Cover panel for connecting a body of a motor vehicle and assembly of a cover panel with a body of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a covering panel (200) for connecting a body (120) of a motor vehicle (100), comprising: a body having an outer surface (200a) and an opposite inner surface (200b); and at least one implicit clamp (400) provided on the inner surface (200b) of the body, the at least one implicit clamp (400) having two parallel legs (401); and a cover (402) formed at a free end side of the legs (401), the cover (402) having a cover body (402a) and a positioning hole (403) formed in the cover body (402a), the covering panel (200) defining a guide rail capable of assembling the covering panel (200) relative to the body (120) by the two parallel legs (401). The application also discloses an assembly of a covering panel (200) and a body (120) of a motor vehicle (100).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to cover panels with concealed clamps for attachment to the body of a motor vehicle, and components thereof. Background Technology

[0002] A vehicle's body typically houses multiple functional components, such as electrical connectors for wiring and ventilation components for airflow. When these components are located within the passenger compartment, they are usually covered by panels for aesthetic purposes. Furthermore, in the passenger compartment, the instrument panel (or center console), as a single piece of plastic, is typically installed in front of the driver and passenger seats as a primary functional decorative element. However, due to the complex structure of the instrument panel, to reduce manufacturing and assembly costs, it is often made in two parts. One part primarily covers the front and upper sections of the vehicle's body within the passenger compartment, used to mount the instrument panel components; the other part, as a cover panel, primarily covers the sides of the vehicle's body within the passenger compartment (e.g., the left and right sides of the vehicle), serving a decorative purpose when the doors are open.

[0003] In existing technologies, such cover panels are typically mounted on a portion of the metal body of a vehicle located within the passenger compartment using a hidden clip on their inner side. However, this method occupies a significant amount of body space and is difficult to assemble. Therefore, it is necessary to redesign the hidden clip and simplify its assembly method to facilitate the installation of the cover panel onto the metal body of a vehicle. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main objective of this application is to propose an improved hidden clamp that enables the cover panel to be easily installed on the vehicle body while occupying less space during assembly and ensuring ease of assembly and long-term reliability after assembly.

[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a cover panel for connecting the body of a motor vehicle is provided, characterized in that the cover panel comprises: A body having an outer surface and an opposite inner surface; and An implicit clamp is provided on the inner surface of the body, the implicit clamp having Two parallel legs; and A cover is formed on the free end side of the support leg, the cover having a cover body and a positioning hole formed in the cover body, the cover panel being defined by the two parallel support legs such that the cover panel is assembled relative to the guide rail of the vehicle body.

[0006] Optionally, the guide rail is along the height direction of the vehicle or at an acute angle to the height direction when the cover panel is connected to the vehicle body.

[0007] Optionally, an opening that gradually expands from the positioning hole is also formed in the cover of the snap-on cover.

[0008] Optionally, the cover body of the snap-on cap also has a stress-relieving groove that communicates with the positioning hole.

[0009] Optionally, the opening is closer to the receiving inlet of the guide rail than the stress relief slot.

[0010] Optionally, the support leg is located between the cover and the body of the cover panel.

[0011] Optionally, the stress relief hole is formed radially opposite to the opening (404) or circumferentially offset from the center of the positioning hole.

[0012] Optionally, the center of the positioning hole is located on the geometric center line between the two parallel legs.

[0013] Optionally, the stress relief hole is formed radially opposite to the opening.

[0014] Optionally, the cover is spaced apart from the inner surface of the cover panel.

[0015] Optionally, there are two opposing transition points between the edge of the positioning hole and the edge of the opening, and the distance between the two transition points is slightly smaller than the diameter of the positioning hole.

[0016] Optionally, the diameter of the positioning hole is smaller than the distance between the two parallel legs.

[0017] Optionally, when there are at least two implicit clamps, the legs of the implicit clamps are parallel to each other.

[0018] Optionally, the body of the cover panel is triangular, and the opening faces the long side of the triangle.

