Door frame

Abstract

A door frame for a vehicle includes a lower frame for guiding an up / down movement of a window glass, a main frame connected to the lower frame for determining a top dead center of the window glass, and a bracket for attaching a door mirror secured to the lower frame and the main frame, the bracket having a bottom portion and a pair of opposing side wall portions extended from both sides of the bottom portion, and each having a thickness thicker than that of the bottom portion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application 2003-370794, filed on Oct. 30, 2003, and Japanese Patent Application 2003-370795, filed on Oct. 30, 2003, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention generally relates to a door frame. More particularly, the present invention relates to a door frame having a bracket for attaching a door mirror for a vehicle. BACKGROUND [0003] A door frame includes a center pillar for guiding an up / down movement of a window glass and for making a vehicle to be locked / unlocked condition, a lower frame provided apart from the center pillar, the lower frame for guiding the up / down movement of the window glass, a main frame for connecting the lower frame to the center pillar and for determining a top dead center of the window glass, and a bracket for attaching a door mirror, the bracket ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] Rigidity of the door can be improved by increasing rigidity of the door frame. Conventionally, for improving rigidity of the door frame, the door has been made of steel having high strength. Further, the thickness of the components has been increased. In addition, the number of welded positions has been increased. However, these methods for increasing rigidity of the door frame causes increase of weight, cost, and man-hour.

[0038] According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the bracket can be formed in conventional way without increasing man-hour and an additional facility. If rigidity of the door frame is the same as before, weight of the door frame can be more lighter than the conventional one. If weight of the door frame is the same as before, the door frame can be more rigid than the conventional one. Therefore, an airtightness of the vehicle interior is not degraded even when the vehicle is moving at high speed. Rigidity of the door frame is further increased by drawing the bracket deeper and by making the opposing side wall portions of the bracket longer to overcome force breaking the door frame.

[0039] According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the door frame made of light alloy can be made as rigid as the door frame made of steel. Further, the door frame according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be made much lighter than the door frame made of steel. The door frame becomes more rigid and lighter than a conventional door frame. Since a product made by die casting for the door frame is comparatively smaller, the door frame can be made at lower cost than the conventional door frame made of light alloy. The components such as the main frame, the lower frame, and the outer frame of the center pillar can be made as common components. Adjustment of a leaning angle of the door does not require an adjustment of an entire door when build. Leaning angle can be adjusted by only an adjustment of the door frame. A manufacturing facility can be common to that of the conventional door frame made of steel because the structure of the door frame is similar to the door frame made of steel.

Problems solved by technology

However, these methods for increasing rigidity of the door frame causes increase of weight, cost, and man-hour.

Images