Deformation element for a motor vehicle and door interior module for a vehicle side door

Abstract

Deformation element for occupant protection in a motor vehicle, comprising a pot-shaped hollow profile section (17, 19) with a side wall (21) arranged at least partially rotationally symmetrically about the pot axis (A), a pot bottom side (23) facing away from the crash, and a top side (25) facing the crash, wherein the side wall (21) of the pot-shaped hollow profile section (17, 19) has at least one helical structure (27, 28, 29), characterized in that the helical structure (27, 28, 29) formed in the side wall (21) is truss-like with struts (31) and intermediate openings (33), and that the struts (31) are tilted with respect to the pot axis (A) by an angle of attack (α1, α2, α3), such that the pot-shaped hollow profile section (17, 19) deforms upon application of a force (F) in the direction the pot axis (A) under a torsional movement (II) a , II b , II c ) the side wall (21) is deformed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a deformation element, in particular for occupant protection in a motor vehicle, according to the preamble of claim 1 and a door interior module for a vehicle side door according to claim 9.

[0002] In vehicle construction, the use of energy-absorbing deformation elements for occupant or pedestrian protection is common practice. These deformation elements are designed according to the specific load case, for example, a frontal or side collision.

[0003] From EP 0 683 072 B1, such a deformation element is known, which can be designed for occupant protection in a vehicle. The deformation element is a cup-shaped hollow profile in the form of a stepped pyramid or a terraced arrangement. The cup-shaped hollow profile is designed for the application of a force in the direction of the cup axis of the hollow profile during a crash. The stepped transitions on the side wall of the cup form stepped shear zones. These shear zones result in successive shear processes during the crash, thereby dissipating the introduced crash energy.

[0004] Based on this, the impact pot known from DE 20 2004 009 916 U1 has been further developed in such a way that the stepped shear zones are formed on the outside in the form of a spiral around a conical base body of the impact pot-like hollow profile part.

[0005] In both DE 20 2004 009 916 U1 and EP 0 683 072 B1, the deformation work in the event of a crash is limited to the shear processes taking place in the impact pot parallel to the pot axis.

[0006] From further DE 198 46 419 A1, the application of a deformation element in an interior door module for a vehicle side door is known. The vehicle side door has an interior panel with a recess for a storage compartment. The rear wall of the storage compartment, which is offset outwards in the transverse direction of the vehicle, is designed as a deformation element with a deformation structure. In a side-impact collision, the deformation element acts as a crash pad, protecting the pelvic area of ​​the vehicle occupant.

[0007] A deformation element of this type is known from DE 20 2007 012 205 U1. Another deformation element is known from DE 69 38 909 U.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a deformation element or a door inner module for a vehicle side door in which favorable deformation behavior can be achieved in a structurally simple manner.

[0009] The problem is solved by the features of claim 1 or claim 9. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0010] The invention is based on the fact that, in a known impact cup design, the dissipation of deformation energy in a crash occurs exclusively through deformation along the cup axis. Against this background, the invention provides that the side wall of the impact cup-shaped hollow profile section has at least a helical structure. With this helical structure, the impact cup-shaped hollow profile section can be deformed by a torsional movement of the side wall when a force is applied along the cup axis. In a crash, the dissipation of deformation energy thus occurs not only through deformation of the impact cup along the cup axis, but also through a torsional movement of the impact cup. In this way, compared to known deformation elements, a significantly greater dissipation of deformation energy can be achieved for the same component weight.

[0011] The helical structure formed in the side wall can generally be any type of torsional mechanism that, upon impact during a crash, causes a torsional movement of the side wall in the direction of the pot axis. For a simple and particularly lightweight design, the helical structure in the side wall is truss-like, meaning it has struts and intermediate openings. The struts of the helical structure can be uniformly distributed around the circumference. To impose a torsional movement, the struts are tilted at a predetermined angle relative to the pot axis. For a more uniform crash behavior, the struts of the helical structure can preferably run parallel to each other, but at an angle.