[0019] According to another aspect of this application, a cover panel and a vehicle body assembly are also provided, wherein the cover panel is the aforementioned cover panel, a positioning bolt is pre-installed on the vehicle body, the cover panel is connected to the positioning bolt via its concealed clamp, and the cover panel is defined by two parallel legs of the concealed clamp so that the cover panel is assembled relative to the vehicle body via a guide rail, and the guide rail is along the height direction of the vehicle or at an acute angle to the height direction when the cover panel is connected to the vehicle body, and the cover panel is mounted on the side of the center console in the driver's cabin of the vehicle body.

[0020] By employing the aforementioned technical means of this application, the cover panel, especially the side cover panel that is part of the instrument panel of a motor vehicle, can be easily installed in the driver's cabin of the motor vehicle, and occupies little space during assembly, while ensuring smooth assembly, thereby improving the production efficiency of vehicle assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0021] A more comprehensive understanding of the principles and aspects of this application will be gained from the detailed description below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the scale of the drawings may vary for clarity, but this will not affect the understanding of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 A portion of a motor vehicle is schematically shown, including the front of the vehicle and the driver's cabin, with the vehicle door open to reveal the location where the cover panel according to an embodiment of this application will be mounted as a side portion of the dashboard panel. Figure 2 The illustration schematically shows a front view of the exposed surface of the cover panel according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 The illustration schematically shows a front view of the interior surface of the cover panel, opposite to the exposed surface, according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 Schematic illustration of the relationship with Figure 3 The corresponding view, however, shows the fittings that are already fixed to a part of the vehicle body for engagement with the hidden clamps on the cover panel; Figure 5 Schematic illustration Figure 3 An enlarged perspective view of the implicit clamp according to an embodiment of this application, shown in the dashed section; and Figure 6 The illustration shows a pre-installed locating bolt in the vehicle body. Detailed Implementation

[0022] In the accompanying drawings of this application, features that are structurally identical or functionally similar are indicated by the same reference numerals. Unless otherwise stated or apparent from the context, the expressions “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “accommodating,” or “accommodating” should also encompass the more specific term “consisting of.” Furthermore, it should be noted that the singular and plural forms used in this disclosure are not restrictive in meaning. Therefore, unless otherwise stated or explicitly indicated by the context, the singular forms “a,” “single,” “an,” and “described” as used herein refer to both the singular and the plural. The expressions “about” or “approximately” indicate within 10% of the specified value or the upper or lower limit shown, particularly within 5%, more specifically within 1% or 0.1%.

[0023] Figure 1 A portion of a motor vehicle 100 is schematically shown, wherein the front door 110 of the motor vehicle 100 is shown open, thereby revealing a side portion of the body 120 of the motor vehicle 100, which is located within the driver's compartment 130 of the motor vehicle 100, is to be covered by a cover panel 200 according to an embodiment of the present application, and can be part of the dashboard panel of the motor vehicle 100. It should be clear that, in Figure 1 Only the left side of the vehicle 100 is shown; the cover panel 200 according to an embodiment of this application can also be similarly installed on the hidden right side of the vehicle 100. Figure 1 A three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system xyz is defined, where the x-axis essentially represents the forward / backward direction along the vehicle 100, the y-axis essentially represents the left / right direction along the vehicle 100, and the z-axis essentially represents the height direction along the vehicle 100. Figure 1 In this context, the direction of the y-axis can be considered perpendicular to the screen or the paper.

[0024] Although in the following description of this application, the cover panel 200 is interpreted as a cover panel of the side portion of the body 120 installed in the driver's cab 130 of the motor vehicle 100, those skilled in the art should understand that cover panels installed in any other place of the motor vehicle 100 can also adopt similar technical solutions of this application. That is to say, the technical solutions of this application are not limited to the cover panel 200 of the described or explained embodiment, and the implicit clamps used in the cover panel 200 are not limited to the cover panel 200 described, but can also be used in other suitable cover panels of the motor vehicle 100.

