Front end module for a motor vehicle

Abstract

Front end module for a motor vehicle, comprising a bumper cross member (3) that can be attached to vehicle longitudinal members and a mounting carrier (1) for a cooling module (23) with cooling components (20 to 22) positioned behind it in the longitudinal direction (x) of the vehicle at a distance (d), which mounting carrier (1) is attached laterally to the bumper cross member (3) in the transverse direction (y) of the vehicle, wherein at least one additional component (19) associated with the cooling module (23) is attached to the bumper cross member (3) independently of the mounting carrier (1), and wherein the bumper cross member (3) is fixed at its two lateral ends to the front longitudinal body members of the vehicle via crash boxes (5) and via a bulkhead plate (7) on each side, and wherein the mounting support (1) is supported at its lateral frame strips (9) at connection points (11) of the bulkhead plates (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a front-end module for a motor vehicle according to claim 1.

[0002] The front-end module, which closes off the front of the vehicle, integrates the vehicle's lighting system and cooling functions. This module must also meet legally mandated pedestrian protection requirements. Furthermore, it must ensure efficient crash management. The purpose of crash management is to prevent and reduce damage, lower repair costs, and thereby achieve a better insurance rating. The damage level relevant for insurance classification is determined during the RCAR crash repair test. In this test, the vehicle is driven at a maximum speed of 16 km / h with 40% overlap against a non-deformable barrier.

[0003] From DE 10 2009 041 458 A1, a front-end module for a vehicle is known, comprising a bumper crossmember that can be attached to the vehicle's longitudinal members and a mounting bracket positioned at a distance behind it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A cooling module is attached to the mounting bracket, the cooling components of which include, for example, a low-temperature radiator, a high-temperature radiator, a condenser, an electric fan, a power steering oil cooler, as well as air ducts between the cooling air openings and various hoses and lines. The mounting bracket is attached to the bumper crossmember in the transverse direction of the vehicle by its lateral vertical strips. The bumper crossmember is, in turn, connected to a pedestrian protection crossmember located below it via vertical struts. This provides a closed frame that limits the cooling air inlet through which the cooling air is directed into the cooling module located behind it.

[0004] Due to the large number of cooling components, the cooling module has a considerable depth in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. To ensure that the cooling module remains largely undamaged in the event of a collision despite this considerable depth, a free deformation path is provided between the bumper crossmember and the cooling module located behind it. However, this results in a comparatively larger overhang at the front-end module in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0005] DE 10 2009 032 592 A1 discloses a front section for a motor vehicle body. DE 10 2010 038 194 A1 discloses an adjustable guide device. US 2010 / 0 243 352 A1 discloses a movable radiator grille closure device for a vehicle. US 2011 / 0 226 541 A1 discloses a movable radiator grille flap for a vehicle. GB 2 131 150 A discloses a vehicle radiator grille with a roller shutter function. EP 2 371 603 A1 discloses a movable grille panel device for a vehicle. WO 2012 / 012 535 A2 discloses an integrated energy absorber and an airflow management structure. DE 10 2007 033 116 A1 discloses a front-end module for vehicles. DE 601 03 687 T2 discloses a front structure of a motor vehicle body for the protection of pedestrians. EP 1 241 080 A2 discloses a vehicle front structure. EP 1 266 818 A2 discloses a vehicle front structure.DE 603 ​​14 318 T2 discloses a front end module of a motor vehicle and its air supply line.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a front-end module for a vehicle that is cost-effective to repair in the event of damage and can therefore achieve a good insurance rating. Furthermore, the front-end module should meet the requirements regarding pedestrian protection and insurance crash tests.

[0007] The object of the invention is solved by the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0008] The invention is based on the fact that a reduction in the free deformation path between the bumper crossmember and the cooling module located behind it leads to a lower insurance classification. Against this background, according to the invention, the additional components are no longer combined into a compact, one-piece cooling module. Instead, at least one cooling component of the cooling module is no longer mounted directly to the mounting bracket, but rather attached to the bumper crossmember at a distance from it. In this way, the required installation depth of the main part of the cooling module remaining on the mounting bracket is reduced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The installation depth thus gained can be used to shorten the vehicle overhang. Alternatively, the gained installation depth can serve as additional free deformation path for the bumper crossmember.

[0009] Mounting the additional component on the bumper crossmember is unproblematic with regard to pedestrian protection requirements, unlike mounting it directly on, for example, the vehicle's outer skin. The resulting potentially larger deformation path provides a correspondingly larger airflow space behind the bumper crossmember, thus improving airflow into the cooling module. The additional component is rigidly attached to the bumper crossmember using sheet metal brackets. In the event of a crash, the additional component is therefore displaced rearward along the free deformation path, coupled with the movement of the bumper crossmember.

