The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 09, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1996
Mark Stephen Salmonowicz, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Carl Henry Visconti, Clarkston, MI (US);
Suresh Deepchand Shah, Troy, MI (US);
Harry Duane Miller, Canton, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle door assembly according to the invention includes a structural framework, including a rear end for mounting a latch, a front end for mounting a hinge and a beam portion extending between the front and rear ends. An outer door panel is provided for mounting on the structural framework to provide the outer surface of the door assembly. A structural inner panel is provided for mounting on the structural framework and is of molded plastic and has a generally planar trim wall facing toward the occupant compartment and edge wall portions which extend transverse to the planar trim wall to thereby envelope the structural framework within the structural inner panel. The structural inner panel has integrally molded hollow tubular stiffening structures molded therein by a gas injection molding process and which extend substantially all around the periphery of the door so that the molded plastic inner panel is substantially structurally self-supporting and contributing to the structural integrity of the door assembly. The integrally molded hollow tubular stiffening structure is preferably located substantially at the juncture between the planar trim wall and the edge wall portions. Additional stiffening structure is obtained by also integrally molding the hollow tubular stiffening structure at least partially around the periphery substantially at the terminal edge of the edge wall portion.