Nissan North America, Inc.

Christopher Herrala

David Kovie

Mahiuddin Ahmed

James Haupt

John Zakoff

James Filipowski

Edward Orcsik

Richard J Dryja

David Snyder

David Iozzo

Marlo Martino

A rear door is movable between a door closed orientation covering a rear door opening and a gutter of a vehicle body structure, and a door open orientation exposing the rear door opening and the gutter. A four-bar linkage assembly supports the rear door for movement between the door open and the door closed orientations. The four-bar linkage includes a rearward member, a forward member and an extender. The rearward member has a first end pivotally attached to the gutter, a second end attached to the rear door and a protrusion spaced apart from the first and second ends. The forward member has a first end attached to the roof structure and a second end attached to the rear door. The extender has a lower end pivotally attached to the side wall and an upper end attached to the protrusion of the rearward member.

Rear door assembly

A rear door assembly having a bracket, a rear door, a first movement mechanism and a second movement mechanism. The rear door has a lateral side with a slot formed therein. The first movement mechanism is attached to a rearward area of a vehicle body structure and is configured to move the bracket and the rear door from a closed orientation covering a rear opening in the vehicle body structure to at least an intermediate orientation partially uncovering the rear opening. The bracket has a pair of support pins extending in that extend into the slot with the support pins being supported on rollers within the slot. The second movement mechanism is disposed within the rear door to move the rear door relative to the support pins of the bracket along the slot.

A rear door assembly for a vehicle includes a motor having a shaft with a gear attached thereto. A first end of a lever is rigidly fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith proximate the gear. A belt is engaged with the gear. A rear door is pivotally attached to the vehicle and is movable between a door closed orientation and a door open orientation. The rear door has a gear assembly coupled to the lever. The rear door and the gear assembly are moved by the lever upon rotation of the lever by the motor. The gear assembly receives rotary motion from the belt such that an angular displacement of the rear door caused by the rotary motion of the belt during movement of the rear door between the closed orientation and the open orientation occurs at half the rate of the angular displacement of the lever.

A rear door assembly includes a vehicle body structure, a rear door and a four-bar linkage assembly. The vehicle body structure has a roof structure and a side wall defining a rear door opening. The four-bar linkage assembly supports the rear door for movement between open and closed orientations. The four-bar linkage includes a rearward member, a support bracket and a forward member. A first end of the rearward member is pivotally attached to an upright portion of the side wall and a second end attached to the rear door. A rearward end of the support bracket is fixed to the roof structure and is cantilevered therefrom. The forward member has a first end attached to the rearward end of the support bracket and a second end attached to the rear door inboard of the rearward member. The first end of the rearward member is outboard of the support bracket.

A vehicle door assembly includes an outer door panel that is fixed to an outer periphery of an inner door panel such that the inner door panel and the outer door panel define a door cavity therebetween. A support bracket is attached to a forward area of the inner door panel within the door cavity. A reinforcing panel is attached to the support bracket within the door cavity. A window opening support panel is attached to the support bracket, the reinforcing panel and the inner door panel within the door cavity. A side view mirror is located along an exterior side of the outer door panel. The side view mirror includes at least one fastener that extends through the window opening support panel and the reinforcing panel thereby attaching the side view mirror thereto.

Vehicle door assembly

A vehicle body structure includes a reinforcement member, a latch mechanism and a secondary reinforcement portion. The reinforcement member is installed to an inner door panel of a door structure and extends from a forward area of the door structure to a rearward area of the door structure. The latch mechanism is installed to the rearward area of the inner door panel and is positioned such that a section of a rearward portion of the reinforcement member is outboard and level with a portion of the latch mechanism. The secondary reinforcement portion is fixedly attached to a central area of the reinforcement member spaced apart from a forward area of the inner door panel. In response to an impact event where force is directed to a central area of the door structure, the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism retaining the latch mechanism in the latching orientation.

Vehicle body structure

A vehicle body structure includes a door, a latch mechanism and a secondary reinforcement member (an attenuation member). The door has an inner door panel and a reinforcement member installed thereto the inner door panel. The latch mechanism is installed the inner door panel such that in a latching orientation the latch mechanism retains the door in the closed orientation and in a release orientation the door can move to the open orientation. A rearward portion of the reinforcement member is outboard and level with a portion of the latch mechanism. The secondary reinforcement member is fixedly attached to a central area of the reinforcement member spaced apart from the rearward area of the inner door panel and spaced apart from a forward area of the inner door panel. In response to an impact event, the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism preventing movement of the latch mechanism.

A door structure is moveable to and from of a closed orientation covering a door opening and an open orientation exposing the door opening of a vehicle. The door structure has an inner door panel with an interior latch handle attachment area and an attenuation slot adjacent to the interior latch handle attachment area. The attenuation slot is defined between a first slot edge and a second slot edge. The interior latch handle is installed to the interior latch handle attachment area. A portion of the interior latch handle is located adjacent to the first slot edge of the attenuation slot. In response to an impact event proximate a central area of the door structure, the door structure and the interior latch handle attachment area deform such that the first slot edge and the interior latch handle move relative to the second slot edge of the attenuation slot.

A vehicle door assembly includes a door structure, an interior latch handle a panel and an interference member. The interior latch handle is installed to an inboard area of an inner door panel of the door structure. The interior latch handle has a housing and a release lever supported to the housing for pivotal movement. The panel is fixed to the inner door panel. The interference member is fixed to the panel and extends toward the release lever. With the door structure in a non-deformed state the interference member is spaced apart from the release lever. With the door structure in a deformed state in response to an impact event proximate a central area of the door structure, the panel can deformed and moves the interference member toward one end of the release lever preventing movement of the release lever to an door opening orientation.

A vehicle door structure includes an inner panel, an outer panel, a guard beam and a reinforcing member. The guard beam extends laterally in a cavity between the inner and outer panels. The reinforcing member disposed in the cavity and being positioned on a floor of the vehicle door structure below the guard beam.

Growing community of inventors

Milford, MI, United States of America

Christopher Herrala