Vehicle rear structure

ABSTRACT

A vehicle rear structure having an upper door and a lower door for opening and closing a rear opening of a vehicle, and a damper mechanism for slowing opening and closing movements of the lower door is provided. The damper mechanism is placed in a space formed by an outer panel and an inner panel constituting a side panel.

INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle has an opening at a rear portion of a vehicle body . The rear opening is closed by an upper door and a lower door . Reference numeral denotes a front door and a rear door.

As shown in FIG. 2, an upper half of the rear opening is opened and closed by the upper door swingable in a rearward and upward direction. A lower half of the rear opening is opened and closed by the lower door swingable in a rearward and downward direction. The vehicle body has tail lamps , at left and right lower portions of the rear portion . Opening and closing movements of the lower door are slowed by left and right damper mechanisms , (see FIG. ). Reference numerals , denote hinges for the upper door .

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 illustrating a left side panel at a rear body portion. The side panel consists of a steel plate outer panel and a steel plate inner panel . In other words, the outer panel and inner panel constitute a wall of the vehicle body , that is, a side panel . The side panel is formed by connecting the rear end of the outer panel and the rear end of the inner panel with a steel plate C pillar gutter (gutter panel ). The inner panel may be corrugated or formed unevenly for increased rigidity. A side panel at a right rear portion has the same structure. Reference numeral denotes an opening to be closed by the rear door (see FIG. ).

Now, a vehicle tailgate structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to .

As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right damper mechanisms , are placed within the left and right side panels , , respectively. Specifically, the damper mechanism , are placed in spaces Sp, Sp formed by the outer panels , and the inner panels , constituting the left and right walls , of the vehicle body .

A plurality of components forming the damper mechanisms , are vertically arranged in the spaces Sp, Sp along the side panels , , thereby to facilitate the placement of the damper mechanisms , in the narrow spaces Sp, Sp. Left and right hinge supports , for supporting the left and right damper mechanisms , are provided within the side panels , in the vicinities of lower edge portions , of the opening . The left and right damper mechanisms , are configured symmetrical with the vehicle transverse center CL as the center line. The vehicle body has a resin interior panel at the inside of the inner panel (inside the passenger compartment).

Turning now to FIG. 5, the damper mechanism is provided in a rear lower portion of the vehicle body . The tail lamp is arranged rearward of the damper mechanism .

Next, reference is made to FIG. 6 illustrating the left damper mechanism . The damper mechanism is supported on the hinge support provided within the side panel (within the wall ). A hinge shaft is rotatably mounted to the hinge support . The distal end of the hinge shaft extends from the side panel toward the vehicle transverse center CL as shown by an arrow and is secured to a lower portion of the lower door via a door holding part . A hinge arm extends from the hinge shaft radially of the hinge shaft . A first end of a first link is vertically swingably connected to a distal end of the hinge arm . A second end of the first link is vertically swingably connected to a first end of a second link . A central portion of the second link is vertically swingably mounted to a link support within the side panel . A second end of the second link is vertically swingably connected to a first end of a damper stay . A second end of the damper stay is vertically swingably connected to a stay support within the side panel .

The damper stay is a cylinder-type open stay filled with liquid or gas, consisting of a cylinder and a piston rod fitted in the cylinder to be able to move in and out. The first end of the damper stay is a connecting member fixed at the front end of the piston rod . The second end of the damper stay is a connecting member fixed at the rear end of the cylinder .

Referring to FIG. 7, the positional relationships of the damper mechanism will be described in detail. With the lower door closed, a third connecting pin and a support shaft are disposed in the vicinities of a vertical line Lv passing the hinge shaft . First and second connecting pins and and a support shaft are disposed forward of the vertical line Lv (left in FIG. ).

With this arrangement of the shafts and pins, the hinge arm is extended from the hinge shaft in a forward and downward direction. The second link is disposed above the hinge arm substantially in parallel with the hinge arm so as to incline the second link in a forward and downward direction. The first link is connected between the distal end (front end) of the hinge arm and the first end (front end) of the second link . That is, the hinge arm and the first and second links and constitute a parallel link structure.

The combined structure of the hinge arm and the first and second links and thus has a substantially C shape opening rearward and inclined forward in a side view. Even if vehicle accessories or vehicle body components including the tail lamp are disposed close behind the damper mechanism as shown in FIG. 5, the damper mechanism is thus prevented from interfering with those components.

In this manner, the positional relationship of the damper stay with respect to the hinge shaft can be relatively freely determined. Even in the case where vehicle accessories or vehicle body components are arranged close behind the damper mechanism , the damper mechanism can be freely designed not to interfere with those components, increasing the degree of freedom in design.

