper portion of the rear edge reinforcement portion 33, reinforcing the area around the beltline BL of the resin door inner panel 10.

As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 6 to 8, the front edge reinforcement 32 includes an inner surface front edge reinforcement 41f that reinforces the front edge of the inner surface 11, a front corner reinforcement 45f that reinforces the front corner 15f of the resin door inner panel 10, a front wall reinforcement 46f that reinforces the front wall 16f, and a front outer surface reinforcement 47f that reinforces the front outer surface 17f.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6 to 8, the front corner reinforcement 45f extends forward from the front edge 41fa of the inner surface front edge reinforcement 41f so as to cover the front corner 15f from the inside in the vehicle width direction. The front corner reinforcement 45f is formed to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction in accordance with the shape of the front corner 15f that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the front corner reinforcement 45f is joined from the outside in the vehicle width direction without a gap to at least the portion (portion adjacent to the inner surface 11) rearward of the apex 15ft (the inner edge in the vehicle width direction) of the front corner 15f that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction.

The front wall reinforcement portion 46f extends forward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the front edge of the front corner reinforcement portion 45f so as to cover the front wall portion 16f from the front.

Furthermore, the front outer surface reinforcement portion 47f protrudes toward the front of the vehicle from the outer edge of the front wall reinforcement portion 46f in the vehicle width direction, and the base portion 48f is joined in surface contact with the front outer surface portion 17f from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6 to 8, the front outer surface reinforcement portion 47f, as described above, protrudes forward from the vehicle widthwise outer edge of the front wall reinforcement portion 46f, but also includes a reinforcement member front flange portion 49f that protrudes further forward (outward when viewed from the front of the door) than the base portion 48f of the front outer surface reinforcement portion 47f, i.e., the joint portion with the front outer surface portion 17f.

The reinforcing member front flange portion 49f is offset (misaligned) outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the base portion 48f of the front outer surface reinforcing portion 47f via a step portion 50f, and extends linearly forward of the vehicle beyond the front edge 17ff of the front outer surface portion 17f of the resin door inner panel 10 until its leading edge is positioned at the leading edge 5ff of the door inner panel 5.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the reinforcing member front flange portion 49f is crimped to the front edge hem portion 6f provided on the front edge of the door outer panel 4 (a portion where the front edge of the door outer panel 4 is hemmed and bent so as to bend back approximately from the inside in the vehicle width direction).

As described above, the front edge reinforcement 32 straddles the front wall 16f of the resin door inner panel 10 in the vehicle width direction, with the front outer surface reinforcement 47f (base 48f) joined to the outer surface 17 and the inner surface front edge reinforcement 41f joined to the inner surface 11 (see Figures 6 and 8).

As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 8, the front wall reinforcement portions 46f of the front edge reinforcement portion 32 are joined in surface contact with the upper and lower door hinge base portions 18 from the front (outside the door interior space 7) at the portions corresponding to the upper and lower door hinge base portions 18.

For this reason, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the upper and lower door-side hinge brackets 81 are attached to the door hinge base portion 18 from the front (outside the door interior space 7) via the front edge reinforcement portion 32.
The upper and lower door-side hinge brackets 81 each have a bolt insertion hole 81a formed therethrough for mounting to the door hinge base portion 18 (see FIGS. 6 and 8).

In addition, as shown in Figures 4, 6, and 8, bolt insertion holes 47a are formed in the areas corresponding to the door hinge base portions 18 on both the upper and lower sides of the front wall reinforcement portion 46f, at locations that coincide with the bolt insertion holes 18a in the door hinge base portions 18.

As described above, the hinge rain 95 is joined to the door hinge base portion 18 from the rear (door interior space 7 side) in a surface contact state (see Figures 6 and 8).

For this reason, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the front wall reinforcement portion 46f and the upper and lower hinge reins 95U, 95D are arranged in overlapping, surface-to-surface contact with the door hinge base portion 18 on both the upper and lower sides, sandwiching them from the front and rear.

When the door-side hinge bracket 81 of the door hinges 80U, 80D is fastened to the door hinge base 18, the front wall reinforcement portion 46f and the hinge rein 95 are fastened together to the door hinge base 18 using bolts B and nuts N in the interconnected bolt insertion holes 81a, 18a, 47a, 95a.

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the front edge reinforcement portion 32 extends in the vehicle width direction at a distance forward from the front wall portion 16f, except for the portions corresponding to the door hinge base portions 18 on both the upper and lower sides.

As a result, a closed cross section 55f extending along the front wall portion 16f is formed between the front edge reinforcement portion 32 and the front edge portion 12, except for the areas corresponding to the door hinge base portions 18 on both the top and bottom sides.