[0012] The deformation element must be designed such that a torsional movement is reliably imposed on the side wall of the impact cup in the event of a crash. Against this background, it is particularly advantageous if the helical structure has at least one ring-shaped closed frame, especially on the bottom side of the impact cup and / or on the top side of the impact cup-shaped hollow profile section. The struts can be attached to the ring-shaped frame in one piece and with a single piece of material, forming nodes.

[0013] Generally, it is advantageous if the helical structure is integrated in one piece and made of a single material within the impact-cup-shaped hollow profile section. In a preferred embodiment, the deformation element can be a plastic component manufactured, for example, by injection molding. The deformation element can be particularly advantageously made of a natural fiber-reinforced plastic material. Studies on deformation behavior show that natural fiber-reinforced plastics do not tend to splinter in the event of a crash.

[0014] The truss-like struts of the helical structure, together with the ring-shaped closed frame, can define diamond-shaped openings on both the bottom and top sides of the pot. In the event of a crash, when a force is applied in the direction of the pot axis, deformation work can be performed by torsional movement of the side wall and by reducing the distance between the bottom and top frames, until the impact-cup-shaped hollow profile section is deformed to a solid block size.

[0015] In a crash scenario according to the invention, the impact force is introduced into the impact cup on the crash-facing side in the direction of the pot axis A. This causes the impact cup to deform, starting from its height in the undeformed state, in a first deformation movement in the direction of the pot axis, i.e., in a linear direction parallel to the axis, up to a maximum block dimension b. Simultaneously with this first deformation movement, a torsional movement is imposed on the impact cup. This torsional movement occurs when the struts fold over, causing the intermediate frames as well as the top and bottom frames of the impact cup to twist relative to each other.

[0016] To increase component stiffness, it is advantageous if the hollow profile section is designed in a frustoconical shape with a side wall forming the cone's outer surface. Furthermore, for favorable crash behavior, it is beneficial if the deformation element has several, at least two, successive helical structures oriented along the axis of the hollow section. A first helical structure can be designed to twist in a first direction during a crash, while the second helical structure may be twistable in the opposite direction. A subsequent third helical structure can then again be designed to twist in the first direction, thus ensuring reliable torsional movements of the helical structures overall.

[0017] It is structurally preferred if the first and second helix structures merge into one another at a common annular frame. This means that the struts of the first helix structure and the struts of the second helix structure are connected to this common annular frame. To further increase component stiffness, the struts of the first helix structure and the struts of the second helix structure can each converge at common nodes on the annular frame. Furthermore, the struts of the first helix structure and the struts of the second helix structure can each be designed with different angles of attack.

[0018] In a particularly preferred application, the deformation element can be installed in an inner door module for a vehicle side door. The position of the deformation element can correspond approximately to the pelvic area of ​​the vehicle occupant. The inner door module can have an interior trim panel with a recess for a storage compartment. The storage compartment can have a rear wall that is offset outwards in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This rear wall is preferably designed as the deformation element according to the invention.

[0019] The advantageous embodiments and / or further developments of the invention described above and / or set out 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.

[0020] The invention and its advantageous developments and refinements, as well as their advantages, are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0021] They show: Fig. 1 in a perspective side view starting from the vehicle interior, a door interior module for a vehicle side door not shown; Fig. 2 in a partial sectional view, the inner door module along a section plane II from the Fig. 1; Fig. 3 in a perspective view as well as, on its own, a plastic component that can be installed in the inner door module; and Fig. 4 one of the two impact cup-shaped hollow profile parts of the plastic component in perspective view as well as with indicated torsional movements of the helical structures integrated in the side wall of the hollow profile part when a force is applied.

