EP1188889B1 - Motor vehicle with a swing door and a sliding door independent from each other - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a door casement and a sliding door mounted in the frame of the vehicle without foot middle between the swing door and the sliding door according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a motor vehicle is described in US-A-5 398 988.

The vehicle according to the invention is more particularly a vehicle of the type monospace comprising on one of its sides, for example a door sliding rear and a front hinged door. With this construction, the sliding door and swing door are joined when closed and the lack of a middle pillar improves access to the interior of the vehicle.

It is necessary with this type of car opening construction of provide a lock binding the sliding door to the hinged door for reinforce the mechanical strength of the vehicle, this lock being intended for resume efforts between these two doors and thus reduce the deformation of the vehicle in case of accident.

In the prior art, this lock is a classic lock that is mounted on the swinging door, which binds to a strike mounted on the door sliding. With this classic lock, closing the swing door is only possible if the sliding door is closed, and the closure of the sliding door is only possible if the swing door is open.

The object of the invention is to remedy this drawback by proposing a arrangement according to which the swinging door and the sliding door can independently of each other be open and closed.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a motor vehicle comprising a swing door and a sliding door mounted in a frame without a foot middle between the swinging door and the sliding door, a first lock to link the swing door to the door slider, at least a second lock for connecting the swing door to frame, at least one third lock for binding the sliding door to the frame, where the first lock has two bolts forming a clamp that closes on a strike.

With this construction has two bolts of the first lock, the latch can be engaged between the two bolts arriving in two directions different compared to the first lock so that the doors swinging and sliding can be opened and closed independently one from the other. In addition, the second and third locks allow the closing one of the doors when the other is open.

According to a preferred embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the first lock comprises a slide that can move in translation between an "out" position and a "depressed" position and two bolts rotatably mounted and forming a clamp that is opened when the slider is in the "out" position and that is closed when the slider is in the "depressed" position, and a pawl adapted to block said slide when reaches the "depressed" position to hold the clamp closed and release slide when a handle for opening the lock is actuated, said bolts being further linked in motion to said slide of such way that said clamp closes on a striker when said latch pushes the slider and moves it from the "out" position to the "depressed" position.

With this arrangement of the first lock, the strike can be mounted on the sliding door and the lock on the swing door or vice versa.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the two bolts of the first lock are coupled in movement by a gear train and the slider is linked in motion with only one of the two bolts which simplifies the mechanism of return by spring of the lock and reduces its cost of manufacture.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, said ratchet releases said slide when an opening handle of the swinging door is actuated and said pawl releases said slider when an opening handle of the sliding door is actuated which allows to open the first lock indifferently to the opening of the door sliding rear or swinging front door.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the swing door is linked to the frame by several seconds locks which are adjusted in such a way that, when closing the swing door, there is has a second lock that always closes last, this second lock being provided with a closure detector, which makes it possible to obtain a reliable indication of the correct closing of the door.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the sliding door is linked to the frame by several thirds locks that are adjusted in such a way as to close the door sliding, there is a third lock that always closes last, this third lock being provided with a closure detector.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention, the closure detector is an electrical switch which reacts to the depression of a strike in the lock.

In this way, a user can not interfere with the detector for voluntarily modify its state, for example to roll with the door corresponding open.

La figure 1 est une vue d'ensemble schématique des portes du véhicule selon l'invention.

La figure 2 est une vue schématique de la première serrure du véhicule.

Les figures 3, 4 et 5 illustrent le fonctionnement de la première serrure.

La figure 6 illustre une variante de réalisation de la première serrure du véhicule.

La figure 7 illustre une réalisation de seconde et troisième serrure avec détecteur de fermeture.

The invention will now be described in more detail and with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example.

Figure 1 is a schematic overview of the vehicle doors according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the first lock of the vehicle.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the operation of the first lock.

Figure 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the first lock of the vehicle.

Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment of second and third lock with closure detector.

The vehicle according to the invention is in particular a said vehicle "MPV" comprising on one side a swinging front door PB and a PC sliding rear door mounted in the BA frame of the vehicle without foot middle between the PB door and the PC door.

In Figure 1, the swing door and the sliding door are linked between they by a first PS lock which is here mounted on the swing door PB. The strike corresponding to this lock is mounted on the door sliding PC.