In this embodiment, the front edge reinforcement portion 32 of the door inner panel 5 is arranged so that the front wall reinforcement portion 46f and the front wall portion 16f are not joined to each other over the entire width of the vehicle, except for the portions corresponding to the door hinge base portions 18 on the upper and lower sides, and are spaced apart from each other in the fore-and-aft direction.

For this reason, the closed cross section 55f extends continuously in the vehicle width direction between the outer surface portion 17 and the inner surface portion 11, as shown in Figure 7, except for the portions corresponding to the door hinge base portions 18 on both the upper and lower sides.

8, the closed cross section 55f extends further inward in the vehicle width direction than a line 11i along the inner surface of the inner surface portion 11, up to a top 15ft (inner edge in the vehicle width direction) of a front corner 15f protruding inward in the vehicle width direction. This makes it possible to set the length of the closed cross section 55f in the vehicle width direction to be longer inward in the vehicle width direction by the length by which the corner 15 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the inner surface portion 11.
With these configurations, the closed cross section 55f of this embodiment is configured to have as long a length as possible in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the closed cross section 55f is configured along the vehicle width direction between the front edge reinforcement portion 32 and the front wall portion 16f at a portion of the front wall portion 16f that corresponds to the door hinge base portion 18 in the up-down direction, and is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the door hinge base portion 18.

As shown in Figure 9, the lower edge reinforcement portion 34 includes a lower corner reinforcement portion 45d that reinforces the lower corner portion 15d of the resin door inner panel 10, a lower wall reinforcement portion 46d that reinforces the lower wall portion 16d, and a lower outer surface reinforcement portion 47d that reinforces the lower outer surface portion 17d.

The lower corner reinforcement 45d extends vertically to cover the lower corner 15d from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and is formed to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction in accordance with the shape of the lower corner 15d that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction. The lower corner reinforcement 45d is joined from the outside in the vehicle width direction without a gap to at least the portion (portion adjacent to the inner surface portion 11) above the apex 15dt (inner edge in the vehicle width direction) of the lower corner 15d that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction.

The lower wall reinforcement portion 46d extends downward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower edge of the lower corner reinforcement portion 45d so as to cover the lower wall portion 16d from below.

Furthermore, the lower outer surface reinforcement portion 47d protrudes downward from the vehicle widthwise outer edge (lower edge) of the lower wall reinforcement portion 46d, and the base portion 48d is joined in surface contact with the lower outer surface portion 17d from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

As described above, the lower outer surface reinforcement portion 47d protrudes downward from the vehicle widthwise outer edge of the lower wall reinforcement portion 46d, but is equipped with a reinforcement member lower flange portion 49d that protrudes further downward (outward when viewed from the front of the door) from the base portion 48d of the lower outer surface reinforcement portion 47d, i.e., the joint portion with the front outer surface portion 17f.

The reinforcing member lower flange portion 49d is bent inward in the vehicle width direction via a bend 50d relative to the base portion 48d of the lower outer surface reinforcing portion 47d, and extends along the door outer panel 4 below the lower edge 17dd of the lower outer surface portion 17d of the resin door inner panel 10 until its lower edge is positioned at the lower edge 5dd of the door inner panel 5.

The lower flange portion 49d of the reinforcing member is crimped and joined by a lower edge hem portion 6d (a portion where the lower edge of the door outer panel 4 is hemmed and bent so as to approximately fold back from the inside in the vehicle width direction) provided on the lower edge of the door outer panel 4.
That is, the resin door inner panel 10 is joined to the outer peripheral edge of the door outer panel 4 via an aluminum passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30 .

Here, the vehicle width directional outer edge of the vehicle width directional inner region 46da of the lower-wall reinforcement portion 46d is joined to the upper outer step 24 of the lower wall portion 16d, and the vehicle width directional inner edge of the lower-wall reinforcement portion 46d is joined to at least a region above the apex 15dt (vehicle width directional inner edge) of the lower corner 15d of the lower wall portion 16d, as described above. The vehicle width directional inner region 46da of the lower-wall reinforcement portion 46d is disposed below and spaced apart from the vehicle width directional inner region 23 of the lower wall portion 16d.
As a result, a closed cross section 55d is formed between the lower wall portion 16d and the lower side reinforcing portion 34, extending along the respective vehicle width direction inner portions 23, 46da.

On the other hand, the vehicle width direction outer portion 46db of the lower wall reinforcement portion 46d is joined without any gaps to the vehicle width direction outer portion 22 of the lower wall portion 16d (upper outer step portion 24, lower wall upper outer portion 25, lower outer step portion 26, and lower wall lower outer portion 27).

