Body panel of a motor vehicle including a transparent portion

Abstract

The invention relates to a body panel for a motor vehicle, comprising: a body (6), a wall (8) made of a plastic material transparent to visible light, comprising a face (12) intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, and a cladding (10) transparent to visible light, covering at least the face (12) intended to be visible from the outside of the wall (8) transparent to visible light, the wall (8) being hermetically enclosed between the body (6) and the cladding (10) transparent to visible light.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to body panels for motor vehicles and, more particularly, to bumper fascias. Background Art

[0002] A body panel can include transparent portions visible from the exterior of the vehicle to which it is mounted. For example, a bumper fascia can include a portion with a wall that is transparent to visible light in the area containing the vehicle emblem. This can also be the case in the area of ​​the body panel that forms a radome. The term "transparent to visible light" means that it is transparent to at least any optical radiation with a wavelength within the visible spectrum, that is, between approximately 380 and 780 nm. Using a transparent wall can, for example, achieve high-quality visual effects.

[0003] However, transparent walls visible from the outside of the vehicle can be exposed to various weather conditions and deteriorate, a significant problem for components that are intended, at least in part, for aesthetic reasons. For example, some available thermoplastic materials can yellow due to thermal oxidation (i.e., contact with oxygen and heat, such as from the sun). This is particularly true for certain polyamides and polyvinyl chlorides. Therefore, specialized plastic materials must be used that are unaffected by this phenomenon, which reduces material selection and can incur additional production costs for the vehicle body panel due to the need to design the transparent wall with a plastic material having a specific formulation.

[0004] Such degradation not only results in a potential loss of the desired aesthetic effect, but can also render the body panel's appearance unacceptable in the long term. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body panel of the aforementioned type which exhibits an optimal aesthetic effect over the life of the vehicle in which it is installed.

[0006] To this end, the subject of the invention is a body panel for a motor vehicle comprising:

[0007] -main body,

[0008] - a wall made of a plastic material transparent to visible light, comprising a face intended to be visible from outside the vehicle, and

[0009] A covering transparent to visible light, which covers at least the face of the wall transparent to visible light intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, the wall being hermetically enclosed between the body and the covering transparent to visible light.

[0010] Thus, a body panel for a motor vehicle is obtained, comprising an outer wall that is transparent to visible light and not in contact with oxygen, which avoids thermal oxidation that can cause yellowing of certain plastic materials. This makes it possible to maintain the aesthetics of the body panel, regardless of the plastic material used to form the wall that is transparent to visible light (it is therefore possible to use plastic materials commonly used for designing body panels, in particular polyamides, without modifying their formulation). The presence of an external coating makes it possible to protect the transparent wall from scratches and UV damage, and to integrate, for example, a decorative film or a defrost wire. This makes it possible to protect the transparent wall (by protecting it from scratches and UV damage), improve the aesthetics of the body panel (by integrating a decorative film), and even to integrate functional options on the vehicle (by providing a defrost wire).

[0011] The vehicle body panel according to the present invention may further comprise at least one of the following features:

[0012] - said wall transparent to visible light is made of polyamide, said covering transparent to visible light is a film made of polyurethane,

[0013] - the thickness of said coating transparent to visible light is comprised between 0.5 mm and 3 mm,

[0014] at least one decorative element is arranged between said wall transparent to visible light and the body, or between said wall transparent to visible light and said covering transparent to visible light,

[0015] at least one defrost device for defrosting a vehicle body panel is arranged between said wall transparent to visible light and said body, or between said wall transparent to visible light and said covering transparent to visible light,

[0016] at least one visible light emitting device is arranged between said wall transparent to visible light and said body, or between said wall transparent to visible light and said covering transparent to visible light,

[0017] - the body covers all the faces of said wall transparent to visible light except the face covered by the coating transparent to visible light,

[0018] - body panels forming bumper skins,

[0019] The body panel at least partially forms the radome.

[0020] The invention also relates to a method for producing a body panel for a motor vehicle, in which a wall made of a plastic material transparent to visible light is sealingly enclosed by molding between a covering transparent to visible light and the body of the body panel.

