LAYOUT OF A TRUNK PANEL IN A MOTOR VEHICLE TRUNK

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the field of trunk panel arrangements in the trunks of motor vehicles and more particularly concerns an arrangement of a trunk panel covering an acoustic transducer located under the trunk floor of a motor vehicle.

[0002] Such trunk panels are also referred to as "false floor".

[0003] The acoustic transducer is notably a subwoofer placed in a compartment under the trunk floor.

[0004] A subwoofer is a loudspeaker designed to reproduce the lowest sound frequencies of the audio spectrum.

[0005] The term subwoofer also refers to the acoustic enclosure in which such a speaker is mounted, also called a "bass or low-frequency enclosure".

[0006] It is known in particular from document DE202013105629A, an arrangement of a subwoofer enclosure located near a spare wheel well. Document US4696369A describes a vehicle comprising a loudspeaker in a recess located in the floor of the trunk. Document WO2010036528A shows a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and a trunk panel according to the preamble of claim 2.

[0007] A spare wheel well is typically a cavity formed by stamping into the trunk floor. Its opening leads into the trunk. Such a well is generally designed to hold a spare wheel and the associated wheel mounting / removal tool.

[0008] The spare wheel is sometimes replaced by a repair kit, which leaves storage space available to accommodate items such as a subwoofer.

[0009] It is also known to cover the spare wheel well with a false floor consisting of a plate, or trunk panel, which may be removable or partially removable from the trunk floor.

[0010] The false floor can partially or completely cover the trunk floor, which is why it is called a "false floor." It forms the base of the vehicle's trunk, designed to receive and support luggage and other items typically loaded into a car trunk.

[0011] It extends from the rear of the second-row seats (the last row of seats in the vehicle) to the rear vertical wall of the trunk. Its outer edge roughly matches the inner contour of the trunk floor.

[0012] The spare wheel can be accessed after lifting the trunk panel.

[0013] It generally includes, on its edge facing the rear vertical wall of the trunk, a handle, cord, or other means of gripping allowing the false floor to be separated from the trunk floor.

[0014] It must be sufficiently rigid and strong to support the load and, at the same time, not bend under the load, which could damage the contents of the bowl. It must also be flat to allow for easy loading and moving of items in the trunk.

[0015] A raised floor typically consists of at least a wooden board covered with a textile material covering board (carpet) and a soundproofing board.

[0016] In another known arrangement, as illustrated in figures 1 et 2 , the subwoofer 1 comprises a generally parallelepiped-shaped casing containing an open cavity in which is housed an acoustic transducer, here a central diaphragm loudspeaker, to reproduce the sound generated by an audio system of the vehicle not shown.

[0017] The speaker diaphragm, which is thus exposed, is covered by a protective grille 2 fixed to the casing of the subwoofer 1.

[0018] The subwoofer 1 is housed in a recess 3 located under the trunk floor 5, and the bottom of the subwoofer enclosure 1 rests on the bottom of the recess 3. The speaker cone is oriented outwards from the recess 3, that is, towards the false floor 4 shown when raised from the trunk floor 5 on the figure 1 .

[0019] To allow the sound from the subwoofer 1 to pass through the false floor 4, an opening 6 is provided in the false floor 4 at the level of the grille 2 fixed on the subwoofer 1 and whose shapes and dimensions correspond to those of the grille 2.

[0020] Opening 6 and grid 2 can take different forms: rectangular, circular, oblong as in this arrangement, etc.

[0021] As illustrated in the figure 2 , representing the false floor 4 in top view, folded down onto the trunk floor 5, the grid 2 coincides with the opening 6 of the false floor 4 by being flush with the plane of the opening 6.

[0022] Indeed, the grid 2 must not protrude from the opening 6 inside the trunk, at the risk of being damaged by the loads carried (deformation, tearing) in the trunk and / or hindering their loading.

[0023] A plastic finishing piece 7 is placed in the opening 6 and shaped to fit the contour of the opening 6 and sandwich the thickness of the raised floor panel or slab, flush with the carpet layer of the panel to minimize the risk of tearing. This flushness is achieved using a technique called "silking" applied to a raised floor produced by thermoforming.

[0024] Silking is a term describing a double-folding operation of a flat sheet, which results in two parallel planes offset by a distance of the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the sheet.