The damper stay extends from the second end of the second link upward along the lower door .

The hinge arm and the second link are bars of elongated linear plates. The first link is a bar of a forwardly-curved elongated plate. The first link is curved forward so as not to interfere with the support shaft at the center of the second link when moving vertically.

Now, the configuration of the damper mechanism will be described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 8 to .

As shown in FIG. 8, the hinge support is fixed to the inner surface of the outer panel by welding or the like within the side panel . A support pin extends from the hinge support toward the vehicle transverse center CL. The hinge shaft has a fitting hole for receiving the support pin . The hinge shaft is mounted on the support pin via the fitting hole in a rotatable and axially movable manner. The hinge shaft extends horizontally toward the vehicle transverse center CL, passing through the inner panel and the interior panel . The hinge shaft has the door holding part mounted on its distal end in a relatively non-rotatable manner. A flange attached to the distal end of the door holding part is bolted to a side plate in the lower portion of the lower door .

The hinge shaft has a rectangular cross-sectional shape to be fitted into a fitting hole of a rectangular cross-section of the door holding part . The hinge shaft is thus mounted to the door holding part to be restricted in relative rotation while axially movable. The hinge shaft is secured by a screw not to axially move with respect to the door holding part . The inner panel has an access hole . The lower door has an exterior panel .

A proximal end of the hinge arm is fitted on the hinge shaft of a rectangular cross-section to be restricted in relative rotation, thereby integrally mounted on the hinge shaft . The distal end of the hinge arm is connected to the first end of the first link via the first connecting pin .

Reference is now made to FIG. 9 illustrating the structure around the central portion of the left second link shown in FIG. . The inner panel has the link support of a mounting raised toward the outer panel . The support shaft is mounted to the link support . The support shaft extends horizontally toward the outer panel . The distal end of the support shaft is mounted to the central portion of the second link so that the second link is vertically swingable about the support shaft .

The first end of the second link and the second end of the first link shown by imaginary lines are connected with the second connecting pin in a vertically swingable manner. The second end of the second link is connected to the connecting member mounted on the distal end of the piston rod with the third connecting pin in a vertically swingable manner. The inner panel has a plurality of access holes

Referring to FIG. 10, the inner panel has the stay support of a mounting raised toward the outer panel within the side panel . The support shaft extending horizontally toward the outer panel is bolted to the stay support . The distal end of the support shaft has a ball joint . The upper end of the cylinder is vertically swingably connected to the ball joint via the connecting member . The inner panel has an access hole

Now, the assembling procedure of the damper mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to .

As shown in FIG. 8, the lower door has a recess shown by imaginary lines inside. The hinge shaft has a collar at the distal end

First, the hinge shaft is fitted into the door holding part , and the door holding part is secured to the lower door . In this state, the collar abuts on the edge of the door holding part , and the hinge shaft is axially slidable by the depth of the recess .

Next, the lower door is interposed between the left and right side panels , (only the left one is shown in FIG. 8) with the hinge shafts drawn into the recesses . Then, the hinge shafts are each drawn out from the recess into the space Sp within the side panel to mount the hinge arm on the hinge shaft .

The support pin is inserted into the fitting hole of the hinge shaft and the hinge shaft is secured to the door holding part by the screw . Then, in the space Sp, the first end of the first link is connected to the distal end of the hinge arm with the first connecting pin .

The above components assembled in the space Sp can be put in or out through the access hole of the inner panel . Hands are inserted through the access hole to do work in the space Sp.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, components around the second link are assembled.

First, the support shaft is mounted to the link support . Then, in the space Sp, the second link is mounted on the support shaft . The first link is connected to the first end of the second link with the second connecting pin , and the second end and the connecting member of the piston rod are connected with the third connecting pin .

The above components assembled in the space Sp are put in or out through the access holes of the inner panel . Hands are inserted through the access holes to do work in the space Sp.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 10, components around the support of the damper stay are assembled. The connecting member at the upper end of the cylinder is mounted to the stay support via the ball joint and the support shaft , finishing the assembling work.

The above components assembled in the space Sp are put in or out through the access hole of the inner panel . Hands are inserted through the access hole to do work in the space Sp.

As is clear from the above description, the access holes , and are formed in the inner panel to assemble the damper mechanism in the space Sp. The shapes, dimensions and numbers of the access holes , and are set to allow various parts of the damper mechanism to be put in and out therethrough and also to facilitate assembling work by inserting hands and tools therethrough into the space Sp. Despite the placement of the damper mechanism in the very narrow space Sp within the side panel , the damper mechanism can thus be easily assembled.

