Side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle

Abstract

 In a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, wherein a quadric crank chain comprises: a front rotary link (14) interconnecting two points which are disposed at the forward sides of a vehicle body (12) and a side door (13) as rotary centers out of four points including two points disposed on the vehicle body (12) and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction ofthe vehicle body (12) and two points disposed on the side door (13) and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side door (13); a rear rotary link (15) interconnecting two points disposed at the rear sides as rotary centers; a portion between the two points on the vehicle body (12); and a portion between the two points on the side door (13); the rotary centers (14A, 14B) at opposite ends of one of the rotary links (14, 15) are arranged longitudinally in the vertical direction of the vehicle body (12) to form a rotary shaft (14A) inclined at least to one side so that the upper end portion of the side door (13) can be inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body (12) when the side door (13) is opened, while, the rotary centers at opposite ends of the other ofthe rotary links (14,15) are formed into ball joints (15A, 15B) having degrees of freedom also in the vertical direction of the side door (13).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to improvements in a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle through the utilization of a quadric crank chain mechanism.

[0002] In most cases, the side door in a motor vehicle, e.g. passenger car has heretofore been installed in a manner to be rotatable about a hinge affixed to a vehicle body for opening or closing. In order to allow an occupant of the motor vehicle to open or close the side door for getting on or off the motr vehicle, a door opening angle corresponding to the total length of the side door is required. At this time, when a space outwardly of the motor vehicle is small, there are many cases where it is difficult for the occupant to get on or off the vehicle because the side door cannot be opened sufficiently.

[0003] In contrast thereto, there has been proposed a side door hinge mechanism through the utilization of a quadric crank chain mechanism as shown in U.S. Patents Nos. 333,9¿6 and 3,758,990, for example. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there has been contrived a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 74913/83, wherein a quadric crank chain comprises: a rotary link 4 interconnecting two points which are disposed at the forward sides of a vehicle body 2 of a motor vehicle 1 and a side door 3 as rotary centers 2A and 3A out of four points including two points disposed on the vehicle body 2 and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2 and two points disposed on the side door 3 and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side door 3; a rotary link 5 interconnecting two points disposed at the rear sides as rotary centers 2B and 3B; a portion between the two rotary centers 2A and 2B on the vehicle body 2; and a portion between the two rotary centers 3A and 3B on the side door 3.

[0004] In the drawings, designated at 6 is a front pillar, 7 a front wheel and 8 a movable fender rotatable with the rotary link 4, respectively.

[0005] The side door hinge mechanism utilizing the quadric crank chain makes it possible for the occupant to reduce the necessary space outwardly of the motor vehicle while securing a space at his feets. In consequence, even when the space outwardly of the motor vehicle is small, the occupant can get on or off the motor vehicle by opening or closing the side door 3.

[0006] However, as seen in the passenger cars and the like in recent years, for the shape of outer surface of the vehicle body, such a style is adopted that a door glass portion is considerably inclined and curved upwardly and inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body. Because of this, even when the vehicle body is provided with the side door hinge mechanism utilizing the aforesaid quadric crank chain, such disadvantages have been presented that, when the occupant gets on or off the motor vehicle, the upper end portion of a door frame of the side door or the upper portion of a door glass interferes with the occupant, so that satisfactory performance of getting on or off the vehicle cannot be secured.

[0007] To obviate these disadvantages, there has been proposed such a construction of the vehicle body that door hinges are held by a pair of horizontally disposed upper and lower rotary shafts, which can displace the door upwardly and outwardly at the beginning stage of door opening operation, as in U.S. Patent No. 3,166,783 for example. In this case, the door opening or closing operation is difficult to carry out, the operation imparts an unnatural feel to the occupant, the construction comes to be complicated, and the operation becomes further difficult to carry out when the aforesaid construction is applied to the aforesaid door having the door glass considerably inclined and curved, and the door is pushingly opened upwardly and outwardly to an extent where the upper portion of the door does not interfere with the occupant.

[0008] Furthermore, as disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,275,370, there has been proposed an invention, according to which, one of rotary shafts provided at opposite ends of a link interconnecting a vehicle body and a door is inclined with respect to the other through the utilization of a slider link mechanism, so that the door can be inclined outwardly when the door is opened. However, the slider mechanism is not applicable to the side door, and further, from the viewpoint of construction, there is a limit to the value of inclination of the door outwardly when the door is opened.

[0009] Furthermore, as described in U.S. Patent 3,095,600 a door hinging arrangement for vehicle bodies has been proposed in which the door will swing outwardly and upwardly when moving from a closed to an open position by the utilization of a first and a second hinge arms, in each of which a rotary shaft on the vehicle body is inclined and a rotary shaft on the door has a ball joint, and a control arm connected at opposite ends thereof to be vehicle body and the door through ball joints.