As shown in Figure 10, the rear edge reinforcement portion 33 includes a rear corner reinforcement portion 45r that reinforces the rear corner portion 15r of the resin door inner panel 10, a rear wall reinforcement portion 46r that reinforces the rear wall portion 16r, and a rear rearward protrusion portion 47r that protrudes rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer edge of the rear wall portion 16r in the vehicle width direction.

The rear corner reinforcement 45r extends in the front-to-rear direction so as to cover the rear corner 15r from the inside in the vehicle width direction. The rear corner reinforcement 45r is formed to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction in accordance with the shape of the rear corner 15r that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction. The rear corner reinforcement 45r is joined from the outside in the vehicle width direction without any gaps to the apex 15rt (the inner edge in the vehicle width direction) of the rear corner 15r that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction, and to the front and rear peripheral portions of the apex 15rt.

The rear wall reinforcing portion 46r extends rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the inner edge of the rear wall portion 16r in the vehicle width direction so as to cover the rear wall portion 16r from behind.
Here, the vehicle width directional inner edge of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r is joined to the vehicle width directional inner edge of the vehicle width directional inner portion 28 of the rear wall portion 16r, and the vehicle width directional outer portion 46rc of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r is joined to the vehicle width directional outer portion 19 of the rear wall portion 16r. The vehicle width directional inner portion 46ra of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r is disposed rearward and spaced apart from the vehicle width directional inner portion 28 of the rear wall portion 16r, and the step portion 46rb of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r is disposed widthwise and spaced apart from the vehicle width directional inner portion 29 of the rear wall portion 16r.

As a result, a closed cross section 55r is formed between the rear edge reinforcement portion 33 and the rear edge portion 13, extending continuously across the respective vehicle widthwise inner portions 28, 46ra and step portions 29, 46rb.

On the other hand, the vehicle width direction outer portion 46rc of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r is joined in surface contact with the vehicle width direction outer portion 19 of the rear wall portion 16r without any gaps.

As described above, the rear rearward protrusion 47r protrudes rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width outer edge (rear edge) of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r. Specifically, the rear rearward protrusion 47r includes a base portion 48r that extends primarily outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width outer edge of the rear wall reinforcement portion 46r, and a reinforcement member rear flange portion 49r that extends primarily toward the rear of the vehicle via a bent portion 50r.

The reinforcing member rear flange portion 49r extends along the door outer panel 4 toward the rear of the vehicle beyond the rear edge 16rr of the rear wall portion 16r of the resin door inner panel 10 until its rear edge is positioned at the rear edge 5rr of the door inner panel 5.

The rear flange portion 49r of the reinforcing member is crimped and joined by a rear edge hem portion 6r (a portion that is hemmed so that the rear edge of the door outer panel 4 is folded back approximately from the inside in the vehicle width direction) provided on the rear edge of the door outer panel 4.
That is, the resin door inner panel 10 is joined to the outer peripheral edge of the door outer panel 4 via an aluminum passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30 .

As described above, the cabin-side reinforcement member 30 includes corner reinforcements 45 (front corner reinforcements 45f, lower corner reinforcements 45d, and rear corner reinforcements 45r) that reinforce the corners 15 (front corners 15f, lower corners 15d, and rear corners 15r) of the resin door inner panel 10, and wall reinforcements 46 (front wall reinforcements 46f, lower wall reinforcements 46d, and rear wall reinforcements 46r) that reinforce the wall 16 (front wall 16f, lower wall 16d, and rear wall 16r).

The corner reinforcement portion 45 is formed by a front corner reinforcement portion 45 f, a lower corner reinforcement portion 45 d, and a rear corner reinforcement portion 45 r, all of which are continuous with one another. Similarly, the wall reinforcement portion 46 is formed by a front wall reinforcement portion 46 f, a lower wall reinforcement portion 46 d, and a rear wall reinforcement portion 46 r, all of which are continuous with one another. That is, the wall reinforcement portion 46 and the corner reinforcement portion 45 are formed in a continuous U-shape along the front, lower , and rear edges of the door inner panel 5 in a front view of the door.

Correspondingly, the closed cross section 55 (55f, 55d, 55r) is also formed continuously in a U-shape along the front edge, lower edge and rear edge of the door inner panel 5 when viewed from the front of the door.