[0021] Thus, a vehicle body panel is obtained in which portions that may be susceptible to thermal-oxidative degradation are protected from the effects of thermal oxidation.

[0022] The method according to the present invention may further comprise at least one of the following features:

[0023] - The manufacturing method comprises the following steps:

[0024] - applying a coating transparent to visible light in the mould, preferably by spraying,

[0025] - moulding a wall transparent to visible light onto the cladding, and

[0026] - sealingly enclosing the visible light transparent wall between the visible light transparent covering and the body of the vehicle body panel,

[0027] - The manufacturing method comprises the following steps:

[0028] - moulding of walls transparent to visible light,

[0029] - overmolding a visible light transparent coating on at least one face of the visible light transparent wall intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, and

[0030] - sealingly enclosing the visible light transparent wall between the visible light transparent covering and the body of the vehicle body panel,

[0031] - arranging at least one decorative element, at least one defrosting device for defrosting the vehicle body panel, and / or at least one visible light emitting device between the body and the wall transparent to visible light,

[0032] - arranging at least one decorative element, at least one defrosting device for defrosting the vehicle body panel, and / or at least one visible light emitting device between the visible light transparent covering and the visible light transparent wall,

[0033] The wall transparent to visible light is made of polyamide and the covering transparent to visible light is a film made of polyurethane, the thickness of which is preferably comprised between 0.5 mm and 3 mm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following description, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a portion of a vehicle body panel according to the present invention, and

[0036] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle body panel according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Now refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 An exploded view of a portion 2 of a vehicle body panel according to the invention is shown. For example, it can be a vehicle body panel of the bumper skin type, so that portion 2 can correspond to an area containing a motor vehicle emblem. For example, the presence of a decorative element 4 can be noted (which can be in the form of a decorative leaf or even painted). Of course, portion 2 can also be provided on a vehicle body panel other than a bumper.

[0038] Hereinafter, we will describe the portion 2 of the vehicle body panel. Note that all descriptions of the portion 2 (its constituent elements, manufacturing process) also apply to the vehicle body panel as a whole.

[0039] The portion 2 of the body panel comprises a body 6. The body can be made of a thermoplastic material used to make thermoplastic body panels by conventional methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the body may also be opaque to visible light. The term "opaque to visible light" means that the material does not allow any light radiation having a wavelength included in the visible spectrum (ie included between approximately 380 and 780 nm) to pass through. The color of the body 6 may vary.

[0040] Part 2 also comprises a wall 8 made of plastic material transparent to visible light, comprising a face 12 intended to be visible from outside the vehicle. This wall 8 is fixed to a face of body 6, more precisely to a face visible from outside the motor vehicle in which part 2 is present.

[0041] The wall 8 may be made of polyamide or polyvinyl chloride. As mentioned above, these materials tend to deteriorate (yellowing) due to thermo-oxidation, ie exposure to heat (eg the heat of the sun) and contact with oxygen (eg the oxygen in the ambient air).

[0042] In order to avoid this, a coating 10 transparent to visible light (according to the definition given above) is arranged on the wall 8 so as to cover at least the face 12 of the visible light transparent wall intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, the wall 8 being sealingly enclosed between the body 6 and the visible light transparent coating 10.

[0043] In other words, the wall 8 cannot come into contact with oxygen. Thus, even in the case of an increase in the temperature of the wall, no yellowing of the wall 8 is observed, since no thermal oxidation occurs.

[0044] In the example shown, the body 6 and the cladding 10 are dimensioned to enclose the wall 8 between them in a sealed manner. No further elements are required to enclose the wall 8. Figure 2It is observed that face 12 of wall 8 is covered by coating 10, while all other faces, including face 16 and face 14, are covered by body 6 (so body 6 covers all faces of wall 8 except face 12 covered by coating 10).