[0025] In the description of the technical solution in this application, the motor vehicle 100 involved can be considered as a motor vehicle powered by a fuel engine, a pure electric motor vehicle, a hybrid motor vehicle, etc.

[0026] exist Figure 1 In the illustration, the body 120 of the motor vehicle 100 is shown to have a lateral portion or side 121 located within the driver's compartment 130. This lateral portion or side 121 is exposed, for example, when the front door 110 (shown as the left front door) is open, and therefore needs to be covered by a cover panel 200. Simultaneously, this lateral portion or side 121 is adjacent to the instrument panel or center console 300 of the motor vehicle 100, which, for example, has exposed surfaces facing the driver's and passenger's seats of the motor vehicle.

[0027] Figure 2 A cover panel 200 according to an embodiment of this application is illustrated schematically. It should be understood that the specific shape of the cover panel 200 can be determined based on the shape of the portion of the vehicle body 120 to which it is to be installed. Figure 2In this embodiment, the cover panel 200 has a body, the surface of which facing the observer is an outer surface 200a. This outer surface 200a at least partially constitutes the exposed surface of the cover panel 200 after it is mounted on the vehicle body 120. The body of the cover panel 200 may be made of, for example, rigid plastic. In the illustrated embodiment, the body of the cover panel 200 is generally triangular, and soft pads 210 and 220 are provided on the sides of the triangle, for example, the two shorter sides. The soft pads 210 and 220 may be manufactured separately from the body of the cover panel 200 and subsequently bonded to the body of the cover panel 200 using suitable mechanical processes such as bonding, riveting, screwing, pressing, or overmolding, to cover other structures of the vehicle body 120, such as openings (not shown), and / or to provide a seal relative to the vehicle body 120.

[0028] Within the body of the cover panel 200, there exists at least one side (e.g., in...). Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the long side 200c of the triangle is not fitted with any additional soft padding. Therefore, this side can be considered as the assembly side 200c for assembling the cover panel 200 to the vehicle body 120. Figure 3 The cover panel 200 according to an embodiment of this application is also schematically shown. However, in Figure 3 In the middle, the cover panel 200 is shown to have its body having an outer surface 200a ( Figure 2 The opposite surface 200b. When the cover panel 200 is properly mounted on the body 120 of the motor vehicle 100, this surface 200b is the surface facing the body 120, also referred to as the inner surface. That is, this surface 200b is hidden after the cover panel 200 is mounted on the body 120 and cannot be observed from the outside. An implicit clamp 400 according to an embodiment of this application is provided on the surface 200b of the cover panel 200. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, two implicit clamps 400 are illustrated. It should be understood that more or fewer implicit clamps 400 may be provided as needed.

[0029] For example, the concealed clamp 400 can be integrally molded with the body of the cover panel 200. The concealed clamp 400 can be formed extending outward from the surface 200b of the cover panel 200. For example, as Figure 5As shown, the concealed clamp 400 has two legs 401 extending outward from the surface 200b of the cover panel 200. A cover 402 is formed at the free end of each leg 401. The cover 402 has a cover body 402a parallel to the surface 200b and an edge 402b extending perpendicularly from a portion of the periphery of the cover body 402a toward the surface 200b. The edge 402b is spaced apart from the legs 410, and the two legs 401 are generally parallel to each other. The legs 401 are generally flat. A positioning hole 403 is formed in the cover body 402a of the cover 402. Viewed in a projection plane parallel to the surface 200b, the center of the positioning hole 403 is, for example, located on the geometric center line between the two parallel legs 401. A gradually expanding opening 404 is also formed in the cover body 402a of the cover 402 to facilitate the receiving of the positioning bolt 500, which will be described later, by the positioning hole 403. For example, the opening 404 is formed by gradually narrowing from one free side of the cover 402 toward the center of the positioning hole 403. The cover 402 is formed as a thin-walled structure while meeting structural strength requirements. A stress-relieving groove 405 is also formed in the cover body 402a of the cover 402, communicating with the positioning hole 403. For example, the stress-relieving groove 405 is arranged substantially radially opposite to the opening 404. Alternatively, the stress-relieving groove 405 and the opening 404 are circumferentially offset about the center of the positioning hole 403. In the illustrated embodiment, the body of the cover panel 200 is triangular, and the opening 404 faces the long side 200c of the triangle.