[0022] In the Fig. Figure 1 shows a roughly schematic representation of an inner door module for a vehicle side door, which has an inner trim panel 1 on its side facing the vehicle interior. The inner door module is assembled with an outer door panel (not shown) on its side facing away from the vehicle interior to form the vehicle side door. In its installed position with the vehicle door closed, the inner door module lies approximately in a plane spanned between the vehicle's longitudinal direction x and its vertical direction z, as shown in the Fig. 1 is indicated.

[0023] As from the Fig. As can be seen from Figure 1, the inner door module is closed off at the top by a door sill 2, in the area of ​​which a door opener 3 is integrated. Below the door sill 2 is an approximately horizontal armrest 5, which partially projects into a shell-shaped recess 7 of the inner paneling part 1.

[0024] A storage compartment 9 is provided in the lower half of the inner door module. The storage compartment 9 is accessible via a recess 11 provided in the inner trim panel 1. The storage space 12 ( Fig. 2) The storage compartment 9 is bounded outwards in the transverse direction y of the vehicle, among other things by a plastic component 13. The plastic component 13 is attached via lateral mounting flanges 14 ( Fig. 3) mounted on the interior trim part 1 and has a boundary wall 15 which, in the installation state shown, forms a storage compartment rear wall accessible from the storage space 12.

[0025] The plastic component 13 is designed as a deformation element with two impact-cup-shaped hollow profile parts 17, 19. In the Fig. In the installation position shown in Figure 1, the plastic component 13, viewed in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle, is arranged at approximately the same height as the pelvic area of ​​a vehicle occupant.

[0026] The plastic component 13 consists of a plate-shaped base body 16, to which the mounting flanges 14 are molded, and a boundary wall 15 surrounded by the mounting flanges 14. The two adjacent impact cups 17, 19 are integrated into the boundary wall 15 as hollow profile parts. The base body 16 and the boundary wall 15 are made of a single material and are manufactured in one piece, for example, by injection molding. Compared to a conventionally used plastic, natural fiber-reinforced plastic is more advantageous in terms of accident resistance, as it does not tend to splinter in a crash. In the, in the Fig. 1 and Fig. In the installation position shown in Figure 2, the impact pots 17, 19 protrude outwards in the transverse direction y of the vehicle. On the side facing the storage compartment 12, the two impact pots 17, 19 form a negative cavity structure that extends the storage compartment 12 outwards in the transverse direction y of the vehicle. In a side-impact collision, the two impact pots 17, 19 can dissipate deformation energy through plastic deformation.

[0027] Each of the two impact cups 17, 19 is essentially rotationally symmetrical about a cup axis A, with a circumferential side wall 21 (only in the Fig. 1 indicated) as well as a crash-away pot base side 23 and a crash-facing cover side 25, as is only found in the Fig. 4 is shown with reference numbers. In which, in the Fig. In the impact cup 17 shown on the left, a total of three helical structures 27, 28, 29 are integrated into the side wall 21. The helical structures 27, 28, 29 are arranged successively in the direction of the cup axis A. Each of the helical structures 27, 28, 29 is constructed in a truss-like manner with struts 31 and intermediate openings 33. Each helical structure 27, 28, 29 provides a torsional mechanism which, when a force is applied in the direction of the cup axis A ( Fig. 4) to the respective impact pot 17, 19 a torsional movement II a , II b , II c around the pot axis A, as will be described later.

[0028] According to the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 the basic body 16 of the plastic component 13 goes to the bottom side 23 of the pot ( Fig. 4) into a ring-shaped closed base frame 34, with which the struts 31 of the first helical structure 27 ( Fig. 3) are connected at nodes K. At the transition between the first helix structure 27 and the second helix structure 28, according to the Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 A ring-shaped intermediate frame 35 is arranged, which is connected to the struts 31 of the first / second helix structures 27, 28. The same applies to the intermediate frame 35 at the transition from the second helix structure 28 to the third helix structure 29.

