Claims:We Claim:

1. A door assembly 100 for a vehicle interior, the door assembly 100 comprising an upper panel part 10 and a lower panel part 20,
wherein the upper panel part 10 and / or the lower panel part 20 are movably arranged on a door 200 of a vehicle, the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 are movable towards and away from the door 200 and secured in a first position 10a and in an at least one second position,
wherein in the first position 10a, the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 are adjoining or overlapping each other and in the at least one second position the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 moves relatively to each other for creating storage space 22 between the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20.

2. The door assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper panel part 10 and / or the lower panel part 20 moves pivotally towards or away from the door 200 to configure the at least one second position for storing articles.

3. The door assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper panel part 10 or the lower panel part of the door 200 has an armrest 12.

4. The door assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper panel part 10 and / or lower panel part 20 is / are detachable from the door 200 of the vehicle.

5. The door assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein a locking mechanism 40 is arranged between the door 200 and each of the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 to secure the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 in the first position and in the at least one second position.

6. The door assembly 100 as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism 40 is the ratchet and pawl mechanism.

7. The door assembly as claimed in claims 5 and 6, wherein a lever 46 is extending from a pawl 44 of the ratchet and pawl mechanism, and a handle 48 is extending from the lever 46, upon moving the handle 48, the lever 46 moves the pawl 44 thereby unlocking the upper panel part 10 or the lower panel part 20 respectively.

8. The door assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 are mounted on a mounting joint 30a and 30b respectively, the mounting joint 30a and 30b is arranged pivotally on the door 200 thereby facilitating the pivotal movement thereof.

9. The door assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mounting joint 30a and 30b is collapsible in case of a sudden impact with a predefined force.

10. The door assembly as claimed in claims 1 and 7, wherein a biasing member may be arranged on the handle 48 or the pawl 44 for biasing the pawl to engage with the ratchet for locking the panels 10 and 20 in a desired position.
, Description:Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a door assembly for a vehicle interior. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular door assembly for an autonomous vehicle.

Background of the Invention

[0002] In automobiles, doors are non-modular and thus non customizable according to passenger’s desire. An arm rest is configured on an inner side of doors of a vehicle. Generally, the arm rest configured on the door is fixed in most of the vehicle. Since, the arm rest is fixed, it becomes very difficult to adjust to increase or decrease the space in the vehicle interior for the passengers. For example, if the passenger is overweight, he/she will require extra space to sit in the vehicle, which is quite difficult due to the fixed armrest. Also, it is very difficult to modify the existing doors of the vehicle. Also, storage compartments configured on the door of the vehicle is not adjustable and small, which makes it difficult to store bigger objects like, umbrella, laptop, Tablet and the like therein.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a door assembly for a vehicle interior, which overcomes few or all the drawbacks of the existing prior art.
Objects of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a modular door assembly for a vehicle interior.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a door assembly for a vehicle interior, which provides more space for storing vertical items.

[0006] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a door assembly for a vehicle interior, which facilitates adjustment of armrest on the door of the vehicle.

[0007] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a door assembly for a vehicle interior, which is easy to manufacture and simple in construction.

[0008] One more object of the present invention is to provide a door assembly for a vehicle interior, which is robust in construction.

Summary of the invention

[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a door assembly for a vehicle interior. The door assembly is having an upper panel part and a lower panel part. Also, the upper panel part and / or the lower panel part are movably arranged on a door of a vehicle. The upper panel part and the lower panel part is movable towards and away from the door and secured in a first position and in an at least second position. In the first position the upper panel part and the lower panel part are adjoining or overlapping each other. In the at least one second position the upper panel part and the lower panel part moves relatively to each other for creating storage space between the upper panel part and the lower panel part.

[0010] Further, the upper panel part and / or lower panel part moves pivotally towards or away from the door to configure the first position and the at least one second position for storing articles. The upper panel part or the lower panel part of the door has an armrest. Also, the upper panel part and/ or lower panel part is / is detachable from the door 200 of the vehicle.

