The present disclosure, in general, relates to a backdoor opening structure of a vehicle. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a reinforcement bracket provided, adjacent to a rear combination lamp, RCL, mounting area, within a box section of an inner panel and an outer panel of a backdoor opening of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In today's world, the primary purpose of vehicles, particularly personal cars, is not limited to daily commuting from one place to another. On the other hand, these vehicles are being extensively used for short trips, vacations and many more. This demands an enhanced boot space in the vehicles in order to store big size luggage and other indispensable items.
[0003] Now, in order to arrange for enhanced comfort and convenience to passengers, the design of a backdoor opening area needs to be revised for easy ingress or egress of the big size luggage. The existing structure of the backdoor opening has a curved profile contiguous to a mounting area of a rear combination lamp, RCL. Due to the curved profile, the backdoor opening is limited in the mounting area of the RCL, thereby constraining access. Further, if the curved profile is being transformed into a linear profile for widening the backdoor opening, the vehicle may fail to comply with the noise, vibrations and harshness, NVH, requirement standards. There may be an escalation in road noise and booming noise in case the curved profile is replaced with a linear profile, and it also contributes to an additional strain in the mounting area of the RCL during the motion of the vehicle. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to strengthen a box section formed by an inner panel and an outer panel of the backdoor opening in the mounting area of

the RCL of the vehicle such that the backdoor opening can be widened without comprising on the noises and strain generated by the vehicle during motion.
[0004] It is therefore required to reinforce the box section to make it capable of circumventing the above mentioned limitations in an efficient manner.
OBJECTS OF DISCLOSURE
[0005] In view of the foregoing limitations inherent in the state of the art, some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfy, are listed herein below.
[0006] It is a principal object of the present disclosure to increase a backdoor opening of a vehicle in order to provide an easy ingress of big size luggage in a boot space of the vehicle.
[0007] It is another significant object of the present disclosure to provide a structural attribute that can improve the torsional rigidity caused by widening backdoor opening area of the vehicle.
[0008] It is another object of the present disclosure to propose a structural attribute inside a box section present in a D-pillar area of the vehicle in order to comply with the noise vibrations and harshness requirements of the vehicle.
[0009] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to propose a structural attribute inside the box section present in the backdoor opening of the vehicle such that the difficulty in having spot welding inside the box section is eliminated.
[0010] It is still another object of the present disclosure to propose a structural attribute that is robust in nature.
[0011] It is even another object of the present disclosure to propose a structural attribute that can be affixed as a separate entity within the box section connecting the inner and outer panel of the backdoor opening of the vehicle.

[0012] These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taking into consideration with accompanied drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0013] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to a reinforcement bracket present in a backdoor opening of a vehicle. The concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0014] The present disclosure relates to the reinforcement bracket provided within a box section formed by an inner panel and an outer panel of the backdoor opening adjacent to a rear combination lamp, RCL, mounting area in a vehicle.
[0015] In an aspect, the reinforcement bracket includes a first surface, a second surface extending perpendicularly from a first longitudinal side of the first surface in a first direction, and a third surface extending perpendicularly from a second longitudinal side of the first surface in the first direction, where the third surface is formed with a locking provision to receive and lock a fastener.
[0016] In an aspect, the first surface and the second surface are welded on the backdoor opening, while the third surface receives the fastener to establish a positive connection with the backdoor opening.
[0017] In an aspect, the reinforcement bracket is provided within a box section formed by a joinery of an inner panel and an outer panel of the backdoor opening of the vehicle.
[0018] In an aspect, the first surface and the second surface of the reinforcement bracket are welded on inner sides of the outer panel of the backdoor opening. Also,

