Pre-maintenance panel with integrated washing liquid storage tank

Abstract

A front maintenance panel of a motor vehicle has a lower panel structure and an upper panel cover. And the upper panel cover covers the lower panel structure. The lower panel structure is provided with at least one groove, and the groove forms a washing liquid storage tank. And the washing liquid can be filled into the washing liquid storage tank through the opening on the lower panel structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a front maintenance panel for a motor vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Motor vehicles currently on the market are usually equipped with a hood made of steel or aluminum, which covers the engine compartment and, when raised, allows access to the engine compartment for various purposes. For example, the hood allows access for maintenance purposes, whether to fill the windshield washer system, to fill and / or check the engine or air conditioning coolant, to fill and / or check the various fluid reservoirs, or to repair components of the transmission system or other components in the front area of ​​the vehicle.

[0003] At present, windscreen washing systems comprise a separate plastic reservoir which is located in the engine compartment and fixed to the front structure. This fixing is done, for example, by using suitable screws and fastening clips. The plastic reservoir contains the fluid for the windscreen and rear window washers and is thus fluidically connected to the windscreen and rear window washers. In order to check the level of this washing fluid and to fill it, it is necessary to open the engine hood and perform corresponding operations on the reservoir.

[0004] In order to reduce the weight of the motor vehicle as a whole, bonnets made of plastic are known. However, these bonnets not only reduce weight, but also offer the possibility of adding new functions to the bonnet. For example, storage spaces such as a tank for washer fluid can be integrated.

[0005] Engine bonnets made of plastic and with integrated fluid reservoirs are known, for example from German patent DE102005059264A1. Thanks to this solution, the step of installing a washer fluid reservoir in the engine compartment can be omitted. This reduces the number of fasteners, expands the space in the engine compartment, makes the washer fluid reservoir more accessible and simplifies the assembly of the entire vehicle. It can be designed so that the washer fluid reservoir is, for example, integrally formed with the rest of the engine bonnet. For filling the reservoir, a filling pipe can also be provided which is also accessible when the engine bonnet is closed, so that the washer fluid reservoir can be filled without opening the engine bonnet.

[0006] German patent DE 102015204791A1 also discloses a filling pipe for filling a washer fluid reservoir, wherein the filling pipe is located at a point outside the engine hood and can be entered there. In addition, the filling pipe is pivotable and can therefore be pivoted to a filling position that can be entered from the outside. Summary of the invention

[0007] A front hood of a motor vehicle is shown, comprising a lower panel structure and an upper panel cover, wherein the upper panel cover covers the lower panel structure, and the lower panel structure has at least one recess forming a washer fluid reservoir which is filled or can be filled through an opening in the lower panel structure.

[0008] The features and measures listed below individually may be combined in any technically feasible manner to represent further improvements.

[0009] The motor vehicle does not necessarily have a front drive unit, such as an internal combustion engine or other unit, but the term "hood" is still used herein to refer to the front area of ​​the motor vehicle.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the front hood (i.e. the lower panel structure and the upper panel cover) is mainly made of plastic material and is configured to form the hood of the motor vehicle, but can also form only a part of the hood, in particular a part of the hood mounted on the windshield of the motor vehicle. In the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, this part is designed as the rear part of the hood. Therefore, the hood can also have a front part and / or a middle part, which are located between the front part and the rear part. However, the front hood can also be an element manufactured separately from the hood. The plastic material is appropriately selected, for example, it can be fiber-reinforced. The front hood is appropriately configured so that the required stability and stiffness requirements can be met even in extreme cases. Other design aspects also need to be considered. At least one washer liquid reservoir is formed in the front hood, in which there may be other grooves or holes for accommodating or guiding equipment. Therefore, the front hood can also be called a front maintenance panel.