[0025] By extension of language, this expression is generalized to assemblies between two plates made of different types of materials that lend themselves to deformation; deformation obtained in particular by thermoforming.

[0026] Such an arrangement therefore requires the use of thermoformed products to manage the sizing and the associated tooling, which represents a significant additional cost in the cost price after the manufacture of the false floor.

[0027] On the other hand, this arrangement presents a drawback in terms of water ingress; the speaker is directly exposed to water entering from the trunk, particularly when the trunk is opened, either directly or through rainwater or wash water runoff. The risk of damage is reduced.

[0028] In the invention, these problems are solved by adopting a motor vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a removable trunk panel supported by the floor of a motor vehicle trunk in which the floor has a recess formed under the floor whose opening, flush with the floor, leads into the trunk, said recess containing a loudspeaker whose diaphragm, extending parallel to the plane of the opening of the recess, is oriented towards the opening of the recess by being flush with said opening, in which said panel covers the opening of the recess, and in which a protective grille is provided to protect said diaphragm, the panel having at least one opening extending in the plane of the panel to allow sound to pass through the panel, and a protective grille assembly integrated into the panel closing the opening formed in the panel.

[0029] According to the invention, the speaker diaphragm is disposed near an edge of the bowl, and the mesh opening, made in the panel, is disposed between the edge of the panel, adjacent to the edge of the bowl, and the speaker diaphragm.

[0030] According to the invention, the mesh opening, provided in the panel, is opposite the speaker diaphragm with a determined offset.

[0031] According to the invention, the grid assembly comprises a grid and a counter-grid facing each other, and in that the outer edge of the counter-grid is rigid and acts as a reinforcement of the edge of the panel.

[0032] The invention also relates to a trunk panel according to claim 2 of an arrangement as described above, comprising a stack of plates assembled one on top of the other, comprising, from the top plate to the bottom plate: a textile material plate having an opening near one of its lateral edges; a set of wooden plates comprising a first wooden plate having a notch opposite the opening of the textile material plate; said notch being open on said lateral edge, and comprising a second reinforcing wooden plate surrounding the notch; a sound-absorbing material plate having a notch opposite the opening of the textile material plate, being open on said lateral edge, and having an imprint corresponding to the footprint of the reinforcing plate to compensate for the extra thickness due to the reinforcing plate in the stack; and a non-woven material plate having an opening, opposite the opening of the textile material plate, near said lateral edge; and comprising a grid assembly including a grid and a counter-grid sandwiching said lateral edge of the textile material plate and the assembly of wooden plates; the grid being attached to the counter-grid and held by clipping means; the counter-grid closing the notch of the assembly of wooden plates on said lateral edge to ensure rigidity on said edge which is devoid of wood and to ensure the stitching; said clipping means ensuring the mechanical hold of the assembly and the marking of the stitching in the textile material plate.

[0033] The invention also relates to a first method for assembling a trunk panel according to claim 3 of an assembly as described above, comprising the following steps: gluing the underside of the textile plate; gluing the topside of the soundproofing plate; pressing the stack consisting, in order, of the non-woven material plate, the glued soundproofing material plate, the wooden plates and the glued textile plate, and simultaneously cutting the contours of the non-woven and textile material plates as well as the opening in the textile material plate; and assembling the grid onto the counter-grid by clipping.

[0034] The invention also relates to a second method of assembling a trunk panel of an assembly as described above, comprising the following steps: gluing the top face of the wooden panel assembly; compressing the top face of the wooden panel assembly onto the textile panel with marking the grid's weave; gluing the bottom face of the assembly formed by the wooden panels and the textile panel; the bottom face corresponding to the bottom face of the wooden panel assembly; positioning the sound-absorbing material panel on the bottom face of the glued wooden panel assembly; pressing the non-woven material panel onto the previous stack of panels, and simultaneously cutting the contours of the non-woven and textile material panels as well as the opening in the textile material panel; and assembling the grid onto the counter-grid by clipping.