the third surface receives the fastener to establish a positive connection with inner side of the inner panel of the backdoor opening of the vehicle.
[0019] In aspect, in the reinforcement bracket, the first surface, on the first longitudinal side is having a first angled lower side tapering away from the second longitudinal side from a bottom end, a straight central side extending from a top end of the first angled side, and a second angled upper side tapering towards the second longitudinal side from atop end.
[0020] In an aspect, in the reinforcement bracket, the first surface is formed with emboss sections for performing spot welding with the inner side of the outer panel of the backdoor opening.
[0021] In an aspect, in the reinforcement bracket, the second surface is formed with emboss sections for performing spot welding with the inner side of the outer panel of the backdoor opening.
[0022] In an aspect, in the third surface of the reinforcement bracket, the locking provision includes a hole, a nut, a female threaded fastener adapted to receive the fastener to establish the positive connection with the inner side of the inner panel of the backdoor opening. Here the fastener includes a screw, a bolt, or a male threaded fastener.
[0023] In an aspect, in the reinforcement bracket, the third surface extends from the straight central side of the first surface.
[0024] In an aspect, the reinforcement bracket further includes a plurality of apertures in the first surface being adapted to facilitate mounting of components surrounded to the plurality of apertures.
[0025] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS [0026] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system or methods or structure in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0027] FIGS. 1A-1C represent a problem statement underlying in an existing design, a proposed updated design and a combination of the existing and the updated design, respectively, of a box section of a backdoor opening of a vehicle;
[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary structural layout of a reinforcement bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 3Aand3B illustrate different perspective views of the reinforcement bracket in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of the backdoor opening of the vehicle with a comprehensive view of the reinforcement bracket placed in the box section in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates a section of the backdoor opening along with the welding spots and the bolted joints in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0032] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for the purposes of illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods

illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] A few aspects of the present disclosure are explained in detail below with reference to the various figures. Example implementations are described to illustrate the disclosed subject matter, not to limit its scope, which is defined by the claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize a number of equivalent variations of the various features provided in the description that follows.
Non-limiting Definitions
[0034] In the disclosure hereinafter, one or more terms are used to describe various aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, a few definitions are provided herein for better understating of the present disclosure.
[0035] "Reinforcement bracket" can be defined as a structural support incorporated to improve the strength of the supported component. The reinforcement structure in a vehicle may include any structure supporting one or more components in the vehicle.
[0036] "D-pillar" can be defined as the back roof pillar that forms the uprights supporting the rear window of the vehicle. The D-pillar is present in different types of automobile vehicle, such as, for example, a hatchback, a sedan, a wagon, or a sport utility vehicle (SUV) and likes.
[0037] "Box section" can be defined as a section formed by an inner panel and an outer panel of a backdoor opening of a vehicle, resembling shape of a box. The "box section" is normally present in the backdoor opening adjacent to mounting area of a rear combination lamp (RCL) of the vehicle.
[0038] "Top end" can be defined as a top end of a first longitudinal side of the first surface of the reinforcement bracket.

[0039] "Bottom end" can be defined as a bottom end of the first longitudinal side of the first surface of the reinforcement bracket.
Overview
[0040] Typically in a vehicle, existing design (as shown in FIG. 1A) utilizes a curved profile at the backdoor opening in a D-pillar adjacent to a mounting area of a rear combination lamp (RCL). But due to the presence of the curved profile, the backdoor opening is having limited space which becomes constrained in the mounting area of the RCL. This restricts or limits the ingress of the big size luggage inside a boot space of the vehicle.
[0041] To resolve the issue related to restricted or limited ingress or egress through the curved profile of the backdoor opening adjacent to the mounting area of the RCL, the curved profile of the backdoor opening is converted into a linear profile (as shown in FIG. 1B). However, as mentioned above, with the linear profile, there is an increase in road noise and booming noise. Moreover, the contribution to the road noise and booming noise is increased due to the current structure of backdoor opening (adjacent to the mounting area of the RCL).
[0042] For a better understanding, FIG. 1C represents a comparative overview where both the existing design and the updated design as described in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are combined together. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1C, with the linear profile, the box section width, say 'Y, is greater than a curved profile box section width, say 'X', in order to accommodate widening of the back door opening by Z. Now, as 'Y is greater than 'X', the vehicle fails to comply with the standard NVH requirements. The enhanced box section width 'Y makes the structure less stiff. As a result, the surface, say 'V, of the existing box section moves in the downward direction, say 'P', thus resulting into a large amount of strain. Therefore, a booming noise is also created during motion of the vehicle.
[0043] Therefore, in order to combat the above limitations, the present disclosure proposes a U-shaped or C-shaped reinforcement bracket ('W in FIG.

