Yielding front cargo area in vehicle collision

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle with a front cargo area (1), wherein the front cargo area (1) has a housing with two housing parts (4) that can be slid into one another, wherein the housing parts (4) are guided against each other along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so that in the event of a front collision of the vehicle, a module (3), which, due to its arrangement in front of the housing part (4a) which is forward with respect to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, impacts the front cargo area (1) and pushes the housing parts (4) into one another.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle with a front loading space, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] While passenger cars with combustion engines for general road use often have an engine located under a bonnet, this space is at least partially available for other uses in exclusively battery-electric passenger cars. It is therefore possible to provide storage space under the bonnet. Such a front-side storage space, or front cargo space, is commonly referred to as a "frunk." The word "frunk" is a portmanteau of the English words "front" (for front, in front, or in front...) and "trunk" (for cargo space, loading space, or storage space). Variants and special embodiments of such a "frunk" are known in the prior art.

[0003] In this context, DE 10 2019 004 286 B3, for example, relates to a loading space device for a front end of a motor vehicle, comprising a housing forming a trough-shaped front loading space. The front loading space can be displaced by means of a displacement device between a stowed position accommodated in the front end and an access position at least partially extended from the front end. The front loading space has a boundary wall designed as a flap, by which the front loading space delimits the front loading space and can be displaced into a loading position in the access position of the loading space. The flap is designed as a covering element to cover components of the front end arranged in the vehicle's longitudinal direction in front of the front loading space in its loading position. The front loading space is arranged inclined toward the outside of the vehicle in the access position relative to the stowed position.

[0004] DE 10 2017 004 263 A1 also relates to a motor vehicle with a loading space having a housing, wherein the loading space is arranged at the front of the motor vehicle, and in the loading space a loading space floor which is height-adjustable relative to the housing, in particular a height-adjustable loading space tray, with integrated loading sill protection is arranged.

[0005] DE 10 2019 007 850 A1 also relates to a loading space arrangement for a front compartment of a motor vehicle which can be closed by a front hood, with a loading space box comprising a housing which is closed by a cover which is arranged in a closed position below the front hood which can also be moved between a closed position and an open position and which can be moved from the closed position into an open position, whereby a loading space of the loading space box is accessible via a loading opening thus released, wherein the cover is hood-shaped or trough-shaped and in its closed position projects upwards over an upper edge region of the loading space box which delimits the loading opening, and in that the cover can be moved downwards in the vertical direction of the vehicle relative to the loading space box in the event of an accident-related deformation of the front hood.

[0006] DE 10 2017 121 025 A1 discloses a vehicle with a housing for accommodating a plurality of accumulators intended as an energy source for the vehicle's drive system. The housing is secured to the floor of the vehicle by fastening means, and the vehicle has crashworthy structures, side skirts, or similar protective components on its longitudinal side areas. The housing has longitudinal edges arranged adjacent to the protective components and forming a gap with them. The fastening means allow limited displacement of the housing in the direction of the force applied during a crash, and the gap formed between the protective components and the longitudinal edges of the housing forms and limits the displacement path of the housing.

[0007] Furthermore, DE 100 18 148 A1 discloses a vehicle with a variable trunk arranged in the rear of the vehicle, in which a trunk module slidably mounted in the rear of the vehicle forms a limitation of the trunk that can be extended from the rear of the vehicle to the rear into an operating position.

[0008] When installing such a frunk, the available space is often quite limited. Components must often be positioned very close to one another and often overlap. In a head-on collision with an object in the vehicle's surroundings, a module positioned in front of the front load compartment can shift toward the rear of the vehicle and damage the front load compartment by impacting it. Conversely, in a particularly robust front load compartment, the module, such as a cooling module, can be damaged.

[0009] The object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved construction which, in the event of such a frontal impact, leaves the front loading space as undamaged as possible even when the module in front of the front loading space retreats, but without making the front loading space smaller from the outset.