[0011] The front hood can consist of two longitudinal halves made of plastic, which are connected together to form a front maintenance panel. The front maintenance panel can contain other components, but its basic structure consists of the two longitudinal halves made of plastic. The two longitudinal halves, i.e. the upper panel cover and the lower panel structure, are connected together, for example, by separate fastening devices and / or fixing elements. The two longitudinal halves can be separated again manually without damage, so that the interior of the front maintenance panel can be accessed in this way. For example, the two longitudinal halves can be connected to each other by one or more hinges, so that the upper longitudinal half, i.e. the upper panel cover, can be folded up relative to the lower longitudinal half, i.e. the lower panel structure. The two longitudinal halves, for example, have a longitudinal extension, which, when installed in the hood, extends transversely relative to the motor vehicle and forms a kind of elongated flat housing for the various components.

[0012] In practice, the upper panel cover covers the lower panel structure, which has at least one groove, which forms a washer liquid reservoir that can be filled through the opening on the front maintenance panel. On the inner side of the front hood (i.e. the front maintenance panel), the washer liquid reservoir is formed as a groove, and the washer liquid is stored in this groove. On the outer side of the front hood (i.e. the front maintenance panel), the washer liquid reservoir is presented as a protrusion that extends into the front space. In this way, other functional components can be formed in the lower panel structure, and the upper panel cover hides these components to prevent foreign objects from entering. In particular, the outer side of the upper panel cover determines the external design of the front hood. These other functional components can be, for example, additional storage compartments, holes and / or grooves.

[0013] The washer fluid reservoir of the front hood has the particular advantage that it does not need to be fastened with its own fasteners in the front compartment (also referred to as the engine compartment). Furthermore, it saves space and simplifies the assembly of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the washer fluid reservoir does not need to be opened in the front hood (i.e. the front maintenance panel) in order to fill it, but can be filled via an opening located in the front hood. This makes the operation simpler and cleaner. For this purpose, a filling device can be provided in particular, which can be designed in a variety of ways.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, one long side of the lower panel structure is delimited by an elongated partition wall, in which the opening of the washer liquid reservoir is located. When the front maintenance panel is installed, the partition wall is located on one side of the windshield and therefore in the area of ​​the windshield skirt. A closing device can be provided for the opening of the washer liquid reservoir, which can be connected to the opening to cover the opening. For example, the closing device is a flap, which is pivotably connected to the partition wall by a hinge. The flap can be closed flush with the front maintenance panel in the area of ​​the opening.

[0015] The front hood, as a front maintenance panel, preferably has the aforementioned filling device for filling the washer liquid reservoir. This is not just an opening with a rotating cover, as is common in washer liquid reservoirs, but the filling device is, for example, movable and ideally pivotable. It is in particular movable between at least two positions, wherein in the filling position the filling device at least partially protrudes outwards through the opening and can be used to fill the washer liquid reservoir, while in the rest position the filling device is completely located within the front maintenance panel. In the rest position, the filling device is therefore not visible within the front hood (i.e. the front maintenance panel), more specifically it is located between the lower panel structure and the upper panel cover and only protrudes from the front maintenance panel in the filling position.

[0016] In one embodiment, in the static position of the filling device, in an ideal configuration, leakage of liquid in the washer liquid reservoir tank is prevented by the filling device. Thus, the washer liquid is prevented from entering the environment, in particular the windshield skirt. This can be achieved by designing an appropriate blocking mechanism. For example, the filling device has a blocking mechanism, which is in an activated state in the static position of the filling device, preventing the washer liquid from flowing out of the washer liquid reservoir tank through the filling device, and is in a deactivated state in the filling position of the filling device, allowing the washer liquid to flow to the washer liquid reservoir tank through the filling device. In particular, the blocking mechanism is automatically activated and deactivated as the filling device moves between the static position and the filling position. Alternatively, the blocking mechanism can be electronically controlled.