[0011] Further, a locking mechanism is arranged between the door and each of the upper panel part and the lower panel part to secure in at least two positions. The locking mechanism can be a ratchet and pawl mechanism. A lever is extending from a pawl of the ratchet and pawl mechanism, and a handle is extending from the lever, upon moving the handle, the lever moves the pawl thereby unlocking the upper panel part or the lower panel part respectively. A biasing member may be arranged on the handle or the pawl. The biasing member biases the pawl towards the ratchet for locking thereafter adjusting in the desired position. The biasing member is a torsion spring arranged on the handle or the pawl, which enables in maintaining engagement between the pawl and ratchet.

[0012] Further, the upper panel part and the lower panel part may be mounted on a mounting joint respectively. The mounting joint may be arranged pivotally on the door thereby facilitating the pivotal movement the respective upper panel part or the lower panel part. Also, the mounting joint is collapsible in case of a sudden impact with a predefined force, thereby reducing injury to the occupant.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] The advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description of some embodiments of the impact energy absorber and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

[0014] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a door assembly for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 shows an expanded view of a locking mechanism for the door assembly for a vehicle interior in accordance with the present invention schematic side view of the door assembly of the figure 1;

[0016] Figure 3 shows various schematic side of the arm rest of the door assembly for a vehicle in different positions; and

[0017] Figures 4a and 4b shows an adjoining and overlapping of the upper panel part and the lower panel part in a neutral position of the door assembly; and

[0018] Figure 5a, 5b and 5c shows the various relative positions of the upper panel part and the lower panel part of the door assembly for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0019] An embodiment of this invention, illustrating its features, will now be described in detail. The words "comprising,"having,"containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.
[0020] The terms “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “an” and “a” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

[0021] Figures 1, 3, 4a and 4b, illustrates various views of a door assembly 100 for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention. The door assembly 100 includes an upper panel part10, and a lower panel part 20. The upper panel part 10 or the lower panel part 20 of the door 200 is having an armrest 12. The upper panel part 10 and/ or the lower panel part 20 are movably arranged on the door 200 of the vehicle. The upper panel part 10 and / or the lower panel part 20 are movable towards and away from the door 200 and secured in a first position 10a and at least one second positions. Also, in the first position the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 are adjoining or overlapping to each other (as shown in figure 4a and 4b) and in the at least one second position the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20moves relatively to each other for creating storage space 22 between the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 (as shown in figure 5a, 5b and 5c). The space between the lower panel part 20 and the upper panel part 10in the at least one second position of the door assembly 100 is used as a storage space 22 for storing articles like umbrella or laptop therein.
[0022] The upper panel part 10 and / or lower panel part 20 moves towards or away from the door 200 for securing the at least one second position of the door assembly100.Also, the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part20 are mounted on mounting joints 30a and 30b respectively. Specifically, the upper panel part 10 is mounted on a mounting joint 30a and the lower panel part 20 is mounted on a mounting joint 30b. The mounting joints 30a and 30b are arranged pivotally on the door 200 thereby facilitating the pivotal movement of the door 200.

[0023] The mounting joint 30a and 30b is collapsible in case of a sudden impact with a predefined force. In an embodiment as shown in figures 3 and 4, a collapsing member 24a is arranged between the mounting joint 30a and the upper panel part 10 and connecting thereof. The collapsing member 24a is a member extending from the mounting joint 30a and connects with the upper panel part 10. In case of sudden impact on the upper panel part 10, the collapsing member 24a collapses for preventing injury to an occupant seating in vehicle interior. Similarly, a collapsing member 24b is arranged between the mounting joint 30b and the lower panel part 20. The collapsing member 24b extends from the mounting joint 30b and connects to the lower panel part 20.

[0024] Further, referring to figure 2, a locking mechanism 40 is arranged between the door 200 and each of the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 to secure the respective upper panel part 10 or the lower panel part 20 in at least two positions. In the present embodiment, the locking mechanism 40 is a ratchet and pawl mechanism. The ratchet and pawl mechanism includes a ratchet 42, a pawl 44, a lever 46, and a handle 48. Furthermore, the lever 46 is extending from the pawl 44 of the ratchet and pawl mechanism, and the handle 48 is extending from the lever 46. The handle 48 is accessible to the occupants seating in the vehicle interior. Upon moving the handle 48, the lever 46 moves the pawl 44 for disengaging from the ratchet 42, thereby unlocking the upper panel part10 or the lower panel part20 for moving and adjusting the respective upper panel part 10 or the lower panel part 20 in desired positions.