As described above, the plastic door inner panel 10 is crimped to the hem portions (e.g., 6f, 6d, 6r) on the outer periphery of the door outer panel 4 via the aluminum cabin-side reinforcing member 30. As a result, the cabin-side reinforcing member 30 is provided in the area spanning the wall portion 16 and corner portion 15 of the plastic door inner panel 10, and cooperates with the door outer panel 4 to sandwich the door inner panel 5 in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, a closed cross section 55 extending along the wall 16 is formed between the passenger compartment reinforcing member 30 and the resin door inner panel 10, thereby increasing the bending strength of the area extending from the corner 15, where stress is most concentrated in the resin door inner panel 10, to the wall 16 that supports the corner 15 when an object strikes the front side door 1 from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

In this embodiment, the door inner panel 5 is joined at the contact points between the passenger compartment reinforcing member 30 and the resin door inner panel 10 using a joining method such as friction stir spot welding or adhesive. However, the joining method at these locations is not particularly limited, and either friction stir spot welding or adhesive may be used, or other joining methods may be used.

The vehicle side body structure of the present embodiment described above is a vehicle door structure comprising a metal door outer panel 4 (see Figures 1 to 3, 6 to 11(a) and 11(b)) and a door inner panel 5 (see Figures 1 to 4, 6 to 11(a) and 11(b)) that is positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction than the door outer panel 4. The door inner panel 5 comprises a resin door inner panel 10 (see Figures 1 to 11(a) and 11(b)) made of resin, and a passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30 (see Figures 2 to 4, 6 to 11(a) and 11(b)) that has a higher tensile strength than the resin door inner panel 10 and reinforces the resin door inner panel 10. In particular, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 to 10, The inner panel 10 includes an inner surface 11 extending vertically and longitudinally, spaced apart from the door outer panel 4 inward in the vehicle width direction, and a wall 16 extending from the edge (11f, 11d, 11r) of the inner surface 11 via a corner 15 outward in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 6 to 10, the interior-side reinforcing member 30 is provided inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the resin door inner panel 10 in a region spanning the wall 16 and the corner 15 of the resin door inner panel 10 when viewed from the front of the door. A closed cross section 55 (55f, 55d, 55r) extending along the wall 16 (see Figures 6 to 10) is formed between the interior-side reinforcing member 30 and the resin door inner panel 10.

With this configuration, by forming the door inner panel 5 from a resin door inner panel 10 across the inner surface 11, corners 15, and wall portions 16, the weight of the entire door can be reduced compared to when the entire door inner panel 5 is made of metal. Furthermore, because the resin door inner panel 10 can be formed by molding such as injection molding, high productivity can be ensured.

Furthermore, by providing a closed cross section 55 extending along the wall portion 16 between the resin door inner panel 10 and the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30, the bending strength of the area extending from the corner portion 15, where stress is most concentrated in the resin door inner panel 10, to the wall portion 16 supporting the corner portion 15 during a side collision with the front side door 1 (i.e., when a collision load is input to the door inner panel 5), can be increased.

In other words, unlike conventional methods in which, for example, the resin door inner panel or the passenger compartment side reinforcing member themselves are made of a higher-strength material, or the passenger compartment side reinforcing member and the resin door inner panel are tightly overlapped to thicken and reinforce the door inner panel, the front side door 1 of this embodiment reinforces the resin door inner panel 10 from a structural standpoint by providing a closed cross section 55f extending along the wall portion 16 between the resin door inner panel 10 and the passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30.

The front side door 1 of this embodiment therefore suppresses increases in material costs and mass by forming a portion of the door inner panel 5 from the resin door inner panel 10, while reinforcing the areas including the wall portions 16 and corner portions 15, which require high strength, by providing a closed cross section 55f extending along the wall portions 16 between the resin door inner panel 10 and the passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30, thereby suppressing cracking of the resin door inner panel 10.

Furthermore, as described above, the front side door 1 of this embodiment has a closed cross section 55f between the resin door inner panel 10 and the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30, allowing these elements 10, 30 to overlap each other without any gaps, reducing the area where they are joined.

The front side door 1 of this embodiment therefore does not require the cross-sectional shapes of the resin door inner panel 10 and the passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30 to be perfectly matched, which has the advantage of making it easier to tolerate the formability (variations in precision during molding) of the passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30 and the resin door inner panel 10.

In short, the front side door 1 of this embodiment achieves both reduced door weight and improved productivity while ensuring door strength in the event of a collision.

As shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment of the present invention, the resin door inner panel 10 has a front outer surface portion 17f (outer surface portion) that protrudes from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the front wall portion 16f toward the door exterior (the side opposite the inner surface portion 11 located at the center of the door) in a front view of the door. The passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30 has a front wall reinforcement portion 46f (reinforcement member wall portion) that extends in the vehicle width direction along the front wall portion 16f, and a front outer surface portion 17f that extends from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the front wall reinforcement portion 46f toward the door exterior (the side opposite the inner surface portion 11). The front outer surface reinforcement 47f (reinforcing member outer surface portion) and the inner surface front edge reinforcement 41f (reinforcing member inner surface portion) are formed, extending from the inner edge of the front wall reinforcement 46f in the vehicle width direction toward the inside of the door (toward the inner surface portion 11) when viewed from the front of the door. The front outer surface reinforcement 47f is joined to the front outer surface portion 17f, and the inner surface front edge reinforcement 41f is joined to the inner surface portion 11 so that a closed cross section 55f is formed over the entire length in the vehicle width direction between the front wall 16f and the front wall reinforcement 46f.