[0017] Preferably, a cover closes the recess forming the washer liquid reservoir, the cover being located between the two longitudinal halves of the front hood (i.e. the front maintenance panel). Then, a cover is provided inside the front maintenance panel, which closes the opening of the recess. A filling device is, for example, connected to or fixed to the cover, so that the washer liquid can flow into the washer liquid reservoir through the filling device, i.e. the filling device opening enters the cover, in particular into the hole arranged therein. Alternatively, the upper panel cover may have a covering element for covering the recess, wherein the covering element may be designed as a protrusion on the inner side of the upper panel cover corresponding to the recess opening. The filling device then opens into the washer liquid reservoir through the covering element (preferably through its side wall, in particular via the side wall facing the windshield). In another exemplary embodiment, a motor vehicle with a front hood is shown, wherein the front hood is designed in particular according to any one of the embodiments or possible configurations described above, wherein the washer liquid reservoir can be filled through an opening. The front hood (i.e. the front maintenance panel) is preferably arranged to extend along the lower edge of the windshield, and its partition wall extends in particular along the windshield skirt of the motor vehicle.

[0018] The embodiments, examples and alternatives in the preceding paragraphs, claims or the following description and drawings, including their various aspects or respective single features, may be adopted independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments unless these features are incompatible with another feature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to better understand the present disclosure, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the proportions may be exaggerated in order to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. In addition, the system components may be arranged in various ways according to the technical knowledge in the art. In addition, in the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same components in different drawings.

[0020] Figure 1 An embodiment of a front maintenance panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in a schematic exploded view.

[0021] Figure 2 Shown in assembled state Figure 1 Front maintenance panel in.

[0022] Figure 3 AA cross-section schematic showing the front maintenance panel with integrated washer fluid reservoir.

[0023] Figure 4 A cross-section of the washer fluid reservoir with pump is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 Shows a 3D view of the front maintenance panel without the panel covering.

[0025] Figure 6 An enlarged view of one embodiment of a filling device is shown in a filling position.

[0026] Figure 7 Shows the basis Figure 6 Filling operation carried out at the filling position.

[0027] Figure 8 (a)-(c) Schematic diagrams showing the working principle of the blocking mechanism in the filling position.

[0028] Fig. 9 (a)-(c) Schematic diagrams showing the working principle of the blocking mechanism in the static position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Figure 1 An embodiment of a front hood (i.e., a front maintenance panel 10) according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure is shown. To simplify the description, the front hood is hereinafter referred to as the front maintenance panel 10. The front maintenance panel 10 is designed as a hood of a motor vehicle (not shown) and has appropriate fastening means to connect the front maintenance panel 10 to the vehicle body. In particular, the outer shape and size of the front maintenance panel 10 may vary depending on the vehicle.

[0030] according to Figure 1 The front maintenance panel 10 is designed in two parts and shows two longitudinal halves in the three-dimensional exploded view. The front maintenance panel 10 is composed of a lower panel structure 30 made of plastic and an upper panel cover 20. Figure 2As shown, the two longitudinal halves are combined to form the front maintenance panel 10. The upper panel cover 20 forms the outer side of the front maintenance panel 10 and has a suitable attractive design, while the upper panel cover 20 also prevents foreign matter from entering the front maintenance panel 10. The lower panel structure 30 contains various functional components, including a washer liquid reservoir 32 formed by a recess in the lower panel structure 30.

[0031] The lower panel structure 30 is formed, for example, by a base and a peripheral wall extending upward from the base, thereby forming a trough-like structure. In particular, a partition wall 31 forms a boundary on one long side of the front maintenance panel 10. When the front maintenance panel 10 is installed, this partition wall 31 extends along the windshield of the motor vehicle, is designed to correspond to the curvature of the windshield in the transverse direction of the motor vehicle, and is adjacent to the windshield skirt 40. In this embodiment, the groove for forming the washer liquid reservoir 32 has a rectangular cross-section with rounded edges and a corresponding rectangular upper opening. The filling channel 71 of the filling device 50 is only shown schematically and will be explained in further detail below. In addition to the groove for forming the washer liquid reservoir 32, the lower panel structure 30 also has other components, such as a second groove 34 that can be used as a storage space. In addition, a hole 35 is provided, and a number of grooves 36 are provided on the partition wall 31.