[0045] Alternatively, at least one other element may be added to encapsulate the wall. For example, the body 6 and the coating 10 may each cover one face of the wall, such as the opposing faces 12 and 16. The other faces (including face 14) may then be covered by one or more other elements that ensure the final structure is leak-tight.

[0046] The coating 10 can be made of a thermoplastic material. For example, it can be made of polyurethane. Combining the polyurethane coating 10 with the polyamide wall 8 is also advantageous because the two materials have good adhesion properties. More specifically, in particular when manufacturing components using a coating method applied in a mold (known as "In Mold Coating" or IMC), a mixture of resin and polyurethane hardener is used.

[0047] In the case of using a polyurethane coating 10 (which may be in the form of a film), its thickness is advantageously between 0.5 and 3 mm. In fact, this thickness range is advantageous because:

[0048] - the coating 10 protects the wall 8 from UV radiation,

[0049] - The coating 10 protects the wall 8 from scratches. Scratches can even be made to disappear by locally heating the coating 10, and

[0050] - Obtaining a depth effect on portion 2, especially if it has aesthetic purposes.

[0051] As previously mentioned, the decorative element 4 can be arranged between the body 6 and the wall 8, at the location of the face 16. It can also be arranged between the wall 8 and the cladding 10, at the location of the face 12. Since the wall 8 and the cladding 10 are transparent to visible light, the decorative element 4 is visible from the outside of the motor vehicle on which the portion 2 is arranged (it should be noted here that in areas not including the decorative element 4, the body 6 is visible due to the transparency of the wall 8 and the cladding 10 to visible light).

[0052] At least one visible light emitting device may also be added between the main body 6 and the decorative element 4 (which is opaque to visible light) to provide backlighting of the area. Such devices are known to those skilled in the art, for example LEDs or light guides (e.g., optical fibers that diffuse the light emitted by the LEDs).

[0053] Similarly, at least one defrost device for defrosting the vehicle body panels can be arranged between the wall 8 and the body 6, or between the wall 8 and the cladding 10. The arrangement of a defrost device is particularly important if this area is traversed by waves emitted by a distance sensor-type wave transmitter to prevent frost from interfering with the propagation of these waves. The defrost device is selected based on the wave transmitter, for example, a metal wire is used for an ACC-type radar that transmits waves between 75 and 81 GHz. Such devices are known to those skilled in the art.

[0054] The invention also relates to a method for producing a body panel for a motor vehicle of the type according to the invention.

[0055] According to this method, a wall (wall 8) made of a plastic material transparent to visible light is sealed between a cover (cover 10) transparent to visible light and a body (body 6) of a vehicle body panel (or portion 2) by molding. Therefore, the wall 8 does not come into contact with oxygen in the ambient air.

[0056] In the case of molding by the in-mold overlay process, the molding temperature is about 90° C. and the molding pressure is about 20 bar.

[0057] According to a first embodiment of the method according to the in-mold coating process:

[0058] - applying a coating 10 transparent to visible light in the mould, preferably by spraying. Thus, the bottom of the mould cavity is covered with the material for forming the coating 10;

[0059] - Moulding a wall 8 transparent to visible light onto the coating, for example by injection moulding in the case of thermoplastic material;

[0060] - sealingly enclosing the wall 8 transparent to visible light between the covering 10 transparent to visible light and the main body 6 of the vehicle body panel.

[0061] According to a second embodiment of the method also according to the in-mold coating process:

[0062] - Moulding of the wall 8 transparent to visible light, for example by injection moulding in the case of thermoplastic material;

[0063] - overmolding a visible light transparent coating 10 on at least one face of the visible light transparent wall 8 intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, for example the face 12 , and

[0064] - sealingly enclosing the wall 8 transparent to visible light between the covering 10 transparent to visible light and the main body 6 of the vehicle body panel.

[0065] To complete the encapsulation of the wall 8 , the body 6 may be overmolded onto the wall 8 / cladding 10 combination, or a pre-molded body 6 may be attached to the combination.

[0066] Advantageously, at least one decorative element, at least one defrosting device for defrosting the vehicle body panels and / or at least one visible light emitting device can be arranged between the body 6 and the wall 8 transparent to visible light. These elements allow the technical effects described above to be achieved.