Now, the movement of the lower door and the damper mechanism of the above configurations will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 11.

FIG. 7 illustrates the damper mechanism with the lower door closed. In this state, the lower door is pulled rearward of the vehicle to tilt the lower door about the support pin in a clockwise direction (direction of arrow {circle around (1)}) for opening. As the lower door opens, the hinge arm rotates in a clockwise direction (direction of arrow {circle around (2)}), so that the second link swings in a clockwise direction in the figure (direction of arrow {circle around (3)}) about the support shaft via the first link . As a result, the piston rod of the damper stay is pulled in the direction of arrow {circle around (4)} by the second link , exerting a damping effect, and the lower door slowly opens.

FIG. 11 illustrates the lower door in a fully open state. In the fully open state, the hinge arm and the first and second links and are located in the vicinities of the hinge shaft (support pin ) or forward of the hinge shaft . The damper mechanism thus remains in the space Sp (see FIG. ).

When the lower door in this state is raised, the lower door is rotated in a counterclockwise direction (direction of arrow {circle around (5)}) about the support pin to be closed. With the rotation of the lower door , the hinge arm rotates in a counterclockwise direction (direction of arrow {circle around (6)}), so that the second link swings in a counterclockwise direction (direction of arrow {circle around (7)}) about the support shaft via the first link . As a result, the piston rod of the damper stay is pushed back by the second link as shown by arrow {circle around (8)}, exerting a damping effect, and the lower door slowly closes.

To summarize the above, according to the tailgate structure of the vehicle in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the damper mechanisms for slowing opening and closing movements of at least the lower door are placed between the outer panels and the inner panels , so that the damper mechanisms are prevented from extending out to the rear opening of the vehicle or to the vehicle outside when the lower door is opened. The damper mechanisms are thus prevented from obstructing loading and unloading of objects with the lower door opened. Workability in loading and unloading through the opening can be further increased. In addition, the damper mechanisms do not appear when the lower door is opened, improving the appearance of the vehicle .

The hinge support is provided within the wall in the vicinity of the lower edge portion of the rear opening , and the distal end of the hinge shaft rotatably mounted to the hinge support is mounted to the lower portion of the lower door , so that the lower door is supported on the hinge support via the hinge shaft in an openable and closable manner.

The hinge arm is extended from the hinge shaft radially of the hinge shaft , and the first end of the damper stay is connected to the distal end of the hinge arm via the first and second links and , so that the lower door is slowly opened and closed.

In this manner, the hinge shaft supporting the lower door in an openable and closable manner can also serve as a transmission member for transmitting the opening and closing movements of the lower door to the damper stay . This is further advantageous in preventing the damper mechanism from extending out to the rear opening of the vehicle or to the vehicle outside when the lower door is opened. Further, this allows the structure of the damper mechanism to be simplified with a reduced number of components.

Now, a vehicle tailgate structure according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. Components identical to those of the door structure in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to are given identical reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

A damper mechanism in the second embodiment has a structure in which the first and second links and are eliminated as compared with the damper mechanism in the first embodiment.

More specifically, in the damper mechanism of the second embodiment, a hinge arm is extended from a hinge shaft radially of the hinge shaft and one end of a damper stay is connected to a distal end of the hinge arm in a vertically movable manner. The other end of the damper stay is connected to a stay support (see FIG. 6) inside a side panel (see FIG. 6) in a vertically swingable manner. Other components are identical to those of the damper mechanism in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to .

Now the operation of a lower door and the damper mechanism of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

Reference is now made to FIG. 12 illustrating the damper mechanism with the lower door closed. The lower door in this state is pulled rearward to tilt the lower door about a support pin in a clockwise direction for opening. With the vertical swing of the lower door about the support pin , the hinge arm swings in a clockwise direction as shown by an arrow. As a result, a piston rod of the damper stay is pushed by the hinge arm upward for retraction, exerting a damping effect, and the lower door slowly opens.

As shown in FIG. 13, to close the lower door from the fully open state, the lower door is first raised upward, thereby to rotate the lower door about the support pin in a counterclockwise direction for closing. With the swing of the lower door about the support pin , the hinge arm rotates in a counterclockwise direction. As a result, the piston rod of the damper stay is pulled by the hinge arm forward, exerting a damping effect, and the lower door slowly closes.

