Vehicle door frame structure

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a vehicle door frame structure, and in particular relates to a joining structure between an upright pillar sash extending in the vertical direction of the door and an upper sash, which forms the upper edge of the door.

#2. Description of Related Art

#The present invention will be discussed below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is side elevational view of a motor-vehicle side door for use as a front-seat door, to which a vehicle door frame structure according to the present invention has been applied, viewed from the vehicle interior side;

#FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a door frame, of the door of FIG. 1, including a door corner portion at which the upper sash and the upright pillar sash are joined;

#A front door (hereinafter, a door) 10, of a motor vehicle, shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a door panel 11 and a door frame 12, formed in the shape of a frame, on the upper side of the door panel 11. A door glass 14 is provided in, and is moved upwardly and downwardly inside, a window opening 13, which is defined by the upper edge of the door panel 11 and the inner peripheral edge of the door frame 12. A glass run (not shown) formed from an elastic material is provided in the inner periphery of the door frame 12 that faces toward the window opening 13, so that the edge of the door glass 14 is held by the glass run.

#The door frame 12 is provided with an upper sash (insertion sash) 15 that defines the upper edge portion of the door 10, and an upright pillar sash (insertion-receiving sash) 16 which extends upwardly from a rear part of the door panel 11; the rear end of the upper sash 15 and the upper end of the upright pillar sash 16 are joined together at a door corner portion A. When the door 10 is closed, the upper sash 15 is positioned along a door-opening portion of a roof panel of the vehicle body (not shown) and the upright pillar sash 16 is positioned along a central pillar of the vehicle body. A weather strip (not shown) formed from an elastic material is provided on the outer peripheries of the upper sash 15 and the upright pillar sash 16. When the door 10 is closed, the weather strip elastically deforms to close the gap between the door 10 and the vehicle body in a liquid-tight manner.

#In the following descriptions, a side of the door frame 12 facing the window opening 13 is referred to as the inner peripheral side, and the other side of the door frame 12 that faces the vehicle body opening is referred to as the outer peripheral side. In addition, terms indicating a direction such as the “front”, “rear”, “up”, “down”, “vehicle inner side” and “vehicle outer side”, will be mentioned in the following descriptions to designate directions determined with reference to the vehicle body, to which the door 10 that is for use as a front-seat door is attached.