With this configuration, the closed cross section 55f can be formed over the entire width of the vehicle between the front wall portion 16f and the front wall reinforcement portion 46f, effectively preventing damage to the resin door inner panel 10 during a side collision with the front side door 1.

Specifically, during a side collision with the front side door 1, a compressive load (a load directed toward the center of the door in a horizontal cross section along the fore-and-aft direction) acts on the vehicle width outward relative to the vehicle width center (see symbol C in FIG. 7 ) of the closed cross section 55f extending in the vehicle width direction, while a tensile load (a load directed toward the door outer side (the opposite side of the door center) in the horizontal cross section) acts on the vehicle width inward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , by forming the closed cross section 55f over the entire vehicle width length of the front wall portion 16f and the front wall reinforcement portion 46f, the vehicle width length of the closed cross section 55f can be maximized, effectively increasing the bending strength of the door inner panel 5 (particularly the region extending between the wall portion 16 and the corner portion 15 of the resin door inner panel 10) against a collision load input to the front side door 1 from the vehicle width outward. This effectively reduces damage to the resin door inner panel 10.

Needless to say, the configuration in which the closed cross section 55 extends over the entire width of the vehicle between the front wall portion 16f and the front wall reinforcement portion 46f is not limited to the closed cross section 55f and its surrounding area shown in Figure 7, but may also be applied to other closed cross sections 55, such as the closed cross sections 55d and 55r shown in Figures 9 and 10.

In one embodiment of this invention, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the front outer surface reinforcement portion 47f (outer surface reinforcement portion) and the front outer surface portion 17f (outer surface portion) are joined in surface contact with each other, and the inner surface front edge reinforcement portion 41f (inner surface portion of the reinforcing member) and the inner surface portion 11 are joined in surface contact with each other.

With this configuration, the front outer surface reinforcement portion 47f and the front outer surface portion 17f, as well as the inner surface front edge reinforcement portion 41f and the inner surface portion 11, are joined in surface contact, thereby increasing the contact area between the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30 and the plastic door inner panel 10 and firmly joining them to each other around the door periphery. Therefore, even though the plastic door inner panel 10 is made of plastic, the increased thickness achieved by joining it to the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30 improves rigidity and vibration suppression while the vehicle is in motion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cabin-side reinforcing member 30 is made of metal (aluminum in this example). As shown in Figures 6 to 10, the exterior reinforcing portion 47 includes a front reinforcing member flange 49f (see Figures 6 to 8), a lower reinforcing member flange 49d (see Figure 9), and a rear reinforcing member flange 49r (see Figure 10) that extend outward from the joint with the resin door inner panel 10 to form the outer peripheral edge of the door inner panel 5. Hems that connect the reinforcing member outer flanges 49f, 49d, and 49r by crimping are provided at the outer peripheral edge of the door outer panel 4: a front edge hem 6f (see Figures 6 to 8), a lower edge hem 6d (see Figure 9), and a rear edge hem 6r (see Figure 10).

With this configuration, although the resin door inner panel 10 is made of a different material than the metal door outer panel 4, the metal cabin-side reinforcing member 30 allows the metal members 4, 30 to be joined together at the outer periphery of the front side door 1.

Thus, while the main parts of the door inner panel 5 (inner surface 11, corners 15, and wall portions 16) are made of resin, the joint strength between the door inner panel 5 and the door outer panel 4 is increased by crimping the reinforcing member outer flange portions 49f, 49d, and 49r.

In addition, the cabin-side reinforcement member 30 cooperates with the door outer panel 4 to sandwich the plastic door inner panel 10 in the vehicle width direction in the area spanning the wall portion 16 and the corner portion 15, thereby effectively preventing damage to the plastic door inner panel 10 due to a side impact load input to the front side door 1.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 6 to 11(a) and (b), the cabin-side reinforcing member 30 is joined to the resin door inner panel 10 from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

With this configuration, during a side collision with the front side door 1, a tensile load acts on the resin door inner panel 10 in the area spanning the corner portion 15 and wall portion 16 of the resin door inner panel 10 toward the outside of the front side door 1 when viewed from the front of the door.

