Description:AN OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR MOUNTING AREA STRUCTURE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter described herein relates to an outside rear view mirror (ORVM) mounting area in a vehicle. The present invention is particularly related improving the stress distribution on the ORVM mounting area at an inner panel of a front door of the vehicle and also reducing noise that arises due to vibrations.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present subject matter.
[0003] An Outside Rear View Mirror (ORVM) (101) is usually located at the front doors (102) of a vehicle (as shown in FIG.1). The ORVM enables the driver to view the side of the vehicle. The ORVM is regarded as a crucial auto component in automobiles for safety.
[0004] The ORVM is mounted on the inner and outer door panel of the vehicle using fasteners. The ORVM is mounted at three mounting locations on the outer panel whereas the ORVM is mounted at only one mounting location on the inner panel.
[0005] Since, there is only one ORVM mounting location at the inner panel, there is a high stress concentration at the mounting location in the inner panel.
[0006] A strong base for ORVM attachment at the inner door panel is required due to growing technical improvements in ORVM. There may be instances of performance-related mirror problems in the case of a weak base or rattling noise due to vibrations as the vehicle runs. Therefore, one way to manage the performance of mirror is to increase strength through structural features.
[0007] Ref. to FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b, the existing design of the inner panel (201) of the front door of the vehicle is shown. The ORVM is mounted at only one mounting location (203c) on the inner panel (201) and at three mounting locations (203a, 203b, 203c) on the outer panel. Since, the ORVM mounting area (202) on the inner panel (201) has a flat surface, the strength of the inner panel (201) is weak.
[0008] As the result, the inner panel (201) vibrates around the ORVM mounting area (202) and leads to a large stress concentration at the mounting location (203c) (as the mounting locations (203a, 203b) are only connected to the outer panel (204) whereas the mounting location (203c) is connected to both the outer panel (204) and the inner panel (201), making it rigid as shown in section A-A). Ultimately, the NVH performance of the front door is decreased.
[0009] It is therefore desirable to improve the strength of the ORVM mounting area and reduce rattling noise caused due to vibrations to improve overall NVH performance of the front door structure.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0010] It forms an object of the present disclosure to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks/limitations in the existing solutions available in the form of related prior arts.
[0011] It is a primary object of the present disclosure is to improve the strength of the ORVM mounting area by providing a rib structure.
[0012] It is another object of the present disclosure to connect the rib structure to an A-pillar portion and a beltline portion of the front door to improve the rigidity.
[0013] It is another object of the present disclosure to evenly distribute the stress generated on the ORVM mounting area to the A-pillar portion and the beltline portion of the front door.
[0014] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a cost-effective way to improve overall NVH performance of a door structure.
[0015] It is another object of the present disclosure to reduce noise caused by vibrations on the ORVM mounting area.
[0016] 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 taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.
SUMMARY
[0017] A solution to one or more drawbacks of existing technology and additional advantages are provided through the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be a part of the claimed disclosure.
[0018] The present disclosure provides a solution in the form of an outside rear view mirror (ORVM) mounting area structure on a front door of a vehicle. The ORVM mounting area structure includes an inner panel and an outer panel having three mounting locations, a rib structure is provided and the inner panel in between a first mounting location and a second mounting location, wherein the rib structure is connected with a beltline portion of the front door from a first end and to an A-pillar portion of the front door from a second end.
[0019] In an aspect, the first end and the second end of the rib structure defines a diverging shape.
[0020] In an aspect, the rib structure diverges and merges into the beltline portion on the first end.
[0021] In an aspect, the rib structure is configured to distribute stress towards the beltline portion on the first end.
[0022] In an aspect, the rib structure diverges and merges into the A-pillar portion on the second end.
[0023] In an aspect, the rib structure is configured to distribute stress towards the A-pillar portion on the second end.
[0024] In an aspect, the rib structure defines a curved cross-section profile.
[0025] In an aspect, the first mounting location and the second mounting location are adjacent to each other.
[0026] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0027] 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 present disclosure 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:
[0028] Fig. 1 illustrates ORVM mounting on a front door of a vehicle;
[0029] Fig. 2a illustrates ORVM mounting area on an inner panel of the front door of the vehicle according to the prior art;
[0030] Fig. 2(b) illustrates cross-section A-A of the ORVM mounting area showing an inner panel and an outer panel according to the prior art;
[0031] Fig. 3(a) illustrates ORVM mounting area on an inner panel of the front door of the vehicle according to the present disclosure;
[0032] Fig. 3(b) illustrates cross-section B-B of the ORVM mounting area showing an inner panel and an outer panel according to the present disclosure;
[0033] Fig. 4 illustrates flow of stress across the rib structure, beltline portion and the A-pillar portion according to the present disclosure.
[0034] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for 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 OF INVENTION
[0035] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein 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.