[0010] It is advantageous if the cooling component attached to the bumper crossmember is positioned in such a way that damage is largely prevented in the event of a crash. Therefore, it is preferable if the cooling component is arranged vertically in line below the bumper crossmember, meaning that the bumper crossmember and the cooling component located below it are in a common vertical transverse plane of the vehicle.

[0011] Depending on the engine and / or country-specific version, the vehicle's cooling module may be equipped with an adjustable radiator shutter, which regulates the airflow through the cooling module and thus through the engine compartment as needed. This adjustable, segmented radiator shutter can be located, for example, in the main part of the cooling module, directly on the mounting bracket, between the radiator and the fan. The radiator shutter allows for precise control of the required amount of cooling air. This significantly reduces air resistance and therefore fuel consumption in many operating conditions. Further advantages include faster engine warm-up after a cold start and improved noise insulation.

[0012] However, it is particularly advantageous if the radiator shutter is not directly integrated into the main part of the cooling module, but rather attached to the bumper crossmember as an additional component, spaced apart from it. In this way, depending on the engine type or country-specific version, the radiator shutter can be installed as an additional component on the bumper crossmember without requiring any additional installation space on the mounting bracket.

[0013] The bumper crossmember can be connected to a pedestrian protection crossmember located below it via vertical struts, thus forming a closed crossmember frame that provides the air intake to the cooling module. The additional component can preferably be arranged within this closed crossmember frame. For mounting the additional component within the crossmember frame, it is advantageous if the additional component is rigidly connected to the bumper crossmember, for example, via sheet metal brackets, but not to the vertical struts or the pedestrian protection crossmember.

[0014] To prevent leakage gaps at the air inlet, the additional component, in particular the radiator louvers, can have a circumferentially extending, elastically flexible sealing lip. In the installed position of the additional component, the sealing lip is in contact with the outer crossbeam frame.

[0015] Furthermore, the main part of the cooling module can have additional air guide elements attached to the mounting bracket. These air guide elements create an air path from the air inlet on the crossbeam frame to the main part of the cooling module. In this case, the sealing lips of the additional component can be in sealing contact with the air guide elements on the mounting bracket.

[0016] With the addition of the component and the main cooling module section, the cooling module is designed in two parts. This results in a corresponding reduction in the installation depth of the main cooling module section on the mounting bracket, potentially increasing the deformation path of the bumper crossmember. In an RCAR crash (insurance crash), where the vehicle impacts a non-deformable barrier at a maximum speed of 16 km / h with 40% overlap, the bumper crossmember, along with the additional component, is initially compressed along the deformation path. The main cooling module section, however, remains outside the crash zone and thus essentially undamaged.

[0017] The advantageous embodiments and / or further developments of the invention described above and / or described in the dependent claims can be used individually or in any combination with each other, except, for example, in cases of clear dependencies or incompatible alternatives.

[0018] The invention and its advantageous developments and refinements, as well as their advantages, are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0019] They show: Fig. 1 in a perspective view a front end module of a vehicle with part of the outer skin omitted; Fig. 2 a roughly schematic cross-sectional view along the cutting plane II from the Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 the front-end module in a pre-assembled state with the radiator shutter still removed; and Fig. 4 A top view illustrating a head-on collision.

[0020] In the Fig. Figure 1 shows a front-end module with a frame-shaped plastic mounting bracket 1. The front-end module also has a bumper crossmember 3, which is positioned approximately halfway up the vehicle in the longitudinal direction x of the mounting bracket 1. The bumper crossmember 3 is fixed at its two lateral ends to front longitudinal body members of the vehicle (not shown) via crash boxes 5 and a bulkhead plate 7 on each side. The mounting bracket 1 is also supported at its lateral frame rails 9 by attachment points 11 of the bulkhead plates 7. A pedestrian protection crossmember 13 is arranged below the bumper crossmember 3 and is connected to it via lateral vertical struts 15. The bumper and pedestrian protection crossmembers 3, 13, together with the vertical struts 15, form a closed crossmember frame 16. Fig. 1 and Fig. 3) The crossbeam frame 16 limits a front air inlet 17 ( Fig. 3) In the crossbeam frame 16, in the Fig. 1. An adjustable cooling louvre 19 is provided, with which the amount of cooling air required to adjust the cooling capacity can be regulated as needed. The cooling louvre 19, together with other cooling components 20 to 22, forms a cooling module 23. According to the Fig. In the present invention, the cooling module 23 is not fully mounted as a single unit on the plastic mounting bracket 1, but rather is designed in two parts: a main part 25 of the cooling module, consisting of the aforementioned cooling components 20 to 22, and the cooling louver 19, which is mounted independently of the mounting bracket 1 on the bumper crossmember 3. The cooling components 20 to 22 of the main part 25 of the cooling module are, by way of example, a low-temperature coolant cooler, a condenser, and an electric suction fan. In addition, further coolers and / or condensers may also be provided.