[0035] The invention is described in more detail below and with reference to the figures schematically representing the arrangement in its preferred embodiment. THE figures 1 et 2 The already described designs feature a known arrangement of a trunk panel covering a subwoofer housed in a recess under the trunk floor of a vehicle; figure 3 presents a trunk panel of the arrangement according to the invention, shown in an exploded top view, allowing the different constituent elements of the panel to be distinguished; figures 4A et 4B respectively illustrate the set of wooden panels from a top view and a bottom view; the figure 5 illustrates a partial half-section of the trunk panel considered in the median plane of the opening; and The figure 6 illustrates an arrangement of a trunk panel according to the invention, following a partial cross-sectional view in the median plane of the vehicle.

[0036] On the figures 3 , 5 et 6 We use a three-dimensional XYZ reference frame, usually used in the automotive field, for the orientation of views or drawings.

[0037] In the following description, the terms "lower", "interior" and "upper", "exterior" are used respectively when considering the false floor as it appears in the environment of the vehicle.

[0038] As illustrated in the figure 3 , the trunk panel 8 comprises a stack of plates assembled one on top of the other, comprising, from the top plate 9 to the bottom (base) plate 18: a textile plate 9 having an opening 10 in the vicinity of one 11 of its lateral edges; an assembly 12 of wooden plates comprising a first wooden plate 13 having a notch 14 opposite the opening 10 of the textile plate 9; said notch 14 being open on said lateral edge 11, and comprising a second wooden reinforcing plate 15 surrounding the notch 14; a sound-absorbing plate 16 having a notch 17 opposite the opening 10 of the textile plate 9, being open on said lateral edge 11, and having an imprint 18 corresponding to the footprint of the reinforcing plate 15 to compensate for the extra thickness due to the reinforcing plate 15 in the stack; and a plate 19 made of non-woven material having an opening 20, opposite the opening 10 of the plate 9 made of textile material, in the vicinity of said lateral edge 11.

[0039] The trunk panel 8 further includes a grid assembly comprising a grid 21 and a counter-grid 22, arranged opposite each other, sandwiching said edge 11 of the textile material plate 9 and the assembly 12 of wooden plates 13 and 15. The counter-grid 22 has a rigid external straight edge 23 which is tangent to the edge 11.

[0040] THE figures 4A et 4B illustrate respectively the set 12 of wooden plates 13 and 15 following a top view and a bottom view.

[0041] Plate 15 acts as a reinforcement insert for plate 13 around notch 14 by extending inside notch 14.

[0042] There figure 5 illustrates a partial half-section of the trunk panel 8 considered in the median plane PM of the opening 10.

[0043] The grid 21 is attached to the counter-grid 22 and is held in place by clipping means 24 (four of the eight clipping means 24 are shown in the example of the figure 5 ).

[0044] The rigid outer right edge 23 of the counter-grid 22 closes the notch 14 of the assembly 12 of wooden plates 13 and 15 to ensure rigidity on the edge 11 of the textile plate 9, which is wood-free and therefore lacks reinforcement. The textile plate 9 extends beyond the opening 10 and the notch 17.

[0045] The rigid outer right edge 23 of the counter-grid 22, in addition to ensuring the rigidity of the edge 11, ensures the S1 bonding on the outer peripheral part of the opening 10 (part opposite the edge 11).

[0046] The S2 joint, on the inner peripheral part of the opening 10, opposite the edge 11 in relation to the grid 21, is advantageously ensured by the superposition (for example by gluing) of the two wooden plates 13 and 15 with an offset "d" between the two plates 13 and 15 in the plane of the notch 14. This arrangement allows the joint function to be performed at a lower cost.

[0047] We find this same offset “d” for the S1 joint; the superposition of the two wooden plates 13 and 15 for the S2 joint, being replaced by the section of the transverse profile of the edge of the counter grid 22 which has a step between the outer face of the edge 23 and the inner face of the edge 23.

[0048] The clipping means 24 ensure the mechanical stability of the assembly and the marking of the silk in the textile plate 9. The plate 19 is not shown.

[0049] In a first example, a method for assembling a trunk panel 8 according to the invention comprises the following steps: gluing the underside of the textile plate 9; gluing the upper side of the sound-absorbing material plate 16; pressing the stack consisting, in order, of the non-woven material plate 19, the glued sound-absorbing material plate 16, the wooden plates 13 and 15 and the glued textile plate 9 and simultaneously cutting the contours of the non-woven material plates 19 and textile 9 as well as the opening 10 in the textile material plate 9; and assembling the grid 21 onto the counter-grid 22 by clipping.