[0032] The upper panel cover 20 matches the shape of the lower panel structure 30 , and they form two shell halves, which are combined together to form the front maintenance panel 10 with an internal cavity.

[0033] Figure 2 The front maintenance panel 10 composed of the upper panel cover 20 and the lower panel structure 30 is shown, and the filling device 50 is schematically marked on it. Figure 3 The section line AA is shown passing through the filling device.

[0034] Figure 3 The upper panel cover 20 is shown positioned on the lower panel structure 30, and a section through a recess (i.e., a washer liquid reservoir 32) in the base of the lower panel structure 30. Washer liquid is stored in the washer liquid reservoir 32 until a liquid level or water level 33 is reached. In addition, the recess is provided with a recess cover 41, not previously shown, for covering the upper opening of the recess. The recess cover 41 is preferably a separate component that can be separated from the lower panel structure 30. Figure 3 Also shown is the dividing wall 31 which adjoins the motor vehicle windshield skirt 40 .

[0035] In order to deliver the washer fluid from the washer fluid reservoir 32 to the windshield wiper system, Figure 4By way of example, a pump 60 is shown which is mounted outside the recess and has a connection to a power source 61. In particular, the pump 60 is connected to the recess via a fluid opening and is designed to deliver washer liquid to a washer liquid nozzle supply pipe 62. For example, the washer liquid nozzle supply pipe 62 extends along the region of the partition wall 31 and leads to washer liquid nozzles for spraying adjacent windshields. Optionally, these washer liquid nozzle supply pipes 62 also lead to nozzles on the rear window of the motor vehicle.

[0036] Figure 5 A three-dimensional view of the front maintenance panel 10 is shown, wherein the upper panel cover 20 is partially omitted so as to allow viewing of the interior of the front maintenance panel 10. The cover 41 on the washer liquid storage tank and the groove 36 on the partition wall 31 can be seen. The partition wall 31 is also provided with an opening 37 ( Figure 6 ), the opening is closed with a closing flap 51. The flap 51 is connected to a hinge / leaf 52, whereby the flap 51 can be opened.

[0037] Behind the flap 51 is the filling device 50, which in this embodiment is composed of a rotatable filling pipe 70, a tubular filling channel 71 and a filling port 72 at the end. The filling port 72 is designed, for example, like a funnel and / or has at least one other boundary, which can guide the liquid to the filling channel 71. An operating handle 73 is also provided on the filling device 50, especially on its filling port 72, and the filling device 50 is designed to be pivotable and can be operated and pivoted by the operating handle 73. Figure 5 The filling device 50 is shown in a rest position behind the flap 51, when it is completely inside the front maintenance panel 10 and protected by the closed flap 51. When the flap 51 is opened, the filling opening 72 can be pivoted about the rotatable filling tube 70 and through the opening 37 into the filling position. Figure 6 The filling channel 71 is fluidly connected to the washer fluid reservoir 32 via a filling pipe 70 and can be used to fill the washer fluid when in the filling position.

[0038] Figure 6 The filling device 50 is shown in the filling position, when the flap 51 is opened and the opening 37 is exposed. The filling channel 71 is pivoted to the filling position, and the filling port 72 is located outside the front maintenance panel 10. In this filling position, the washing liquid can be poured into the filling port 72 and flow into the washing liquid storage tank 32 through the filling channel 71, the filling pipe 70 and the hole 43 on the cover 41. This filling operation is Figure 7 Another example of a 3D view and a filling device is shown in Figure .

[0039] Ideally, the filling device 50 has a blocking mechanism. Figure 7In the filling position shown, the blocking mechanism allows liquid to flow through the filling channel 71 to the washer liquid reservoir 32. However, if the filling channel 71 is pivoted inwardly about the axis passing through the filling pipe 70 to the static position (see Figure 5 ), the blocking mechanism blocks the flow of liquid through the filling channel 71, thereby preventing the washing liquid from leaking from the washing liquid storage tank through the filling channel 71. This blocking mechanism can be formed in many ways. For example, in one embodiment, the blocking mechanism is formed by the filling pipe 70 and the cross-sectional contraction portion in the cover 41 that can rotate relative to each other, such as Figure 8 and 9 As shown, a schematic illustration is given.