1C). The reinforcement bracket is added to cater the NVH requirement by application of spot welding with two surfaces and bolting on the other surface of the box section, respectively.
Exemplary Implementations /Embodiments
[0044] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0045] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of "a", "an", and "the" includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0046] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.
[0047] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to

contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.
[0048] Various embodiments are further described herein with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures relate to exemplary embodiments and should not be construed as a limitation to the subject matter of the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the subject matter of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof. Yet further, for the sake of brevity, operation or working principles pertaining to the technical material that is known in the technical field of the present disclosure have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure.
[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary structural layout of the reinforcement bracket 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an aspect, as already mentioned, the reinforcement bracket 100 is provided within a box section formed by joining an inner panel 304 and an outer panel 306 of a backdoor opening 302 of the vehicle (shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). The reinforcement bracket 100 is provided with three surfaces, namely a first surface 102, a second surface 104, and a third surface 106. The first surface 102 is a base or central surface. The second surface 104 is extended perpendicularly from a first longitudinal side of the first surface 102 in a first direction. The third surface 106 on the other hand, is extended perpendicularly from a second longitudinal side of the first surface 102 in the first direction. In an example, the first direction can be a direction perpendicular from top or bottom face of the first surface 102.
[0050] In an aspect, the first surface 102 includes a first angled lower side 102-L, a straight central side 102-C, and a second angled upper side 102-U. The first angled lower side 102-L is tapering away from the second longitudinal side from a

bottom end 114. The straight central side 102-C, thereafter, is extending from a top end of the first angled lower side 102-L. Further the second angled upper side 102-U is tapered towards the second longitudinal side from a top end 112.
[0051] In an aspect, the first surface 102 includes emboss sections 102-1, 102-2, 102-3 located in the front face of the first surface 102. The first surface 102 is spot welded with the inner sides of the outer panel 306 of the backdoor opening 302 through these emboss sections 102-1, 102-2, 102-3 for providing support and rigidity.
[0052] In an aspect, the second surface 104 is formed with emboss sections 104-1, 104-2 across the face of the second surface 104. These emboss sections 104-1, 104-2 facilitates spot welding of the second surface 104 with the inner sides of the outer panel 306 of the backdoor opening 302.
[0053] In an aspect, the third surface 106, extending from the straight central side 102-C of the first surface 102 includes a provision for receiving followed by locking a fastener. In order to achieve the locking, the third surface 106 of the reinforcement bracket 100 is bolted on the inner side of the inner panel 304 of the backdoor opening 302.
[0054] In an aspect, the reinforcement bracket 100 includes a plurality of apertures 108-1, 108-2 located in the first surface 102. These are called datum holes and are configured to allow easy location of the reinforcement bracket at the designated area.
[0055] In an aspect, the reinforcement bracket 100 includes a plurality of apertures 110-1, 110-2 located in the first surface 102. These are configured to allow easy mounting of the surrounding components and weight reduction of the reinforcement bracket 100.
[0056] FIGS. 3A and 3B depict an exemplary perspective view of the reinforcement bracket 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The structural attributes of the bracket 100 discussed in FIG. 2 are not

iterated here for the sake of brevity. In an aspect, the two surfaces 102, 104 of the reinforcement bracket 100 are spot welded with the inner sides of the outer panel 306 of backdoor opening 302. In addition, the third surface 106 of the reinforcement bracket 100 is bolted on the inner side of the inner panel 304 of the backdoor opening 302. Herein, the locking provision provided in the third surface 106 includes a hole 201, a nut, or a female threaded fastener adapted to receive the fastener for establishing a positive connection with the inner side of the inner panel 304 of the backdoor opening 302. It may be noted that the fastener may include a screw, a bolt, or a male threaded fastener. The bolted joint is made in order to overcome the difficulty of the spot welding on the inner side of the backdoor opening inner panel 304.
[0057] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate a perspective view of the backdoor opening 302 of the vehicle with a comprehensive view of the reinforcement bracket 100 placed in the box section. The box section is assumed to be acting as a strengthening portion in the backdoor opening 302 of the vehicle. As discussed, due to the need of widening the backdoor opening 302, the width of the box section increases thereby adjusting mounting location of a grommet. Consequently, the new mounting location of the grommet increases the road noise and booming noise in the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcement bracket 100 is a U-shaped or C-shaped bracket positioned within the box section of the backdoor opening 302 (also shown in FIG. 5). The reinforcement bracket 100 is affixed to the backdoor opening 302 inside the joinery of the inner panel 304 and the outer panel 306. The spot welded emboss sections of the reinforcement bracket 100 present at the first surface 102 and the second surface 104 improves the stiffness of the box section. Also, the presence of the bolted section at the third surface 106 increases the rigidity of the structure.
[0058] In view of the above mentioned description, it is to be noted that although there are three emboss sections 102-1, 102-2, 102-3 provided in the first surface 102, the number of emboss sections may increase or decrease depending on the design and segment of the car in which the reinforcement bracket 100 is used.