[0050] In a second example, a method for assembling a trunk panel 8 according to the invention comprises the following steps: gluing the upper face of the assembly 12 of wooden plates 13 and 15; compressing the upper face of the assembly 12 of wooden plates 13 and 15 onto the textile plate 9 with marking the silking of the grid assembly 21 and 22; gluing the lower face of the assembly 12 formed by the wooden plates 13 and 15 and the textile plate 9; the lower face of the assembly 12 and 9 corresponding to the lower face of the assembly 12 of wooden plates; positioning the sound-absorbing material plate 16 on the lower face of the glued assembly 12 of wooden plates; pressing the non-woven material plate 19 onto the previous stack of plates and simultaneously cutting the contours of the non-woven material plates 19 and textile 9 as well as the opening 10 in the textile material plate 9; and assembly of the grid 21 onto the counter-grid 22 by clipping.

[0051] Other examples of assembly processes are possible.

[0052] There figure 6 illustrates an arrangement of a trunk panel 8 as described above in a trunk 25 of a motor vehicle V following a partial cross-sectional view in the median plane PM of the vehicle V.

[0053] The trunk panel 8 is supported by the floor 26 of the trunk 25. The trunk 25 has a recess 27 provided under the floor 26 whose opening 28 leads into the trunk 25, flush with the floor 24.

[0054] Opening 28 communicates with the interior of the trunk 25.

[0055] The bowl 27 contains a bass cabinet 29 comprising a loudspeaker 30 whose central diaphragm 31 extends parallel to the plane of the opening 28, and is oriented towards the opening 28 of the bowl 27, flush with the opening 28 of the bowl 27.

[0056] The loudspeaker 30 is located near the inner wall 32 of the bowl 27, wall 32 which is located approximately directly above the row of rear seats (second row seats) not shown.

[0057] The trunk panel 8 covers the opening 28 of the bowl 27 and its outer contour corresponds approximately to the inner contour of the trunk floor 26 25.

[0058] The opening 10, 20 is provided in the panel 8 which receives the protective grid assembly 21, 22. The gridded opening 33 is provided to protect the membrane 31, while allowing sound propagation in the box 25.

[0059] It is positioned in the plane of panel 8, between the outer edge 11 of panel 8, and the vertical line of the edge of the diaphragm 31 of the loudspeaker 30 which is adjacent to the wall 32 of the cup 27.

[0060] The mesh opening 33 therefore has a determined offset with the diaphragm 31 of the loudspeaker 30, an offset which, without hindering the propagation of sound in the box 25, allows water to run off into the subwoofer 29.

[0061] As an example, wood panels 13 and 15 are made from wood fibers and a synthetic binder, known by the acronym MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) with a thickness of 4 to 5 mm.

[0062] The non-woven material plate 19 is made of a black textile material whose fibers are held randomly by compression.

[0063] The grid 20 and the counter-grid 22 are made of a thermoplastic polymer of the ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) type

[0064] The soundproofing panel 16 is made from felt or open-cell foam, approximately 15 mm thick (felt thickness can range from approximately 10 to 30 mm).

[0065] The textile material plate 9 is for example a polypropylene needle-punched carpet or polypropylene or polyamide tufted velvet, a DilourPolyester carpet, etc.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle (V) comprising a removable safe panel (8) supported by the floor (26) of the trunk (25) of the motor vehicle (V), in which the floor (26) includes a toilet (27) housed under the floor (26) whose opening (28), facing the floor (26), opens into the trunk (2) 5), said bowl (27) containing a loudspeaker (30) whose membrane (31), extending parallel to the plane of the opening (28) of the bowl (27), is oriented towards the opening (28) of the bowl (27) by hitting said opening (28), in which said panel (8) covers the opening (28) of the toilet (27), the panel (8) having at least one opening (10) extending in the plane of the panel (8) to let the sound pass through the panel (8), and a protective grid set (21, 22) integrated in the panel (8) closing the opening (10) housed in the panel (8) (30) next to the speaker membrane (31) with a specified offset and defining a meshed opening (10, 21, 22) in the panel (8), the vehicle (V) being characterized in that the speaker membrane (31) (30) is arranged in the vicinity of a edge of the basin (27), and in that the grilled opening (10, 21, 22), housed in the panel (8), is arranged between the edge (11) of the panel (8), adjacent to the edge (32) of the basin (27), and the membrane (31) of the loudspeaker (30), the grid set further comprising a grid (2) 1) and a counter-grid (22) facing each other, and in that the outer edge (23) of the counter-grid (22) is rigid and serves as a reinforcement of the edge (11) of the panel (8).