In addition, the swinging door PB is here linked to the frame BA by two second locks DS1 and DS2 respectively mounted in the part upper and in the lower part of the swing door and the door sliding PC is tied here to the BA frame by a third TS mounted lock on the back of the PC sliding door. The invention is not limited the number of second and third locks linking the doors to the frame.

Given in particular the particularities of the first PS lock, which will be detailed later, the PB swing door and the PC sliding door are able to be closed and opened independently of one another. In indeed, if the sliding door is open, the swing door can hang on on the frame BA of the vehicle by means of the second locks DS1, DS2, and if the PC sliding door is closed, the first lock will hang in addition on the corresponding strike of the sliding door. Similarly, if the PB swing door is open, the closing of the sliding door can be realized thanks to the attachment of the third lock on the frame of the vehicle, and if the hinged door is closed the striker of the sliding door will hang on the first PS lock mounted on the swing door PB. Thus, when the two doors are closed, the first lock binds necessarily the swing door to the sliding door so in particular to resume mechanical efforts in case of accident. The first lock could as well be mounted on the sliding door to hang on a corresponding strike mounted on the door fighter.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the first lock PS comprises a slider CO that can move in translation along an axis AX, and which is linked in motion to two bolts P1 and P2 rotatably mounted on an axis of common rotation AR perpendicular to the axis AX. The bolts P1 and P2 as well that the slider CO are substantially flat parts that are arranged on each other and which are each crossed by the axis of AR rotation. The slider CO comprises an oblong hole TO extending according to the axis AX and allowing a displacement of the slide along the axis AX.

The bolts P1 and P2 are substantially symmetrical, and form a clamp PI linked in motion to the slide CO able to imprison or release a GA striker as visible in Figures 3, 4 and 5, that is the striker that is mounted on the PC sliding door. The slider CO can move in translation along the axis AX, between a position called "out" visible in the figures 3 and 5, and a "depressed" position visible in FIG. 4. When the slide is in the "out" position, the PI clamp is open to release or receive the when the slide is in the "depressed" position, the PI clamp is closed to trap the striker as shown in Figure 4.

When the swing door is folded down while the sliding door is closed, the GA strike mounted on the sliding door presses an edge BO drive of the slider to move it from the "out" position to the position "depressed", which causes the imprisonment of the GA waste by the PI clamp, as shown in Figure 4.

Similarly, when the sliding door is folded down while the swinging door is closed, the keeper GA presses on the slider to imprison by the PI forceps. The leading edge BO of the slider find inside the clamp therefore receives the GA striker by a first side when the swing door is folded down (Fig. 3), and by a second side when the sliding door is closed (Fig. 5).

To ensure the closed maintenance of the first PS lock when the GA lock is trapped, the first PS lock also includes a claw CL disposed at one end of the slider CO, so that this pawl blocks the slide when it reaches its "depressed" position, by lodging in a blocking chamfer CH made at the end of the slide. This ratchet CL can be operated via a door handle in such a way that it releases the slide when this handle is actuated, to trigger the opening of the lock. More particularly, the lock includes a non-spring return system represented acting on the bolts P1 and P2, and tending to bring the slide in "out" position. In this way, as soon as the ratchet CL releases the slide in response to a solicitation of the door handle, the slider comes to bear on the GA striker to open the clamp formed by the two bolts P1, P2 and start opening the door.

To improve the ergonomics of the vehicle, the release of the slider CO by the CL pawl will be triggered indifferently when the door handle will be operated or when the handle of the sliding door actuated. This triggering can be achieved for example by means of a electrical assistance CL ratchet or with a command by cable or clutch lever CL.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, each bolt P1, P2 comprises a roller G1, G2 which presses on a corresponding external wall E1, E2 of slide. These external walls E1 and E2 are arranged symmetrically relative to the axis AX at a non-zero angle so that the distance between each roller G1, G2 and the axis AX depends on the position occupied by the slider CO in its movement between the position "depressed" and the "out" position. So when the slider is in position "depressed", the rollers G1, G2 are distant from the axis, so that the clamp PI is closed, and when the slider is in the "out" position, the rollers G1, G2 are close to the axis for the PI clamp to be open. The system of spring return tends to press each roller on the wall corresponding, and it may include for this purpose a spring acting on each bolt P1, P2.