[0059] It is to be noted that in the reinforcement bracket 100, spot welding can be performed on the emboss sections as well as also on the non-emboss sections if the non-emboss section is touching the inner panel of the backdoor opening.
[0060] It may be further emphasized that there may be a provision of increased number of bolting on the third surface 106 depending on design and segment of the vehicle in which the reinforcement bracket 100 is affixed.
TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES [0061] All in all, the reinforcement bracket (100) disclosed in the present subject matter is having the following advantages:
a) The reinforcement bracket 100 improves the torsional rigidity of backdoor opening area
b) The reinforcement bracket 100 aims to widen the backdoor opening area in an efficient manner
c) The reinforcement bracket 100 complies in accordance with the noise, vibrations and harshness of the vehicle
d) The reinforcement bracket 100 eliminates the decreased stiffness of the box section resulted due to increase in the width of the backdoor opening
e) The plurality of apertures 110-1, 110-2 present in the reinforcement bracket facilitates mounting of surrounding components and weight reduction
f) The reinforcement bracket 100 is capable of absorbing vibrations and excess strain occurring during motion of the vehicle
g) The reinforcement bracket 100 is used as a separate entity and can be designed according to the size and segment of the vehicle into which it is to be fitted
Equivalents
[0062] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used
herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims)

are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to disclosures containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. Also, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together,

etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."
[0063] It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present disclosure contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the disclosure, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Also, while a feature of the present disclosure may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present disclosure. The present disclosure also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of "comprising" or "including" also contemplates embodiments that "consist essentially of or "consist of the recited feature.

CLAIM:
1. A reinforcement bracket (100) provided in a backdoor opening (302) adjacent
to a rear combination lamp, RCL, mounting area in a vehicle, the
reinforcement bracket (100) comprising:
- a first surface (102);
- a second surface (104) extending perpendicularly from a first longitudinal side of the first surface (102) in a first direction; and
- a third surface (106) extending perpendicularly from a second longitudinal side of the first surface (102) in the first direction, wherein the third surface (106) is formed with a locking provision to receive and lock a fastener,
- wherein the first surface (102) and the second surface (104) are welded on the backdoor opening (302), while the third surface (106) receives the fastener to establish a positive connection with the backdoor opening (302).

2. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement bracket (100) is provided within a box section formed at a joinery of an inner panel (304) and an outer panel (306) of the backdoor opening (302) of the vehicle.
3. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first surface (102) and the second surface (104) are welded on inner sides of the outer panel (306) of the backdoor opening (302), and wherein the third surface (106) receives the fastener to establish a positive connection with the inner side of the inner panel (304) of the backdoor opening (302) of the vehicle.

4. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface (102), on the first longitudinal side, having a first angled lower side (102-L) tapering away from the second longitudinal side from a bottom end (114), a straight central side (102-C) extending from a top end of the first angled side (102-L), and a second angled upper side (102-U) tapering towards the second longitudinal side from a top end of the straight central side (102-C).
5. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface (102) is formed with emboss sections (102-1, 102-2, 102-3) for performing spot welding with the inner side of the outer panel (306) of the backdoor opening (302).
6. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second surface (104) is formed with emboss sections (104-1, 104-2) for performing spot welding with the inner side of the outer panel (306) of the backdoor opening (302).
7. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking provision includes a hole (201), a nut, a female threaded fastener adapted to receive the fastener to establish the positive connection with the inner side of the inner panel (304) of the backdoor opening (302).
8. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener includes a screw, a bolt, or a male threaded fastener.

9. The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third surface (106) extends from the straight central side (102-C) of the first surface (102).
10.The reinforcement bracket (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement bracket (100) includes a plurality of apertures (110-1, 110-2) in the first surface (102) being adapted to facilitate mounting of components surrounded to the plurality of apertures (110-1, 110-2).