Door trim covering a door for a vehicle

Details Door trim covering a door for a vehicle Door trim covering a door for a vehicle

1997-12-18

2001-01-09

Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Door or window with specified vehicle feature

C296S146500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06170902

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door trim mounted on the inside of a vehicle cabin door and more particularly to door trim that attenuates an impact force generated between a vehicle occupant and a side surface of the door during a side vehicular collision or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A previously proposed door trim for improving shock absorbing effects at the time of side collisions on the vehicle, is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 4-128912 (published Nov. 5, 1992), and is depicted in
FIGS. 5 and 6
of this application. This door trim
1
is provided with a plurality of horizontal ribs
5
which are integrally formed in a back surface of the door trim
1
. As shown in
FIG. 5
, these ribs extend in a longitudinal direction along the panel and are, as shown in
FIG. 6
, arranged to be in contact with a door inner panel
3
.
When a shoulder or upper torso of a vehicle occupant is brought into contact with the door trim
1
at the time of a side collision, the ribs
5
are crushed against the door inner panel
3
by the compressive force generated, thereby absorbing some of the collision energy and producing an energy absorbing effect. With this structure, no independent pad is required to be disposed between the ribs
5
and the door inner panel
3
.
In order that the collapse of the ribs
5
absorbs the collision energy as mentioned above, it is important to set the ribs in such manner that they are simultaneously brought into contact with the inner panel
3
of the door, and thus undergo uniform collapse to ensure stable absorption of the impact energy. However, this arrangement has suffered from the drawback that since the door trim
1
and the door inner panel
3
may often not be assembled with the required degree of precision, there may be variation in the degree of contact between the ribs
5
and the door inner panel
3
, so that there is risk that the panel will fail to stably absorb the impact energy produced by a vehicular collision.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a door trim that can stably absorb energy even if there is some deviation in the precision with which the door trim and the door inner panels are assembled.
In accordance with the present invention, when a vehicle occupant comes into contact with the door trim during a side collision of the vehicle, a flange which is formed at a peripheral edge portion of the door trim, is forced against the door inner panel and tends to be driven in a direction with respect to the trim body that causes stress to be applied to a rib or ribs which span between and interconnect the flange and the door trim proper. The rib or ribs are arranged to have a shaped portion which facilitates rupture of the rib when it is exposed to sufficient stress. This allows the ribs to absorb energy as they are ruptured.
Another feature of the present invention is that the ribs are formed on a rear end of the trim body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and are located in position above an arm rest formed in the trim body.
Since the vehicle occupant seated on the seat at the time of the side collision is brought into contact with the portion which is disposed at a rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with respect to the door trim, and at the upper side of the door trim, energy absorption can be securely performed with respect to a point of application by providing the ribs in or near that portion.
A further feature of the present invention is that the trim body is provided with a protuberance positioned above the door arm rest, and the rib(s) extend between the flange portion and the protuberance.
Since the protuberance of the trim body and the portion surrounded thereby have a high rigidity, the load applied by the vehicle occupant can be securely transmitted to each rib by providing the ribs between the protuberance and the flange portion.
A further feature of the present invention resides in that a plurality of ribs are provided, thereby absorbing the energy more securely.
Embodiments of the trim body are formed of a synthetic resin which can be molded. However, the invention is not limited to molded products or to the use of synthetic resin.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3989275 (1976-11-01), Finch et al.
patent: 5098124 (1992-03-01), Breed et al.
patent: 5154445 (1992-10-01), Weller
patent: 5306066 (1994-04-01), Saathoff
patent: 5787645 (1998-08-01), Heim et al.
patent: 5871253 (1999-02-01), Erber
patent: 5934730 (1999-08-01), Yagishita et al.
patent: 4-128912 (1992-11-01), None
patent: 6-270679 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 6270671 (1994-09-01), None

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