For this reason, as described above, by joining the passenger compartment-side reinforcing member 30 to the resin door inner panel 10 on the vehicle widthwise inward side, i.e., on the passenger compartment side, in other words, in a horizontal cross section along the fore-and-aft direction or a vertical cross section along the up-and-down direction, from the outside of the door interior space 7, the passenger compartment-side reinforcing member 30 can effectively reinforce the resin door inner panel 10, which is subjected to a tensile load during a side collision.

In one embodiment of this invention, as shown in Figures 1, 6, and 8, the reinforcing member is a cabin-side reinforcing member 30 serving as a first reinforcing member, and upper and lower hinge reins 95U and 95D serving as second reinforcing members having a higher tensile strength than the resin door inner panel 10 are joined from the outside in the vehicle width direction to the area of the resin door inner panel 10 spanning the wall portion 16 and the corner portion 15.

With this configuration, during a side collision with the front side door 1, as described above, the passenger compartment reinforcing member 30 can effectively reinforce the resin door inner panel 10 from the inside in the vehicle width direction against tensile loads acting on the resin door inner panel 10. In addition, the second reinforcing members (95U, 95D) can reinforce the resin door inner panel 10 from the outside in the vehicle width direction against compressive loads acting on the resin door inner panel 10.

Furthermore, with the above configuration, by forming the second reinforcing member as the hinge rein 95U, 95D, it is possible to suppress an increase in the weight of the front side door 1 and reduce the number of parts compared to when the second reinforcing member is provided separately from the hinge rein 95U, 95D.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the cabin-side reinforcing member 30 and the hinge reins 95U, 95D are fastened together to the plastic door inner panel 10 by bolts B and nuts N, which serve as fastening means for fastening the door hinges 80U, 80D to the plastic door inner panel 10.

With this configuration, at the upper and lower attachment portions of the door hinges 80U, 80D to the plastic door inner panel 10, the hinge reins 95U, 95D and the passenger compartment side reinforcing member 30 can reinforce the plastic door inner panel 10 from both sides in the thickness direction.

Furthermore, by using the fastening means (bolts B and nuts N) that fasten the door hinges 80U, 80D to the resin door inner panel 10 to fasten the hinge reins 95U, 95D and the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30 to the resin door inner panel 10 on both the top and bottom sides, the hinge reins 95U, 95D and the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30 can be firmly attached to the resin door inner panel 10 without the need for any other attachment means.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cabin-side reinforcing member 30 is made of aluminum.
According to the above-described configuration, by combining the resin door inner panel 10 and the aluminum cabin-side reinforcing member 30 as described above, it is possible to achieve both weight reduction and high strength.

Furthermore, when the resin door inner panel 10 does not contain conductive materials such as carbon fiber in its base resin, galvanic corrosion can be prevented at the contact points between the resin door inner panel 10 and an aluminum cabin-side reinforcement member 30.

Furthermore, unlike resin, which breaks with small deformations, aluminum has the property of excellent ductility. By joining an aluminum interior reinforcement member 30, which has these properties, to the plastic door inner panel 10, particularly from the inside in the vehicle width direction, the interior reinforcement member 30 can take advantage of aluminum's aforementioned property of excellent ductility to effectively reinforce the plastic door inner panel 10 from the inside in the vehicle width direction against the tensile load acting on the plastic door inner panel 10 during a collision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the resin door inner panel 10 is formed from a thermoplastic resin.
According to the above configuration, even though the resin door inner panel 10 is made of thermoplastic resin, which is generally inexpensive among resins, cracking and deformation of the resin door inner panel 10 during a side collision can be suppressed.

More specifically, door inner panels 5 are known to be made from resin for the purposes of reducing weight and improving productivity, but they are generally made from thermosetting resin, which has higher strength than thermoplastic resin. However, thermosetting resins tend to take longer to harden than thermoplastic resins, resulting in longer cycle times (manufacturing times) and higher costs. While it is possible to use inexpensive thermoplastic resins as the material for forming the door inner panel 5, this can lead to cracks occurring around the periphery of the door during a side collision, potentially increasing the amount of deformation of the door.

In contrast, as in the present embodiment described above, by providing a closed cross section 55 extending along the wall portion 16 between the resin door inner panel 10 and the passenger compartment side reinforcement member 30, the bending strength of the resin door inner panel 10 can be increased during a collision.

As a result, even though inexpensive thermoplastic resin is used as the material for forming the resin door inner panel 10, cracking and deformation of the front side door 1 during a side collision can be suppressed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 6 to 10, the corner portion 15 is formed in a protruding shape that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the inner surface portion 11, and as shown in Figure 8, the closed cross section 55f extends inward in the vehicle width direction beyond the inner edge of the wall portion 16 in the vehicle width direction, all the way to the inner edge of the protruding corner portion 15 in the vehicle width direction.