As a variant, the bolts P1 and P2 may each comprise a set of teeth D1, D2, and be rotatably mounted on separate axes A1 and A2 arranged on either side of the axis AX, as shown in FIG. 6. In this variant, the teeth D1 and D2 mesh with one another close to the axis AX, so that the two bolts are connected in movement and that the rotation of one causes the rotation of the other. In this variant, the slider CO is linked in motion to a single bolts in order to reduce the number of constituent parts of the lock. Thus, only one roller G1 is necessary to bind in motion the PI clamp to the CO slide, and to even a single return spring is sufficient for both bolts, which will reduce the cost of manufacturing such a lock.

In such a vehicle the geometric dispersions do not allow generally not to guarantee simultaneous snapping of all locks that link the swing door to the frame, and the same for the door sliding. In Figure 1, there is shown the swing door with two locks DS1, DS2 linking it to the frame. It is understood that more can be expected two locks to link this door to the frame. To overcome the problem geometric dispersion, in the vehicle according to the invention, the second locks DS1, DS2 on PB swing door are adjusted in such a way that one of them always closes last. It is the same for the third locks of the PC sliding door. In Figure 7, we have represented an embodiment of a second or third lock which has a PT rotary bolt that traps a GB strike engaged in the drain of the lock, and a rotating CQ ratchet that blocks the PT bolt when the striker is trapped.

By adjustment, we mean the positioning with a certain game of the ratchet CQ with respect to the bolt PT so as to leave a certain freedom of the GB strike in the lock when it is imprisoned.

The second lock or third lock always closing last is equipped with a closure detector shown in Figure 7 to signal the correct closing of the door on which this lock is mounted.

The closure detector DF may comprise a switch CE electric having a moving LA blade that is moved by the latch when it is pushed into the lock until the position where the ratchet CQ blocks the PT bolt.

The interest of such a detector is that it is placed at the bottom of the door lock inaccessible to the vehicle user to prevent it from simulating a state of complete closure of the door while it is open.

Claims (7)

1. Automobile vehicle including a hinged door (PB) and a sliding door (PC) mounted in a frame (BA) without center pillar between the hinged door and the sliding door, one first lock (PS) to attach the hinged door to the sliding door, at least one second lock (DS1, DS2) to attach the hinged door to the frame (BA), and at least one third lock (TS) to attach the sliding door to the frame (BA), wherein said first lock has two bolts (P1, P2) forming a pincer (PI) that closes around a striker.
2. Vehicle according to claim 1, in which said first lock (PS) includes a slider (CO) that can translate between a "released" position and an "engaged" position, and two bolts (P1, P2) free to rotate and forming a pincer (PI) that is open when said slider (CO) is in the "released" position and closed when said slider (CO) is in the "engaged" position, and a latch (CL) able to block said slider (CO) when it reaches the "engaged" position in order to hold said pincer closed and able to free said slider (CO) when a lock opening handle is operated, said bolts (P1, P2) also being coupled to said slider (CO) in movement in such a manner that said pincer (PI) closes around a striker (GA) when this striker (GA) presses on said slider (CO) and pushes it from its "released" position to its "engaged" position.
3. Vehicle according to claim 2, in which said two bolts (P1, P2) of said first lock (PS) are coupled in movement by a gear train (D1, D2) and said slider (CO) is coupled in movement with only one of said two bolts.
4. Vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, in which said latch (CL) frees said slider (CO) when an opening handle of the hinged door (PB) is operated or when an opening handle of the sliding door (PC) is operated.
5. Vehicle according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, in which said hinged door (PB) is attached to said frame by several second locks (DS1, DS2) adjusted in such a manner that on closing said hinged door (PB) a second lock (DS1) always closes last, this second lock (DS1) being equipped with a closing sensor (DF).
6. Vehicle according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, in which said sliding door (PC) is attached to said frame by several third locks adjusted in such a manner that on closing said sliding door a third lock always closes last, this third lock being equipped with a closing sensor (DF).
7. Vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, in which said closing sensor (DF) is an electric switch (CE) that reacts to the entry of a striker (GB) into the lock.

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