[0010] This door hinging arrangement, utilizing the three arms, presents such disadvantages that the construction is complicated, a space for receiving the arms becomes excessively large when the door is closed, and the vehicle weight is increased.

[0011] It is therefor the primary object of the present invention is to provide a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, in which, even when such a side door is adopted that the upper end portion of a door frame or a door glass thereof is curved or inclined inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, an upper body of an occupant does not interfere with the upper portion of door when the occupant gets on or off the vehicle, so that satisfactory performance of getting on or off the vehicle can be secured.

[0012] Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, utilizing a quadric crank chain mechanism capable of easily opening or closing the door and simplified in construction.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention has as its object to provide a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, which presents advantages that the construction is simple, a space for receiving the arms is small when the door is closed, and the weight is small.

[0014] To the above end, the present invention contemplates that, in a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle wherein a quadric crank chain comprises: a front rotary link interconnecting'two points which are disposed at the forward sides of a vehicle body and a side door as rotary centers out of four points including two points disposed on the vehicle body and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and two points disposed on the side door and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side door; a rear rotary link interconnecting two points disposed at the rear sides as rotary centers; a portion between the two points on the vehicle body; and a portion between the two points on the side door; the rotary centers at opposite ends of one of the aforesaid rotary links are arranged longitudinally in the vertical direction of the vehicle body to form a rotary shaft inclined at least to one side so that the upper end portion of the side door can be inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body when the side door is opened, while, the rotary centers at opposite ends of the other of the aforesaid rotary links are formed into ball joints having degrees of freedom in the vertical direction of the side door, whereby, when the door is opened, the upper end, portion of the door is continuously inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, so that the upper portion of the door does not interfere with the upper body of the occupant when the occupant gets on or off the vehicle.

[0015] To the above end, the present invention contemplates that, out of the aforesaid pair of rotary shafts, the rotary shaft on the vehicle body is disposed with the upper portion thereof inclined fowardly of the vehicle body and outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, and the rotary shaft on the side door is disposed in the vertical direction.

[0016] To the above end, the present invention contemplates that both the aforesaid pair of rotary shafts are disposed with the upper portions thereof inclined forwardly of the vehicle body.

[0017] To the above end, the present invention contemplates that, out of the aforesaid pair of rotary shafts, the rotary shaft on the vehicle body is disposed in the vertical direction, and the rotary shaft on the door is disposed with the upper portion thereof inclined outwardly of the vehicle body and inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body.

[0018] To the above end, the present invention contemplates that in a'side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, one of said rotary links is made to be the rotary link having two rotary centers disposed at the forward sides of said vehicle body and said side door, made broad in the direction of the rotary shaft so as to support most of the load of said side door, and the other of said rotary links is made to be a control arm for controlling the opening or closing of said door.

[0019] To the above end, the present invention contemplates that in a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, the rotary center on the vehicle body of said rotary link having two points at the forward sides of said vehicle body and said side door as the rotary centers is disposed outwardly of a front wheel and inwardly of a lower front fender, and a portion of said lower front fender, which would otherwise interfere with said rotary link, is formed into a divided movable fender rotatable with said rotary link.

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing the side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, proposed by the present applicant in another application;

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan sectional view showing a moving path of the side door when the side door is opened or closed with the side door hinge mechanism being utilized;

Fig. 3 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic front sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematic plan. view showing the moving path of the above embodiment when the side door is opened or closed; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are schematic plan view similar to Fig. 5, showing second and a third embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] Description will hereunder be given of an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, according to the present embodiment, in a side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, wherein a quadric crank chain comprises: a front rotary link 14 interconnecting two points which are disposed at the forward sides of a vehicle body 12 and a side door 13 as rotary centers out of four points including two points disposed on the vehicle body 12 of a motor vehicle 11 and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 12 and two points disposed on the side door 13 and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side door 13; a rear rotary link 15 interconnecting two points disposed at the rear sides as rotary centers; a portion between the two rotary centers on the vehicle body 12; and a portion between the two rotary centers on the side door 13; the rotary centers at the opposite ends of one 14 of the rotary links are formed into rotary shafts 14A and 14B both being elongate in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, the forward rotary shaft 14A is inclined forwardly of the vehicle body 12 and outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body so that the upper end portions of the door can Le inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body when the side door 13 is opened and the rotary centers at the opposite ends of the other rotary link 15 are formed into ball joints 15A and 15B both having degrees of freedom also in the vertical direction of the side door 13.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the rotary shaft 14A of the front rotary link 14 on the vehicle body, for supporting the forward and portion of the side door 13 is installed in a manner to be inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body and forwardly, whereby, when the side door 13 is opened, then the upper portion of the side door 13 comes to be inclined outwardly as the side door 13 as a whole is increased in the opening degree as shown in Fig. 5. Then, a movable fender 8 is rotated in unison with the rotary link 14, whereby the rear portion thereof is opened outwardly of the vehicle body.