With this configuration, the corners 15 formed along the outer periphery of the inner surface 11 of the plastic door inner panel 10 are formed so as to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction, allowing the corners 15 to be formed into a bead shape extending along the outer periphery of the inner surface 11. This increases the strength of the outer periphery of the plastic door inner panel 10.

Furthermore, by extending the closed cross section 55f inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner edge of the wall portion 16 in the vehicle width direction to the apex 15ft (inner edge in the vehicle width direction) of the protruding corner portion 15, the closed cross section 55f can be made longer in the vehicle width direction, thereby further increasing the strength of the door inner panel 5.

It goes without saying that the configuration in which the closed cross section 55 extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner edge of the wall portion 16 in the vehicle width direction to the apex 15ft of the protruding corner portion 15 is not limited to the closed cross section 55f and its surrounding area shown in Figure 8, but may also be applied to other closed cross sections 55, such as the closed cross sections 55 shown in Figures 6, 7, 9, and 10.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, but can be formed in various other embodiments.
For example, the reinforcing member provided in the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which it is provided on the inside of the vehicle width direction relative to the resin door inner panel 10, as in the case of the cabin side reinforcing member 30 in this embodiment, but can be a configuration in which it is provided on at least one of the outside and inside of the vehicle width direction.

As shown in Figures 1, 6, and 8, the hinge rain 95 is provided on the outer side of the plastic door inner panel 10 in the vehicle width direction, in an area spanning the wall portion 16 and corner portion 15 of the plastic door inner panel 10 when viewed from the front of the door.

For this reason, when the reinforcing member provided in the present invention is provided on the vehicle width outer side of the plastic door inner panel 10, a hinge rein 95U' (95') may be used as the reinforcing member as shown in FIG. 12, as a modification of the above-described embodiment. In other words, the hinge rein 95U' according to the modification shown in FIG. 12 is joined to the plastic door inner panel 10 from the vehicle width outer side so as to form a closed cross section 55f' extending along the wall portion 16 between the hinge rein 95U' and the plastic door inner panel 10.

With this configuration, a closed cross section 55f' (55') can be formed between the hinge rein 95' and the plastic door inner panel 10, i.e., on the inside (door interior space 7 side) of the plastic door inner panel 10 when viewed from the front of the door. This makes it possible to more effectively reinforce the plastic door inner panel 10 from the outside in the vehicle width direction against compressive loads, which are among the loads that act on the plastic door inner panel 10 during a side collision, compared to when the above-mentioned hinge rein 95 (see Figures 6 and 8) is provided.

The reinforcing member that forms a closed cross section 55' between the resin door inner panel 10 and the resin door inner panel 10 on the vehicle width outer side is not limited to the upper hinge rein 95U' according to the above-described modified example, but may also be a lower hinge rein (not shown) or a panel member other than a hinge rein.

Furthermore, the door structure of the present invention is not limited to application to a front side door 1 installed on the front side of a vehicle body, but may also be applied, for example, to a rear side door (not shown) that opens and closes a rear opening on the side of the vehicle body for passengers to get in and out of the vehicle.

Furthermore, the door structure of the present invention is not limited to sash doors with door sashes, such as the side door of this embodiment, but may also be applied to sashless doors that do not have a door sash 3.

In addition, while the resin door inner panel 10 of this embodiment is formed from a thermoplastic resin, the resin door inner panel provided in the present invention is not limited to this and may be formed from a thermosetting resin. Furthermore, the resin door inner panel provided in the present invention may be formed from a fiber-reinforced resin in which the base resin contains reinforcing fibers such as carbon fiber, and either a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin may be used for the base material.

4...door outer panel 5...door inner panel 10...resin door inner panel 11...inner surface portion 15...corner portion 16...wall portion 16f...front side wall portion 17...outer surface portion 6f...front edge hem portion (hem portion)
6d... Lower edge hem (hem)
6r... Trailing edge hem (hem)
30... Vehicle compartment side reinforcing member (reinforcing member, first reinforcing member)
41f... inner surface front edge reinforcing portion (reinforcing member inner surface portion)
46...Wall reinforcement portion (reinforcement member wall portion)
47... Outer surface reinforcing portion (outer surface of reinforcing member)
49f...reinforcing member front flange portion (reinforcing member outer flange portion)
49d...reinforcing member lower flange portion (reinforcing member outer flange portion)
49r...reinforcing member rear flange portion (reinforcing member outer flange portion)
55 (55f, 55f', 55d, 55r)... Closed cross section 95 (95U, 95D)... Hinge rein (second reinforcing member)
95'(95U')... Hinge rein (reinforcing member, second reinforcing member)
80U, 80D...door hinges B, N...bolts and nuts (fastening means)