[0010] The invention is based on the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] A first aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a front loading space comprising a housing, which is characterized in that the housing has two housing parts which can be pushed into one another, wherein the housing parts are guided against one another along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so that in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, a module which, due to its arrangement in front of the front housing part with respect to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, impacts the front loading space and pushes the housing parts into one another.

[0012] As described at the beginning, if the vehicle collides with such a front load compartment and with a module still in front of the front load compartment, the module can shift backwards towards the rear of the vehicle, so that when the module impacts the front of the front load compartment, both the module and the front load compartment can be damaged.

[0013] The module is, for example, a cooling module or another unit. When the housing parts are moved into one another, the front housing part, in particular, is displaced relative to the vehicle, while the rear housing part remains fixed relative to the rest of the vehicle. For this purpose, the front housing part is preferably designed with detachable fixing means or fixing elements or is designed with a predetermined breaking point.

[0014] By designing the housing in two parts according to the invention and providing two housing parts that can be pushed into one another, the volume of the front loading space is sufficiently large, but can be reduced in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0015] In such a frontal collision, the front of the vehicle strikes an external object, such as another road user, a guardrail, a tree, or something else. Due to the sufficiently high mass of the object, or even a stationary object, the front of the vehicle is dented and forced to yield. Typically, an external component such as a panel is the first to be affected by the impact, with a bending cross member typically offering the first significant resistance to the impact. If a module is positioned sufficiently far forward at the front of the vehicle, it will also be pushed rearward and may impact the front cargo area.

[0016] If the module impacts the front load compartment, both the module and the front load compartment can be damaged, particularly on the front housing side, if the module exerts a force on the front load compartment. Because the front load compartment housing is designed in two parts, the housing part that comes into contact with the module during impact, namely the front housing part, can be pushed toward the rear of the vehicle along the vehicle's longitudinal axis into the rear housing part, or can be pushed around the rear housing part.

[0017] The relative movement of the housing components is crucial, so that the volume of the housing is only reduced upon impact by providing the housing with this degree of freedom along the vehicle's longitudinal direction. This prevents damage to the module on the one hand, and damage to the housing on the other. Appropriate guidance on the housing components to generate the longitudinal movement when the module is subjected to external forces must be provided accordingly.

[0018] However, the front load compartment housing can advantageously be used in its largest possible volume during regular vehicle operation. To conceal interfaces between the housing parts and / or the fixing elements used to anchor the housing parts to each other or to a body element, the housing is advantageously lined accordingly on its interior, for example, with a carpet on its floor.

[0019] In order to further prevent the two housing parts from tilting when pushed together, the two housing parts are advantageously inserted into each other by a certain overlap area for the normal operation of the vehicle, so that this overlap area can be further enlarged in the event of a frontal impact as described above with the effect of the module on the front housing part, but coordinated guide elements such as guide rails are already in a corresponding position without having to find each other first.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment, even without the effect of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the housing parts are already pushed into each other with an overlapping area in an operating state.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the overlap area is between 10% and 30% of the added extension lengths of the housing parts.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, side walls of the front housing part are arranged on a vehicle structure by one or more fixing means.

[0023] The fixing elements are, for example, bolts, clip elements, or similar, and are preferably designed as predetermined breaking points. These hold the two housing parts in their original position as long as they are not subjected to a force that exceeds their predetermined breaking strength. Such a scenario occurs, for example, in a frontal collision of the vehicle, in which the module slides onto the front of the housing parts and presses against it until one or more fixing elements break and the housing parts are pushed into each other, in particular the front of the housing parts is moved towards the rear of the housing parts with increasing overlap.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, side walls of the rear housing part are arranged on a vehicle structure by one or more fixing means.

[0025] According to a further advantageous embodiment, a bottom wall of the front housing part is arranged on a vehicle structure by one or more fixing means.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, side walls and / or bottom walls of the housing parts are connected to one another by one or more fixing means.

[0027] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the rear housing part has one or more hollow chambers into which a base element and / or side walls of the front housing part can be inserted.

[0028] According to a further advantageous embodiment, a foam pad or rubber pad is arranged on a front side of the housing facing the front of the vehicle.