2. A trunk panel (8) (25) of a motor vehicle (V), said trunk panel (8), when disposed in said vehicle (V), being removable and supported by the floor (26) of the trunk (25) of the motor vehicle (V), wherein the floor (26) comprises a trough (27) formed under the floor (26), the opening (28) of which, flush with the floor (26), opens into the trunk (25), said trough (27) containing a loudspeaker (30) the diaphragm (31), extending parallel to the plane of the opening (28) of the bowl (27), is oriented towards the opening (28) of the bowl (27) by flush with said opening (28), wherein said panel (8) covers the opening (28) of the bowl (27), the panel (8) having at least one opening (10) extending in the plane of the panel (8) to allow sound to pass through the panel (8), and a protective grid assembly (21, 22) integrated in the panel (8) closing the opening (10) made in the panel (8), the opening (10) defining a mesh opening (10, 21, 22) made in the panel (8) and facing the membrane (31) of the loudspeaker (30) with a determined offset when said trunk panel (8) is arranged in the vehicle (V), characterized in that it comprises a stack of plates assembled on one another, comprising, starting from the upper plate towards the lower plate: - a textile plate (9) having an opening (10) in the vicinity of one (11) of its side edges; - a set (12) of wood plates comprising a first wood plate (13) having a notch (14) facing the opening (10) of the textile plate (9); the notch (14) being open on the side edge (11) and having a second wooden reinforcing plate (15) surrounding the notch (14); - a plate (16) of sound-absorbing material having a notch (17) facing the opening (10) of the plate (9) of textile material being open on said lateral edge (11), and having a recess (18) corresponding to the size of the reinforcing plate (15) to compensate for the extra thickness due to the reinforcing plate (15) in the stack; and - a plate (19) of non-woven material having an opening (20) facing the opening (10) of the plate (9) of textile material, in the vicinity of said lateral edge (11); and in that it comprises a grid assembly comprising a grid (21) and a counter-grid (22) sandwiching said lateral edge (11) of the textile plate (9) and the wooden plate assembly (12) (13, 15); the grid (21) being attached to the counter-grid (22) and held by clipping means (24); the counter-grid (22) closing the notch (14) of the set (12) of wood plates (13, 15) on the said lateral edge (11) to ensure rigidity on the said edge (11) which is devoid of wood and to ensure the ridging; said clipping means (24) ensure the mechanical strength of the assembly and the marking of the silk in the plate (9) made of textile material.

3. Method for assembling a trunk panel (8) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - gluing of the underside of the textile plate (9); - gluing of the top face of the plate (16) of sound-absorbing material; - pressing of the stack consisting, in order, of the non-woven material plate (19), the glued sound-absorbing material plate (16), the wood plates (13, 15) and the glued textile plate (9), and simultaneously cutting the contours of the non-woven material (19) and textile (9) plates and the opening (10) in the textile material plate (9); and - assembly of the grid (21) on the counter-grid (22) by clipping (24).

4. Method for assembling a trunk panel (8) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - gluing of the upper face of the set (12) of wood plates (13, 15); - compression of the upper face of the set (12) of wooden plates (13, 15) on the textile plate (9) with marking of the ridge of the grid (21); - gluing of the underside of the assembly formed by the wooden plates (13, 15) and the textile plate (9); the underside corresponding to the underside of the set (12) of wood plates (13, 15); - positioning of the soundproofing material plate (16) on the underside of the glued wood plate assembly (12) (13, 15); - pressing the non-woven material plate (19) on the preceding plate stack, and simultaneously cutting the contours of the non-woven material (19) and textile (9) plates and the opening (10) in the textile material plate (9); and - assembly of the grid (21) on the counter-grid (22) by clipping (24).