Now a damper mechanism according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. . FIG. 14 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8, in which components identical to those of the damper mechanism illustrated in the first embodiment are given identical reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

A damper mechanism in the third embodiment is different from the damper mechanism in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to in that a rotary damper is used in place of the damper stay . The rotary damper is filled with liquid or gas for slowing the rotary movement of a damper shaft

The damper mechanism has a flat damper mounting portion formed in a recess set back from an inner panel toward an outer panel , to which damper mounting portion the rotary damper is secured by bolting. The damper shaft of the rotary damper extends horizontally toward the vehicle transverse center CL. The damper shaft is fitted into a fitting hole of a hinge shaft so that the damper shaft and the hinge shaft are restricted in relative rotation while axially movable. The hinge shaft is extended horizontally toward the vehicle transverse center CL to pass through an interior panel . A door holding part is mounted on a distal end of the hinge shaft in a relatively non-rotatable manner. A flange at the distal end of the door holding part is secured by bolting to a side plate at a lower portion of the lower door .

The hinge shaft has a rectangular cross-sectional shape to fit in a rectangular fitting hole of the door holding part . That is, the door holding part and the hinge shaft are mounted to be restricted in relative rotation while axially movable. The damper shaft and the hinge shaft are restricted in axial movement by a screw . The lower door is supported by the rotary damper via the hinge shaft in a vertically swingable manner.

The fact that the rotary dampers are thus placed within the recesses set back from the inner panels toward the outer panels allows the left and right damper mechanisms to be placed between the outer panels and the inner panels constituting side panels .

Now, the assembling procedure of the damper mechanism in the third embodiment will be described. The lower door has a recess shown by imaginary lines set back toward the vehicle transverse center CL. The hinge shaft has a collar at the distal end

First, the rotary dampers are bolted to the damper mounting portions .

Then, the hinge shafts are fitted into the door holding parts and the door holding parts are secured to the lower door . In this state, the collars abut on the edges of the door holding parts , and the hinge shafts are axially slidable by the depth of the recesses .

With the hinge shafts drawn into the recesses , the lower door is interposed between the left and right side panels , (only the left one is shown in the figure).

Finally, the hinge shafts are drawn out from the recesses , fitted onto the damper shafts , and secured by the screws . The assembling work is finished.

As described above, the lower door is vertically swingable about the damper shafts . Swinging the lower door allows the lower door to be tilted about the damper shafts for opening or to be raised for closing. With the swing of the lower door , the damper shafts rotate, exerting damping effects, and the lower door slowly opens or closes.

The damper mechanism in the third embodiment eliminates the hinge arm and the first and second links and as compared with the damper mechanisms and in the first and second embodiments, resulting in a simplified and compact structure of the damper mechanism with a reduced number of components. In addition, the damper mechanism can be easily placed in a narrow space Sp within the side panel .

As described above, according to the tailgate structure of the vehicle of the third embodiment, the damper mechanisms are placed between the outer panels and the inner panels , so that the damper mechanisms are prevented from extending out to a rear opening of a vehicle body shown in FIG. 2 or to the vehicle outside when the lower door is opened. The damper mechanisms are thus prevented from obstructing loading and unloading of objects with the lower door opened, increasing workability in loading and unloading through the rear opening . The damper mechanisms are not seen when the lower door is opened, improving the appearance of the vehicle .

In the above-described first, second and third embodiments, the damper mechanisms , and are attached to the lower doors , which is not limiting. The damper mechanisms , or may be attached to both the upper door and the lower door to slow the opening and closing movements of the upper and lower doors and .

The present disclosure relates to the subject matter of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-241954, filed Aug. 22, 2002, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with a rear structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle with upper and lower doors provided at a rear opening of the vehicle of FIG. 1 opened;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a vehicle rear body portion;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the rear structure of a vehicle body with damper mechanisms according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram illustrating the rear structure of the vehicle body of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the damper mechanism according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the damper mechanism of FIG. and the lower door;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge shaft and surrounding parts in the damper mechanism according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a second link and surrounding parts in the damper mechanism according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a support of a damper stay and surrounding parts in the damper mechanism according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the lower door of FIG. 7 is opened;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a damper mechanism, mounted to a lower door, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the lower door in the state of FIG. 12 is opened;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a hinge shaft at a lower door mounted with a damper mechanism and surrounding parts according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a conventional vehicle tailgate structure.

CLAIMS

1. A vehicle rear structure, comprising: a vehicle body having an opening at a rear portion of said vehicle; an upper door and a lower door for closing said rear opening; and a damper mechanism placed between an outer panel and an inner panel constituting a wall of said vehicle body and attached to at least said lower door for slowing opening and closing movements of said lower door.