[0029] The foam's soft properties ensure that any impact force transmitted from the module to the front housing section is distributed evenly and spatially. This provides even better protection for the front load compartment housing and the module itself from damage.

[0030] According to a further advantageous embodiment, a floor of the housing is lined with a carpet towards the interior of the housing.

[0031] The visibility and unintentional snagging of unevenness and fixations for the formation of fixatives are thus advantageously prevented.

[0032] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, which—if appropriate, with reference to the drawings—describes at least one embodiment in detail. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0033] Showing: Fig. 1: a vehicle with a front loading space according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2: a front loading space according to an embodiment of the invention before a frontal collision of a vehicle; Fig. 3: the front loading area according to Fig. 2 after a frontal collision of the vehicle; and Fig. 4: a front loading space according to a further embodiment of the invention.

[0034] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0035] Fig. Figure 1 shows a vehicle with a front loading compartment 1. The vehicle is a battery-electric vehicle; the battery modules are arranged in a floor area, specifically between the front and rear axles. By using wheel hub motors, the area under the front hood is freed up for other uses. This allows for a front loading compartment 1 to be provided, which is accessible through the opening of the vehicle's front flap.

[0036] Fig. 2 shows an enlarged section of the front of the vehicle of the Fig. 1 in cross section and from the side view of the Fig. 1. The front loading compartment 1 is located there, and a module 3 is located in front of the front loading compartment 1. The housing of the front loading compartment 1 is formed from two housing parts 4, which are mounted so that they can slide inside one another along a vehicle's longitudinal axis. The vehicle's longitudinal axis extends in the illustration of the Fig. 2 from left to right in the direction of travel of the vehicle. Thus, the module 3 is arranged in front of the front loading area 1. Accordingly, there is a front housing part 4a and a rear housing part 4b.

[0037] Fig. Figure 3 shows the situation in the front load compartment 1 following an external force impact on the front of the vehicle due to a frontal collision. In this case, the module 3 is pushed rearward onto the front housing section 4a, which, due to the sliding bearing, shifts toward the rear housing section 4b, increasing an overlap that already existed initially. This reduces the volume of the front load compartment 1.

[0038] Fig.4 shows a perspective view of a front loading compartment 1, tending toward a top view. The module 3 is again provided in front of the front loading compartment 1. The rear housing part 4b has cavities into which the panels of the front housing part 4a can be inserted. This sliding into one another is prevented until a collision occurs by fixing means 5, which hold the housing parts 4 in the desired position relative to one another and at least temporarily fix the housing parts 4 to the body. Only when the fixing means 5 on the side walls and in the floor area of ​​the housing break does the sliding of the housing parts 4 into one another become possible.

[0039] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of variations exist. It is also clear that exemplary embodiments are truly only examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope, possible applications, or configuration of the invention in any way.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

Claims

[1] Vehicle with a front loading compartment (1) comprising a housing, characterized by that the housing has two housing parts (4) which can be pushed into one another, the housing parts (4) being guided against one another along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so that in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, a module (3), which, due to its arrangement in front of the front housing part (4a) with respect to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, impacts the front loading space (1) and pushes the housing parts (4) into one another. [2] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein even without the effect of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the housing parts (4) are already pushed into one another with an overlapping area. [3] Vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the overlap area is between 10% and 30% of the added extension lengths of the housing parts (4). [4] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein side walls of the front housing part (4a) are arranged on a vehicle structure by one or more fixing means (5). [5] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein side walls of the rear housing part (4b) are arranged on a vehicle structure by one or more fixing means (5). [6] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a bottom wall of the front housing part (4a) is arranged on a vehicle structure by one or more fixing means (5). [7] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein side walls and / or bottom walls of the housing parts (4) are connected to one another by one or more fixing means (5). [8] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear housing part (4b) has one or more hollow chambers into which a floor element and / or side walls of the front housing part (4) can be inserted. [9] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a foam pad or rubber pad is arranged on a front side of the front housing part (4a) facing the front of the vehicle. [10] A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a floor of the housing is lined with a carpet towards the interior of the housing.

Images