[0067] Alternatively, these elements can be arranged between the cover 10 transparent to visible light and the wall 8 transparent to visible light.

[0068] The different arrangements mentioned above take place before the step of connecting the two parts in which these elements are arranged. For example, in the case of arranging the decorative element 4 between the body 6 and the wall 8, the decorative element 4 is arranged before the body 6 is enclosed in the wall 8 / cladding 10 complex.

[0069] The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In particular, the structure of the vehicle body panels can be modified to conform to the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The structures shown are different.

[0070] List of reference numerals:

[0071] 2: Body panel part

[0072] 4: Decorative elements

[0073] 6: Main body

[0074] 8: Wall transparent to visible light

[0075] 10: Covering transparent to visible light

[0076] 12, 14, 16: Each side of the wall transparent to visible light

Claims

1. A body panel for a motor vehicle, characterized in that It includes: - Main body (6), - a wall (8) made of a plastic material transparent to visible light, comprising a face (12) intended to be visible from outside the vehicle, and - a coating (10) transparent to visible light, which covers at least said face (12) of said wall (8) transparent to visible light, intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, The wall (8) is sealed between the body (6) and the visible light transparent coating (10), the body (6) covering all faces (14, 16) of the visible light transparent wall (8) except the face (12) covered by the visible light transparent coating (10).

2. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1, wherein: The wall (8) transparent to visible light is made of polyamide, and the covering layer (10) transparent to visible light is a film made of polyurethane.

3. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The thickness of the coating (10) transparent to visible light is comprised between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

4. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one decorative element (4) is arranged between the wall (8) transparent to visible light and the body (6), or between the wall (8) transparent to visible light and the covering (10) transparent to visible light.

5. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one defrost device for defrosting a vehicle body panel is arranged between the wall (8) transparent to visible light and the body (6), or between the wall (8) transparent to visible light and the covering (10) transparent to visible light.

6. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one visible light emitting device is arranged between the wall (8) transparent to visible light and the body (6), or between the wall (8) transparent to visible light and the cover (10) transparent to visible light.

7. The vehicle body panel according to claim 1 or 2, forming a bumper skin.

8. The body panel according to claim 1 or 2, at least partially forming a radome.

9. A method for manufacturing a body panel for a motor vehicle, characterized in that: A wall (8) made of a plastic material transparent to visible light is sealed between a covering (10) transparent to visible light and a body (6) of a vehicle body panel by molding, so that the body (6) covers all faces (14, 16) of the wall (8) transparent to visible light except for the face (12) covered by the covering (10) transparent to visible light and visible from the outside of the vehicle.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, comprising the following steps: - applying a coating (10) transparent to visible light in the mould, - moulding said wall (8) transparent to visible light on said cladding, and - sealingly enclosing the wall (8) transparent to visible light between the cover (10) transparent to visible light and the body (6) of the vehicle body panel.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the coating (10) transparent to visible light is applied in the mold by spraying.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, comprising the following steps: - moulding said wall (8) transparent to visible light, - overmolding said coating (10) transparent to visible light onto at least one face (12) of said wall (8) transparent to visible light intended to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, and - sealingly enclosing the wall (8) transparent to visible light between the cover (10) transparent to visible light and the body (6) of the vehicle body panel.

13. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: At least one decorative element (4), at least one defrosting device for defrosting a vehicle body panel, and / or at least one visible light emitting device are arranged between the body (6) and the wall (8) transparent to visible light.

14. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: At least one decorative element, at least one defrosting device for defrosting a vehicle body panel, and / or at least one visible light emitting device are arranged between the visible light transparent covering (10) and the visible light transparent wall (8).

15. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: The wall (8) transparent to visible light is made of polyamide, and the covering layer (10) transparent to visible light is a film made of polyurethane.

16. Manufacturing method according to claim 15, wherein the thickness of the coating (10) transparent to visible light is comprised between 0.5 mm and 3 mm.

Images