Vehicle door structures incorporating hydroformed elements and processes for assembling such elements

US6015182A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• PORSCHE ENGINEERING SERVICES INC. · US

Inventors

• Ulrich Weissert · Rochester, US
• Okan Goenueldinc · Esslingen am Neckar, DE
• Marco R Cercone · Troy, US
• Ross Winslow · Royal Oak, US
• Andy Wolf · Coral Springs, US
• Robert Koehr · Neustadt, DE
• Rolf Heyll · Renningen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 25, 1999
• Grant date: Jan 18, 2000
• Expiry date: Feb 25, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49938
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle side door or hatchback structure incorporates at least one hydroformed component. In one configuration, a window frame, a door frame and a reinforcement member are press-fit together by pressurized fluid during a hydroforming process to join the frames and the reinforcement member together. In another configuration, a vehicle hatchback frame subassembly includes a one-piece hydroformed window frame with a central portion disposed between opposing end portions. Inner and outer panels are attached to each other and secured to the opposing end portions of the window frame. In yet another configuration, a vehicle door and window frame subassembly includes a hydroformed one-piece first door frame, a roll formed second door frame and a reinforcement member secured to the tubular one-piece first door frame. An outer front panel is attached to the reinforcement member by at least one mirror bracket. In a modification of this configuration, a mirror bracket which additionally defines a door hinge element interconnects an end of the reinforcement member to an end of the tubular one-piece first door frame. In a further configuration, a frameless vehicle door subassembly includes a l…