[0030] Positioning bolts 500 are pre-installed in the area of ​​the vehicle body 120 where the cover panel 200 will be installed (e.g., Figure 6As shown), for example, the number of positioning bolts 500 is the same as the number of hidden clamps 400. For example, the positioning bolt 500 has a bolt shank 510 extending outward from the vehicle body 120 in a direction parallel to the y-axis and a bolt head 520 located at the free end of the bolt shank 510. The bolt head 520 is larger in size (e.g., radial dimension) than the bolt shank 510 and is spaced apart from the vehicle body 120. The diameter of the bolt shank 510 is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the positioning hole 403, and the diameter of the bolt head 520 is larger than the diameter of the positioning hole 403. Therefore, this allows the bolt shank 510 to pass through the opening 404 and enter the positioning hole 403 when the cover panel 200 approaches and moves relative to the vehicle body 120, while ensuring that the cover panel 200 is fixed relative to the vehicle body 120 along the x, y, and z directions because the radial dimension of the bolt head 520 is larger than the positioning hole 403. Furthermore, the distance between the two legs 401 is approximately equal to the diameter of the bolt head 520, thus allowing the bolt head 520 to move in a controlled manner between the two legs 401 before the bolt rod 510 enters the positioning hole 403, thereby guiding the installation of the cover panel 200 relative to the vehicle body 120. The presence of the stress relief slot 405 prevents the positioning hole 403 from becoming excessively stressed due to the bolt rod 510 and / or bolt head 520, thus preventing damage to the cover 402a, when the positioning bolt 500 engages with the cover 402.

[0031] According to one embodiment of this application, the thickness of the cover 402a is approximately equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the bolt head 520 and the vehicle body 120, so that when the bolt 510 is in place in the positioning hole 403, the cover panel 200 can be firmly positioned in the left-right direction (e.g., parallel to the y-axis) of the vehicle 100 by relying on the thickness of the cover 402a sandwiched between the bolt head 520 and the vehicle body 120.

[0032] See Figure 4 The figure shows two locating bolts 500, but it should be clear that these two locating bolts 500 are shown with an observer inside the vehicle body 120 looking outwards, thus also showing the (truly hidden) concealed clamps 400 of the cover panel 200. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the bolt head 520 of the locating bolt 500 can be pre-engaged with the bolt head 520 from the surface of the vehicle body 120 opposite to the surface facing the cover panel 200 by a nut 530. Figure 4(Represented only by circular pieces). In embodiments of this application, the legs 401 of the two hidden clamps 400 are generally parallel to each other, and thus the length direction of the legs 401 is generally parallel to the assembly direction of the cover panel 200. In embodiments of this application, the assembly direction of the cover panel 200 is generally along the z-axis direction of the vehicle 100—generally along the height direction or at an acute angle to the height direction, thereby facilitating the assembly of the cover panel 200 onto the vehicle body 120 and avoiding the influence of other components obstructing assembly within the vehicle body 120 or the driver's cabin 130 along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body (generally parallel to the z-axis direction). Furthermore, assembling the cover panel 200 along the height direction of the vehicle or at an acute angle to the height direction also benefits the operator's work. Therefore, the cover panel 200 uses two parallel legs 401 to define a guide rail for assembling the cover panel 200 relative to the vehicle body 120, and the guide rail is along the height direction of the vehicle 100 or at an acute angle to the height direction when the cover panel 200 is connected to the vehicle body 120 of the vehicle 100. According to an embodiment of this application, the opening 404 is closer to the receiving inlet of the guide rail (the receiving inlet is used, for example, to receive the bolt head 520) than the stress relief slot 405. According to an embodiment of this application, the support leg 401 is located between the cover 402 and the body of the cover panel 200.