[0040] Figure 8 (a) shows again the filling position of the filling device 50. Both the cover 41 and the pivotable part of the filling pipe 70 have a cross-sectional constriction. Figure 8 (b) shows by way of example a circular hole 43 in a cover 41, whose cross section is divided in two by a fixed blocking plate 42. The circular cross section of the rotatable filling pipe 70 also has a cross-sectional constriction in the form of a rotatable blocking plate 74. The two blocking plates 42, 74 are designed to correspond to each other, but the position of each blocking plate 42, 74 relative to each other is arranged so that in the filling position they overlap each other and allow liquid to flow through the open cross-sectional area. The position in which the blocking plates 42, 74 overlap each other is shown in FIG. Figure 8 (c) shown.

[0041] Fig. 9 (a) shows the rest position of the filling device 50, where the rotatable blocking plate 74 of the filling pipe 70 has been rotated relative to the fixed blocking plate 42 in the hole 43 of the cover 41, thereby closing the previous flow opening. Fig. 9 (c) shows that Fig. 9 (b) schematically shows that this prevents the liquid in the washing liquid storage tank 32 from flowing out.

[0042] Thus, when the filler pipe 70 is pivoted, the blocking mechanism is automatically activated or deactivated, which can be done manually by operating the operating handle 73 .

[0043] The foregoing description is exemplary and non-restrictive. Those skilled in the art may find variations and modifications to the disclosed examples, and these variations and modifications do not necessarily deviate from the essence of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.

Claims

1. A front maintenance panel assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: Lower panel structure; as well as An upper panel cover, the upper panel cover covers the lower panel structure, the lower panel structure has at least one groove, the groove forms a washing liquid storage tank, and the washing liquid storage tank can be filled through the opening of the lower panel structure, the upper panel cover or both.

2. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The opening is located on the lower panel structure.

3. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 2, further comprising the lower panel structure being bounded on one long side by an elongated partition wall, wherein an opening for filling the washer fluid storage tank is provided in the partition wall.

4. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a closing flap capable of closing the opening, wherein the closing flap is connected to an opening for filling the washer fluid storage tank.

5. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The closing flap is connected to the lower panel structure by a hinge.

6. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 1 further includes a filling device for filling the washer fluid storage tank, the filling device can be moved between at least two filling positions, wherein in one filling position, the filling device at least partially extends out of the opening and can be used to fill the washer fluid storage tank, and in a static position, the upper panel cover covers the filling device.

7. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 6, wherein: When the filling device is in the static position, the filling device prevents leakage of liquid in the washing liquid storage tank.

8. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The filling device has a blocking mechanism, which is in an activated state at the static position of the filling device to prevent liquid from flowing through the filling device; and is in an inactive state at the filling position of the filling device to allow liquid to flow through the filling device to the washer fluid storage tank.

9. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The blocking mechanism is automatically activated and deactivated as the filling device moves between the rest position and the filling position.

10. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The blocking mechanism includes a plurality of blocking plates.

11. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The plurality of blocking plates include rotatable blocking plates and fixed blocking plates.

12. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The filling device is completely located between the lower panel structure and the upper panel cover in the rest position.

13. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The filling device is connected to the upper panel cover.

14. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one groove forming the washer liquid reservoir is closed by a groove cover.

15. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein: At least the upper panel cover is made of plastic. 16 . The front maintenance panel assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured to deliver washer fluid from the washer fluid reservoir to a washer fluid nozzle supply pipe.

17. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 16, wherein: The pump is connected to the lower panel structure opposite to the at least one groove.

18. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The lower panel structure includes a partition wall providing the opening.

19. The front maintenance panel assembly according to claim 18, wherein: The dividing wall is configured to interface with a windshield skirt of a motor vehicle.

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