[0025] Figures 3, 4a and 4bshow various positions of the armrest 12 of the door assembly 100. Position of the armrest 12 is adjustable and can move along the pivotal axis 32 according to the size of the occupant. The armrest 12 is mounted on the upper panel part 10 by the first mounting joint 30a. In an alternate embodiment, the first mounting joint 30a may be arranged at a top portion (not numbered) of the upper panel part 10 and the door 200 to facilitate pivotal movement and support to the armrest 12. Two or more first mounting joint 30a can be used to mount the upper panel part 10 on the door 200, which is obvious to a person skilled in the art.

[0026] Further, the handle 48 can be operated to unlock the ratchet 42 from the pawl 44, for unlocking the upper panel part 10 from the door 200. Thereafter, the upper panel part 10 can be moved along a pivotal axis 32a. For example, if the occupant is overweight, the armrest 12 can be adjusted to a second position 12b (as shown in figure 3) to create an extra space for accommodating the occupant. Similarly, the armrest 12 can be moved to various positions such as a second position 12b and a third position 12c upon operation of the handle. If an occupant is underweight, the armrest 12 can be adjusted to a third position 12c (as shown in figure 3). Also, under normal conditions, the armrest 12 can remain in a neutral position 12a (as shown in figure 3).

[0027] Referring again to figure 4a and 4b, an adjoining and overlapping of the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 in a neutral position is illustrated. Specifically, the lower panel part 20 is mounted on a second mounting joint 30b. The lower panel part 20 can move pivotally towards and away from the door 200 as the second mounting joint 30b is pivotally arranged on the door 200 thereby facilitating the pivotal movement thereof. More specifically, the second mounting joint 30b may be arranged on a lower portion of the lower panel part 20 of the door 200. As the lower panel part 20 moves pivotally along away from the door 200 about the pivotal axis 32b, the space 22 is created between the lower panel part 20 and the door 200, which is used as storage space 22 for storing the articles such as umbrella, laptop, tables and the like. Two or more second mounting joint 30b can be used to mount the lower panel part 20 on the door 200, which is obvious to a person skilled in the art.

[0028] Similarly, the lower panel part 20 is locked with the door at various positions by using the locking mechanism 40, such as a ratchet and pawl mechanism. The locking mechanism may include a lever and handle. The handle can be accessible to the occupant inside the vehicle.

[0029] Figure 5a, 5b and 5c, shows the various relative positions of the at least one second positions of the upper panel part 10 and lower panel part 20 in accordance with the present invention. The upper panel part 10 moves towards the door 200 and secured in a position 10b and the lower panel part 20 moves away from the door 200 and is secured at the position 10c(shown in figure 5a) thereby creates the storage space 22 for storing the articles such as umbrella and the like. Also, the upper panel part 10is in neutral position 10a and the lower panel part 20 is resting against the door 200 in a position 20b, thereby closing the storage space 22 between the upper panel part 10 and the lower panel part 20 and increasing the space inside the vehicle interior (shown in figure 5b).

[0030] Further, yet the upper panel part 10 moves away from the door 200 and secured in a position 10c where the upper panel part 10 may be used as a table for keeping articles laptop, books and the like and the lower panel part 20 resting against the door 200 in the position 20b, thereby increasing a space inside the vehicle interior (shown in figure 5c). A biasing member may be arranged on the handle or the pawl for biasing the pawl in engaged position after adjusting the upper panel or the lower panel in the desired position. The biasing member is a torsion spring arranged on the handle or the pawl, which enables in maintaining engagement between the pawl and ratchet.

[0031] Therefore, the present invention has an advantage of a door assembly 100 for a vehicle. Also, the door assembly 100 for the vehicle is having more space for storing vertical items such as umbrella. Further, the door assembly 100 for the vehicle facilitates adjustment of thearmrest12 on the door 200 of the vehicle. Furthermore, the door assembly 100 for a vehicle is easy to manufacture and simple in construction. Moreover, the door assembly 100 is robust in construction.

[0032] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.