[0029] The struts 31 of the first helix structure 27 are according to the Fig. The struts 31 of the first helical structure 27 are inclined at an angle α1 with respect to the pot axis A and are arranged with uniform circumferential distribution and constant angles α1 around the pot axis A. The struts 31 thus extend parallel to each other between the base frame 34 and the intermediate frame 35. Accordingly, the struts 31 and the two frames 34, 35 define circumferential rhomboid openings 33 in a parallelogram-like fashion.

[0030] Furthermore, each of the helix structures 27, 28, 29 is frustoconical in shape with a circumferential conical shell. The conical shells of the helix structures 27, 28, 29 are, according to the Fig. 3 different cone angles β1, β2, β3 are provided. In addition, the cone walls merge into each other at the intermediate frame 35.

[0031] To better stiffen the impact pot 7, the struts 31 of the first, second or third helix structure 27, 28, 29 do not run offset to each other in the circumferential direction on the two intermediate frames 35, but rather meet in a star shape.

[0032] With regard to the Fig.Section 4 below describes a crash scenario using the impact cup 17 as an example, in which an impact force F is applied in the direction of the cup axis A. Accordingly, the impact cup 17, starting from its actual height h, is deformed in a first deformation movement I in the direction of the cup axis A, i.e., in a linear direction parallel to the axis, up to a maximum block dimension b. Simultaneously with the deformation movement I, the impact cup 17 undergoes torsional movements II. a , II b The impact pot is subjected to different directions of rotation. The reduction of the impact pot height h to the block dimension b is achieved by folding over the struts 31, which causes the intermediate frames 35 and the top and bottom frames 35, 36 to rotate relative to each other.

Claims

[1] Deformation element for occupant protection in a motor vehicle, comprising a pot-shaped hollow profile part (17, 19) with a side wall (21) arranged at least partially rotationally symmetrically about the pot axis (A), a pot bottom side (23) facing away from the crash and a top side (25) facing the crash, wherein the side wall (21) of the pot-shaped hollow profile part (17, 19) has at least a helical structure (27, 28, 29), characterized by , that the helical structure (27, 28, 29) formed in the side wall (21) is truss-like with struts (31) and intermediate openings (33), and that the struts (31) are tilted with respect to the pot axis (A) by an angle of attack (α1, α2, α3), so that the impact-cup-shaped hollow profile part (17, 19) undergoes a torsional movement (II) when a force (F) is applied in the direction of the pot axis (A). a , II b , II c ) the side wall (21) is deformed. [2] Deformation element according to claim 1, characterized by , that the struts (31) are uniformly distributed around the circumference. [3] Deformation element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the helix structure (27, 28, 29) on the bottom side of the pot (23) and / or on the top side (25) has at least one ring-shaped closed frame (34, 35, 36) which is connected to the struts (31) by forming nodes (K). [4] Deformation element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by that the struts (31) run parallel to each other and / or that the struts (31) together with the frame (34, 35, 36) define diamond-shaped openings (33). [5] Deformation element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the hollow profile part (17, 19) is designed in a frustoconical shape with a side wall (21) forming the conical shell. [6] Deformation element according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the deformation element (13) has at least two successive helical structures (27, 28, 29) in the direction of the pot axis (A), and that the first helical structure (27) in a first direction of rotation (II a ) and the second helix structure (29) in a opposite direction (II b are torsionally adjustable. [7] Deformation element according to claim 6, characterized by , that the helix structures (27, 28, 29) merge into each other at at least one intermediate frame (35), and that the struts (31) of the helix structures (27, 28, 29) are connected to the intermediate frame (35). [8] Deformation element according to claim 7, characterized by , that the struts (31) of the helix structures (27, 28, 29) are aligned with different angles of attack (α1, α2 α3), and / or that the struts (31) of the helix structures (27, 28, 29) converge in a star shape at common nodes (K) on the ring-shaped frame (35). [9] Door interior module for a vehicle side door with an interior trim part (1) having a recess (11) for a storage compartment (9) having a storage compartment rear wall offset outwards in the transverse direction (y) of the vehicle, which is a deformation element (13) according to one of the preceding claims.

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