[0033] According to an embodiment of this application, there are two opposing transition points 406 between the edge of the positioning hole 403 and the edge of the opening 404. The distance between these two transition points 406 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bolt 510. Thus, when the bolt 510 enters the positioning hole 403 through the opening 404, the bolt 510 must first open the two transition points 406; as the bolt 510 is in place in the positioning hole 403, the two transition points 406 return to their original positions to ensure that the positioning bolt 500 can be securely positioned relative to the concealed clamp 400 of the cover panel 200. When needed, the concealed clamp 400 can also be easily disengaged from the positioning bolt 500 and removed from the vehicle body 120 by reversing / moving the cover panel 200.

[0034] Although specific embodiments of this application are described in detail herein, they are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various embodiments described herein can be used in combination with each other. Various substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cover panel (200) for connecting the body (120) of a motor vehicle (100), characterized in that, The cover panel (200) includes: A body having an outer surface (200a) and an opposite inner surface (200b); and At least one concealed clamp (400) is provided on the inner surface (200b) of the body, the at least one concealed clamp (400) having two parallel legs (401); and a snap cover (402) formed on the free end side of the legs (401), the snap cover (402) having a cover body (402a) and a positioning hole (403) formed in the cover body (402a), the cover panel (200) defining a guide rail for assembling the cover panel (200) relative to the vehicle body (120) by means of the two parallel legs (401).

2. The cover panel (200) according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the cover panel (200) is connected to the body (120) of the motor vehicle (100), the guide rail extends along the height direction of the motor vehicle (100) or forms an acute angle with the height direction.

3. The cover panel (200) according to claim 2, characterized in that, An opening (404) that gradually expands from the positioning hole (403) is also formed in the cover (402a) of the cover (402).

4. The cover panel (200) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cover (402a) of the buckle (402) also has a stress relief groove (405) which communicates with the positioning hole (403).

5. The cover panel (200) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The opening (404) is closer to the receiving inlet of the guide rail than the stress relief slot (405).

6. The cover panel (200) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support leg (401) is located between the cover (402) and the body of the cover panel (200).

7. The cover panel (200) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The stress relief slot (405) is formed radially opposite to the opening (404) or circumferentially offset from the center of the positioning hole (403).

8. The cover panel (200) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The center of the positioning hole (403) is located on the geometric center line between the two parallel legs (401).

9. The cover panel (200) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that, The cover (402a) is separated from the inner surface (200b) of the cover panel (200).

10. The cover panel (200) according to claim 9, characterized in that, There are two opposing transition points (406) between the edge of the positioning hole (403) and the edge of the opening (404), and the distance between the two transition points (406) is less than the diameter of the positioning hole (403).

11. The cover panel (200) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The diameter of the positioning hole (403) is smaller than the distance between the two parallel legs (401).

12. The cover panel (200) according to claim 11, characterized in that, When at least two implicit clamps are present, the legs (401) of the implicit clamps (400) are parallel to each other.

13. The cover panel (200) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that, The body of the cover panel (200) is triangular, and the opening (404) faces the long side of the triangle.

14. An assembly of a cover panel (200) and a body (120) of a motor vehicle (100), characterized in that, The cover panel (200) is a cover panel (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein a positioning bolt (500) is pre-installed on the vehicle body (120), the cover panel (200) is connected to the positioning bolt (500) via its implicit clamp (400), and the cover panel (200) is defined by two parallel legs (401) of the implicit clamp (400) to form a guide rail for the cover panel (200) to be assembled relative to the vehicle body (120), and the guide rail is along the height direction of the vehicle (100) or at an acute angle to the height direction when the cover panel (200) is connected to the vehicle body (120) of the motor vehicle (100), and the cover panel (200) is mounted on the side (121) of the center console (300) in the driver's cab of the motor vehicle (100).

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