[0021] The radiator shutter 19 is rigidly connected to the bumper crossmember 3 via sheet metal brackets 27. The radiator shutter 19 is arranged flush below the bumper crossmember 3, such that the entire air inlet 17 is covered. As can be seen from the Fig. As further shown in Figure 1, air guide elements 29 are arranged between the air inlet 17, which is limited by the cross member frame 16, extending rearward in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle to the lateral vertical strips 9 of the plastic mounting bracket 1. The air guide elements 29, together with a bottom cover (not shown) and a top cover for the cooling module, form a closed air duct from the air inlet 17 to the main part of the cooling module 23, which is mounted on the mounting bracket 1.

[0022] As in the Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the radiator louvre 19 has a circumferential support frame 31 in which the adjustable flaps 32 are arranged to be adjustable about horizontal pivot axes. Elastically compliant sealing lips 35 are molded onto the circumferential plastic support frame 31. When the radiator louvre 19 is installed, these lips form a sealing connection with the lateral air guide elements 29, as well as with the upper bumper cross member 3 and the lower pedestrian protection cross member 13, to prevent air leakage.

[0023] As mentioned above, the radiator shutter 19 is arranged together with the bumper crossmember 3 in a common vertical transverse plane. According to the Fig. In this figure, the radiator shutter with its support frame 31 is offset by a longitudinal offset Δx from a front edge 36 of the bumper crossmember 3 to the rear. A deformation clearance d is present between the radiator shutter 19 and the main part of the cooling module 25, which is indicated by a dashed line. In normal operation, incoming cooling air is guided to the main part of the cooling module 25 via the deformation clearance d.

[0024] Due to the two-part design of the cooling module 23, with the additional component (radiator louvers 19) arranged on the bumper crossmember 3 and the main part of the cooling module 25, which is attached to the mounting bracket 1, the installation depth of the main part of the cooling module 25 can be reduced. This reduction in installation depth, in turn, allows the free deformation path d between the bumper crossmember 3 and the main part of the cooling module to be increased.

[0025] In the Fig.Figure 4 shows a top view of a low-speed frontal impact (RCAR crash) in which the vehicle collided with a non-deformable barrier 39. Consequently, the right side of the bumper crossmember 3 is depressed rearward, utilizing the free deformation path d. The right crash box 5 is deformed to a block dimension. The free deformation path d is designed such that the main cooling module part 25, which is held in the mounting bracket 1, remains undamaged. In contrast, the additional component 19, attached below the bumper crossmember 3, is displaced rearward along with the bumper crossmember 3, but is itself undamaged.

Claims

[1] Front end module for a motor vehicle, comprising a bumper cross member (3) that can be attached to vehicle longitudinal members and a mounting carrier (1) for a cooling module (23) with cooling components (20 to 22) positioned behind it in the longitudinal direction (x) of the vehicle at a distance (d), which mounting carrier (1) is attached laterally to the bumper cross member (3) in the transverse direction (y) of the vehicle, wherein at least one additional component (19) associated with the cooling module (23) is attached to the bumper cross member (3) independently of the mounting carrier (1), and wherein the bumper cross member (3) is fixed at its two lateral ends to the front longitudinal body members of the vehicle via crash boxes (5) and via a bulkhead plate (7) on each side, and wherein the mounting support (1) is supported at its lateral frame strips (9) at connection points (11) of the bulkhead plates (7). [2] Frontend module according to claim 1, characterized by, that the additional component (19) is an adjustable cooling louver for demand-based control of the required cooling air quantity. [3] Frontend module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the additional component (19) is arranged vertically aligned below the bumper cross member (3). [4] Frontend module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the additional component (19) is set back by a longitudinal offset (Δx) from the front edge (36) of the bumper cross member (3). [5] Frontend module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the bumper cross member (3) is connected via vertical struts (15) to a pedestrian protection cross member (13) which form a closed cross member frame (16) in which the additional component (19) is arranged. [6] Frontend module according to claim 5, characterized by, that the additional component (19) has circumferentially extending, elastically flexible sealing lips (35) which are in sealing contact with the outer crossbeam frame (16) in order to avoid flow gaps. [7] Frontend module according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by , that the additional component (19) is rigidly connected to the bumper cross member (3), while the additional component (19) is elastically flexible in contact with the vertical struts (15) and the pedestrian protection cross member (13) via the sealing lips (35). [8] Frontend module according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least one component holder (27) is attached to the bumper cross member (3), to which the additional component (19) is attached. [9] Frontend module according to claim 8, characterized by , that the component holder (27) protrudes downwards from the bumper cross member (3). [10] Frontend module according to claim 8, characterized by, that air guide elements (29) are arranged between the cross member frame (16) and the mounting carrier (1) arranged behind it in the longitudinal direction (x) of the vehicle, and that the additional component (19) is arranged within the air guide elements (29) and thus in an airtight system.

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