[0022] At this time, the opposite ends of the rotary link 15 are formed into the ball joints 15A and 15B, whereby, even if a height in the vertical direction between the both ball joints 15A and 15B is varied as the side door 13 is opened, the variation in height is easily followed, so that the opening degree of the side door 13 can be controlled.

[0023] In consequence, the upper portion of the side door 13 is inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body at the fully opened state of the side door 13, whereby, even if a door glass 16 or a door frame, not shown, is considerably inclined or curved inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body at the fully closed state of the door, the side door 13 is relieved outwardly at the fully opened state thereof, so that the door does not interfere with the upper body of the occupant when he gets on or off the vehicle.

[0024] Additionally, in the above embodiment, the rotary shaft 14A of one 14 of the rotary links on the body is inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body and forwardly, whereby the upper portion of the side door 13 is outwardly inclined when the door is opened. However, the present invention need not necessarily be limited to this, and is applicable to any embodiment in which the upper portion of the side door 13 can be inclined outwardly when the side door 13 is opened.

[0025] In consequence, both the rotary shafts 14A and 14B disposed at the apposite ends of the rotary link 14 may be inclined forwardly of the vehicle body for example.

[0026] Fig. 6 shows a moving path of the side door 13 when the door is opened or closed in the above case.

[0027] Furthermore, the rotary shaft 14A of the rotary link 14 on the vehicle body may be disposed in the vertical direction and the upper portion of the rotary shaft 14B on the side door 13 may be inclined rearwardly of the vehicle body and inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body.

[0028] Fig. 7 shows a moving path of the side door 13 when the door is opened or closed in the above case.

[0029] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rotary shaft in the front rotary link 14 is inclined and the opposite ends of the rear rotary link 15 are formed into the ball joints, however, this arrangement may be reversed. Additionally, the rotary link 14 is elongated in the vertical direction, supports most of the load of the side door 13, while, the rotary link 15 controls the moving path of the side door 13. However, this arrangement may be reversed. Further, the load of the side door 13 may be supported by members other than the rotary links 14 and 15.

[0030] With the above-described arrangements according to the present invention, the upper portion of the side door may be inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body when the door is opened, so that, even when the upper portion of the side door is curved or inclined inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, the side door may avoid interfering with the upper body of the occupant when he gets on or off the vehicle, thereby offering such an outstanding advantage that the performance of getting on or off the vehicle by the occupant can be improved.

Claims

1. A side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle, wherein a quadric crank chain comprises: a front rotary link (14) interconnecting two points which are disposed at the forward sides of a vehicle body (12) and a side door (13) as rotary centers out of four points including two points disposed on the vehicle body (12) and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body (12) and two points disposed on the side door (13) and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the side door (13); a rear rotary link (15) interconnecting two points disposed at the rear sides as rotary centers; a portion between said two points on the vehicle body (12); and a portion between said two points on the side door (13); the rotary centers at opposite ends of one of said rotary links (14, 15) are arranged longitudinally in the vertical direction of the vehicle body (12) to form a rotary shaft (14A) inclined at least to one side so that the upper end portion of the side door (13) can be inclined outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body (12) when said side door (13) is opened, while, the rotary centers at opposite ends of the other of said rotary links (14, 15) are formed into ball joints (15A, 15B) having degrees of freedom also in the vertical direction of said side door (13).

2. A side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein out of said pair of rotary shafts (14A, 14B), said rotary shaft (14A) on the vehicle body (12) is disposed with the upper portion thereof inclined forwardly and outwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body (12) and said rotary shaft (14B) on the side door (13) is disposed in the vertical direction.

3. A side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein both the upper portions of said pair of rotary shafts (14A, 14B) are inclined forwardly of the vehicle body (12).

4. A side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein out of said pair of rotary shafts (14A, 14B), said rotary shaft on the vehicle body (12) is disposed in the vertical direction and said rotary shaft (14B) on the side door (13) is disposed with the upper portion thereof inclined outwardly of the vehicle body (12) and inwardly in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body (12).

5. A side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle as set forth in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein one (14) of said rotary links (14, 15) is made to be the rotary link having two rotary centers disposed at the forward sides of said vehicle body (12) and said side door (13), made broad in the direction of the rotary shaft (14A, 14B) so as to support most of the load of said side door (13), and the other (15) of said rotary links (14, 15) is made to be a control arm for controlling the opening or closing of said side door (13).

6. A side door hinge mechanism in a motor vehicle as set forth in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotary center (14A) on the vehicle body (12) of said rotary link (14) having two points at the forward sides of said vehicle body (12) and said side door (13) as the rotary centers is disposed outwardly of a front wheel (7) and inwardly of a lower front fender, and a portion of said lower front i fender, which would otherwise interfere with said rotary link (14), is formed into a divided movable fender (8) rotatable with said rotary link (14).

Drawing