Vehicle side door structures
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsCharles Christopher Garnett, Mingher F. Shen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle side door structure includes a door and a rocker panel providing a show surface beneath the door. The rocker panel includes a trim portion providing the show surface and a connecting portion moveably connected to the trim portion by a region of weakness such that the connecting portion is movable relative to the trim portion while connected thereto between an unlatched position and a latched position. The trim portion includes a lowest point and an upwardly extending section that locates a lowermost point of the region of weakness above the lowest point of the trim portion with the connecting portion in the latched position.
Claims20
A vehicle side door structure comprising:
- a door;
- and
- a rocker panel providing a show surface beneath the door, the rocker panel comprising
- a trim portion providing the show surface;
- and
- a connecting portion moveably connected to the trim portion by a region of weakness such that the connecting portion is movable relative to the trim portion while connected thereto between an unlatched position and a latched position;
- wherein the trim portion includes a lowest point spaced horizontally from the region of weakness and an upwardly extending section extending upwardly from the lowest point of the trim portion that locates a lowermost point of the region of weakness above the lowest point of the trim portion with the connecting portion in the latched position.
A rocker panel providing a show surface beneath a vehicle door, the rocker panel comprising:
- a trim portion providing the show surface;
- and
- a connecting portion moveably connected to the trim portion by a region of weakness such that the connecting portion is movable relative to the trim portion while connected thereto between an unlatched position and a latched position;
- wherein the trim portion includes a lowest point and an upwardly extending section extending both horizontally and vertically that locates a lowermost point of the region of weakness about 0.5 mm or more above the lowest point of the trim portion with the connecting portion in the latched position.
A vehicle including a side door structure, comprising:
- a door;
- a frame member including an inwardly extending portion and a vertically extending portion;
- and
- a rocker panel connected to the frame member for providing a show surface beneath the door, the rocker panel comprising
- a trim portion connected to the vertically extending portion of the frame member;
- and
- a connecting portion connected to the inwardly extending portion of the frame member, the connecting portion being moveably connected to the trim portion by a region of weakness such that the connecting portion is movable relative to the trim portion while connected thereto between an unlatched position and a latched position;
- wherein the trim portion includes a lowest point and a bend between the lowest point and the connecting portion providing an upwardly extending section that locates a lowermost point of the region of weakness above the lowest point of the trim portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.