Claims (12)

A vehicle door structure including a metal outer panel and an inner panel disposed inward in a vehicle width direction from the outer panel,
The inner panel includes a resin door inner panel made of resin and a reinforcing member having a tensile strength higher than that of the resin door inner panel and reinforcing the resin door inner panel,
the resin door inner panel includes an inner surface portion extending in the up-down and front-rear directions and spaced apart from the outer panel toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a wall portion extending from an edge portion of the inner surface portion via a corner portion toward the outside in the vehicle width direction,
The resin door inner panel has the wall portion and the corner portion formed continuously along a front edge portion, a lower edge portion and a rear edge portion of the inner panel in a front view of the door,
The reinforcing member is provided on at least one of an outer side and an inner side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the resin door inner panel in a region spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel in a front view of the door,
A closed cross section extending along the wall portion is formed between the reinforcing member and the resin door inner panel ,
The closed cross section is formed continuously along the front edge portion, the lower edge portion, and the rear edge portion of the inner panel in a front view of the door.
Vehicle door structure. A vehicle door structure including a metal outer panel and an inner panel disposed inward in a vehicle width direction from the outer panel,
The inner panel includes a resin door inner panel made of resin and a reinforcing member having a tensile strength higher than that of the resin door inner panel and reinforcing the resin door inner panel,
the resin door inner panel includes an inner surface portion extending in the up-down and front-rear directions and spaced apart from the outer panel toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a wall portion extending from an edge portion of the inner surface portion via a corner portion toward the outside in the vehicle width direction,
The reinforcing member is provided on at least one of an outer side and an inner side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the resin door inner panel in a region spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel in a front view of the door,
A closed cross section extending along the wall portion is formed between the reinforcing member and the resin door inner panel ,
The reinforcing member is joined to the resin door inner panel from the inside in the vehicle width direction,
The reinforcing member is a first reinforcing member,
a second reinforcing member having a tensile strength higher than that of the resin door inner panel is joined to the region spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel from an outer side in a vehicle width direction;
The reinforcing member includes the second reinforcing member,
A closed cross section extending along the wall portion is formed between the second reinforcing member and the resin door inner panel.
Vehicle door structure. The resin door inner panel has an outer surface portion formed thereon that extends from an outer edge of the wall portion in the vehicle width direction to the outside of the door in a front view of the door,
The reinforcing member is formed with a reinforcing member wall portion extending in the vehicle width direction along the wall portion, a reinforcing member outer surface portion protruding from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the reinforcing member wall portion to the outside of the door, and a reinforcing member inner surface portion extending from the vehicle width direction inner edge of the reinforcing member wall portion to the inside of the door in a front view of the door,
3. The vehicle door structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the reinforcing member is joined to the outer surface, and the inner surface of the reinforcing member is joined to the inner surface, so that the closed cross section is formed over the entire length in the vehicle width direction between the wall portion and the reinforcing member wall portion . 4. The vehicle door structure according to claim 3 , wherein the outer surface portion of the reinforcing member and the outer surface portion are joined together in a surface contact state, and the inner surface portion of the reinforcing member and the inner surface portion are joined together in a surface contact state. the reinforcing member is made of metal,
The reinforcing member outer surface portion is provided with a reinforcing member outer flange portion that extends outward from the joint portion with the resin door inner panel so as to form an outer peripheral edge of the inner panel,
5. The vehicle door structure according to claim 3 , wherein a hem portion for crimping and connecting the outer flange portion of the reinforcing member is provided on an outer peripheral edge of the outer panel. The vehicle door structure according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member is joined to the resin door inner panel from the inside in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcing member is a first reinforcing member,
7. A vehicle door structure as described in claim 6 , wherein a second reinforcing member having a higher tensile strength than the resin door inner panel is joined from the outside in the vehicle width direction to the region spanning the wall portion and the corner portion of the resin door inner panel. 8. The vehicle door structure according to claim 2 , wherein the second reinforcing member is provided at a mounting portion of the door hinge to the resin door inner panel, and is formed as a door hinge reinforcement that reinforces the mounting portion. 9. The vehicle door structure according to claim 8, wherein the first reinforcing member and the door hinge reinforcement are fastened together to the resin door inner panel by a fastening means that fastens the door hinge to the resin door inner panel. The vehicle door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the reinforcing member is made of aluminum. The vehicle door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the resin door inner panel is made of a thermoplastic resin. The corner portion is formed in a protruding shape that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the inner surface portion,
The vehicle door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the closed cross section extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner edge of the wall portion in the vehicle width direction to the inner edge of the protruding corner portion in the vehicle width direction.