[0036] 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 present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0037] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0039] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0040] Hereinafter, a description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0041] The present invention discloses an ORVM mounting area structure that is located on an inner panel of a front door of a vehicle. The ORVM mounting area structure is provided with a rib structure to effectively distribute the stress that occurs on the ORVM mounting area structure.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), it shows the ORVM mounting area structure (202). The ORVM mounting area structure (202) is provided on the inner panel (201) of the vehicle door. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) has a first mounting location (203a), a second mounting location (203b) and a third mounting location (203c) for fastening the ORVM with the inner panel (201) and the outer panel (204) of the vehicle door.
[0043] The third mounting location (203c) fastens the ORVM to the inner panel (201) and the outer panel (204) whereas the first and second mounting locations (203a, 203b) fasten the ORVM to the outer panel (204) only (as shown in section B-B). Since the ORVM is mounted to the inner panel (201) at the third mounting location (203c) only, high stresses are generated at the ORVM mouting area structure (202) during vehicle running condition. In order to improve the rigidity of the ORVM mounting area structure (202) and distribute the stresses uniformly, a rib structure (301) is provided on the ORVM mounting area structure (202).
[0044] Referring to fig. 3a, the first mounting location (203a) and the second mounting location (203b) are positioned adjacent to each other. The second mounting location (203b) and the third mounting location (203c) are positioned in a same vertical line of the cross-section.
[0045] The rib structure (301) has a curved cross-section profile and is located between the first mounting location (203a) and the second mounting location (203b) (as shown in section B-B). The rib structure (301) has respectively two ends, i.e. a first end (302a) and a second end (302b). The first end (302a) is connected to a beltline portion (303a) which is a part of the inner panel (201) of the front door (102) and the second end (302b) is connected to an A-pillar portion (303b) which is also a part of the inner panel (201) of the front door (102).
[0046] The rib structure (301) has a diverging shape forming a ‘Y’ shape profile. The rib structure (301) diverges and merges into the beltline portion (303a) on the first end (302a). The rib structure (301) also diverges and merges into the A-pillar portion (303b) on the second end (302b). Therefore, the rib structure (301) connects and merges with the beltline portion (303a) and the A-pillar portion (303b) which are already strong, thereby improving the strength of ORVM mounting area structure (202) on the inner panel (201) of the front door (102).
[0047] The strengthened beltline portion (303a) and the A-pillar portion (303b) connect the weak mounting area through a rib structure (301) thus forming a network of ribs. This creates a strong inner panel base for ORVM mounting to improve the NVH performance.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 4, the flow of stress is shown. The flow discloses the way in which the additional strength is provided to the ORVM mounting area structure (202). The rib structure (301) has a diverging shape at the first end (302a) and the second end (302b) which distributes stress generated at the third mounting location (203c) towards the strong areas, such as the beltline portion (303a) and the A-pillar portion (303b).
[0049] The flow of stress that occurs dominantly at the third mounting location (203c), flows down and as it reaches the first and the second mounting locations (203a, 203b), the stress is diverted and flowed through the beltline portion (303a) and the A-pillar portion (303b) which are strong portions of the front door, thereby creating a strong rib network throughout.
TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[0050] With the help of the solution as proposed herein in the context of the present disclosure, the strength of the ORVM mounting area structure is improved.
[0051] With the present disclosure, the overall NVH performance of door structure is improved.
[0052] The deformation of the ORVM mounting area structure is reduced.
[0053] Lastly, the noise occurred due to vibration around ORVM mounting area is reduced significantly.
[0054] 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.”
[0055] 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. , Claims:We claim:
1. An outside rear view mirror (ORVM) mounting area structure (202) on a front door (102) of a vehicle, the ORVM mounting area structure (202) comprising:
an inner panel (201) and an outer panel (204) having three mounting locations (203a, 203b, 203c); and
a rib structure (301) provided on the inner panel (201) in between a first mounting location (203a) and a second mounting location (203b),
wherein the rib structure (301) is connected with a beltline portion (303a) of the front door (102) from a first end (302a) and to an A-pillar portion (303b) of the front door (102) from a second end (302b).

2. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first end (302a) and the second end (302b) of the rib structure (301) defines a diverging shape.

3. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rib structure (301) diverges and merges into the beltline portion (303a) on the first end (302a).

4. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rib structure (301) is configured to distribute stress towards the beltline portion (303a) on the first end (302a).

5. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rib structure (301) diverges and merges into the A-pillar portion (303b) on the second end (302b).

6. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rib structure (301) is configured to distribute stress towards the A-pillar portion (303b) on the second end (302b).

7. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rib structure (301) defines a curved cross-section profile.

8. The ORVM mounting area structure (202) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mounting location (203a) and the second mounting location (203b) are adjacent to each other.