2. The rear structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said damper mechanism comprises: a hinge support provided within said wall in the vicinity of a lower edge portion of said rear opening; a hinge shaft rotatably mounted to said hinge support, said hinge shaft having a distal end extending from said wall toward the vehicle transverse center to be mounted to a lower portion of said lower door; a hinge arm extending from said hinge shaft radially of said hinge shaft; and a damper stay having a first end and a second end, said first end being connected to a distal end said hinge arm in a vertically swingable fashion, said second end being connected to a stay support within said wall in a vertically swingable fashion.

3. The rear structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said damper mechanism comprising: a hinge support provided within said wall in the vicinity of a lower edge portion of said rear opening; a hinge shaft rotatably mounted to said hinge support, said hinge shaft having a distal end extending from said wall toward the vehicle transverse center to be mounted to a lower portion of said lower door; a hinge arm extending from said hinge shaft radially of said hinge shaft; a first link having a first end connected to a distal end of said hinge arm in a vertically swingable manner; a second link having a first end connected to a second end of said first link in a vertically swingable manner; a link support provided within said wall for mounting a central portion of said second link thereto so that said second link is vertically swingable about said central portion; a damper stay having a first end connected to a second end of said second link in a vertically swingable fashion; and a stay support provided within said wall to which a second end of said damper stay is connected in a vertically swingable fashion.

4. The rear structure according to claim 3, wherein said hinge arm and said second link are arranged substantially parallel with respect to each other.

5. The rear structure according to claim 2, wherein the hinge shaft extends a predetermined distance from the hinge support for mounting the damper stay and the hinge arm to be out of interference with vehicle body components.

6. The rear structure according to claim 3, wherein the hinge shaft extends a predetermined distance from the hinge support for mounting the damper stay and the hinge arm to be out of interference with vehicle body components.

7. The rear structure according to claim 2, wherein said hinge shaft has a non-circular shape for mating with a non-circular shape aperture in the lower door and further including a set screw for preventing axial movement of the hinge shaft.

8. The rear structure according to claim 3, wherein said hinge shaft has a non-circular shape for mating with a non-circular shape aperture in the lower door and further including a set screw for preventing axial movement of the hinge shaft.

9. A damper mechanism for use with a vehicle comprising: a hinge arm including a distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end being mounted to a lower door designed for closing a portion of a rear opening of a vehicle; a damper including a first end and a second end, said first end being mounted on a vehicle wall adjacent to a rear opening in a position above said second end, and said second end being secured to said distal end of said hinge arm; wherein said damper slows the opening and closing movements of said lower door.

10. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle as set forth in claim 9, and further including: a hinge support provided within said wall in the vicinity of a lower edge portion of the rear opening; a hinge shaft being rotatably mounted to said hinge support; said hinge arm extending from said hinge shaft radially of said hinge shaft; and said damper being connected to the distal end of said hinge arm in a vertically swingable fashion, said second end being connected to a stay support within a wall in a vertically swingable fashion.

11. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle as set forth in claim 9, and further including: a hinge support provided within said wall in the vicinity of a lower edge portion of said rear opening; a hinge shaft being rotatably mounted to said hinge support; said hinge arm extending from said hinge shaft radially of said hinge shaft; a first link having a first end connected to the distal end of said hinge arm in a vertically swingable manner; a second link having a first end connected to a second end of said first link in a vertically swingable manner; a link support provided within said wall for mounting a central portion of said second link thereto so that said second link is vertically swingable about said central portion; a damper stay having a first end connected to a second end of said second link in a vertically swingable fashion; and a stay support provided within the wall to which a second end of said damper stay is connected in a vertically swingable fashion.

12. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said hinge arm and said second link are arranged substantially parallel with respect to each other.

13. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the hinge shaft extends a predetermined distance from the hinge support for mounting the damper stay and the hinge arm to be out of interference with vehicle body components.

14. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the hinge shaft extends a predetermined distance from the hinge support for mounting the damper stay and the hinge arm to be out of interference with vehicle body components.

15. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said hinge shaft has a non-circular shape for mating with a non-circular shape aperture in the lower door and further including a set screw for preventing axial movement of the hinge shaft.

16. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said hinge shaft has a non-circular shape for mating with a non-circular shape aperture in the lower door and further including a set screw for preventing axial movement of the hinge shaft.

17. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 3, wherein an operation to open said lower door causes said second end of the damper stay to extend in a downward direction.

18. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an operation to open said lower door causes said second end of the damper stay to move in an upward direction.

19. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 9, wherein an operation to open said lower door causes said second end of the damper to extend in a downward direction.

20. The damper mechanism for use with said vehicle according to claim 9, wherein an operation to open said lower door causes said second end of the damper to move in an upward direction.

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