Spoiler lip for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A spoiler lip for a motor vehicle, comprising a lip section (20) extending over a large part of the vehicle width and predominantly in the vehicle vertical direction and in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein the lip section (20) comprises a design section (24) and at least one support section (26) and is designed as a multi-component component made of at least two different materials, wherein the design section (24) is made of a first material and the support section (26) is made of a second material, wherein the design section (24) and the support section (26) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that the support section (26) extends, at least in a partial area, over at least 50 percent of the height of the respective lip section (20), characterized in that the support section (26) is designed in a segment-like manner and, viewed in the vehicle transverse direction, comprises a plurality of segments (30).which alternate with material recesses (28) and / or elastically formed material sections.,

Description

The invention relates to a spoiler lip for a motor vehicle.DE 103 25 652 B4 discloses a method for producing a spoiler lip of an air guiding device in a motor vehicle, which spoiler lip is produced from a fiber composite material having an extensible and elastic matrix. According to this method, a channel for a flexurally elastic element extending along a free end of the spoiler lip is left free in the production mold by placing a core in the production mold. The spoiler lip is an active spoiler lip which can be displaced via an inflatable actuating element from a substantially horizontal rest position into a substantially vertical operating position.DE 10 2010 053 302 A1 discloses connecting arrangements for the detachable connection of a spoiler part to a bumper of a vehicle. In this case, a holding element and a contact element are formed on the spoiler part in the manner of a film hinge in such a way that the contact region and the holding element engage around a projecting edge of the bumper and the projecting edge is arranged so as to lie against the film hinge. The structure of the spoiler part is not described in detail.DE 10 2009 034 517 A1 discloses an air guiding device for the front and / or rear region of a motor vehicle. In particular, the air guiding device should be arranged in the region of the outer corners of the motor vehicle. The air guiding device can be provided with a coating which is intended to protect against scratches and damage.DE 87 00 476 U1 discloses a device for increasing the contact pressure for the traction of motor vehicles in the form of a front apron. This front apron has a fully integrated bumper at the upper edge and a circumferential, retracted hollow sweeping with an adjoining bead-like spoiler lip at the lower edge. The spoiler lip is an integral component in this device. The structure of the spoiler lip itself is not described in detail.The object of the invention is to provide a spoiler lip which, on the one hand, has a certain dimensional stability and, on the other hand, is suitable for absorbing impact forces acting from the vehicle front side and / or from the vehicle underside, without damage occurring to the spoiler lip itself or to a component directly or indirectly connected to the spoiler lip. Such forces occur in particular when a motor vehicle passes over obstacles or when a front end of a motor vehicle comes into contact with a curbstone (road surface).The object is achieved according to the invention by a spoiler lip having the features of claim 1.A spoiler lip according to the invention for a motor vehicle comprises a lip section which extends over a large part of the vehicle width and predominantly in the vehicle vertical direction, wherein the lip section comprises a design section and at least one support section and is designed as a multicomponent component made from at least two different materials. The design section is made of a first material and the support section is made of a second material. Furthermore, the design portion and the support portion are arranged with respect to one another such that the support portion extends over at least 50 percent of the height of the lip portion at least in a sub-region of the width of the lip portion. The support section is configured in the manner of a segment and, viewed in the vehicle transverse direction, comprises a multiplicity of segments which alternate with material recesses and / or material sections configured in an elastic manner. By a majority of the vehicle width is meant that the width of the spoiler lip relative to the maximum vehicle width is at least 40 percent, preferably at least 60 percent and more preferably at least 70 percent. The design section is preferably arranged in the visual range of the motor vehicle. This means the areas that the observer of a motor vehicle perceives from the outside in road traffic, for example the outside of a front end of a vehicle. The support section is preferably arranged outside the visible range of the motor vehicle, for example on the side of a spoiler lip arranged in the region of the front end oriented toward the rear side of the vehicle. With regard to the segment-like configuration of the support section, reference is made in particular to segments which extend in the tooth-like manner from a material bridge connecting the segments in the upper region in the direction of the base. Between the segments, material recesses may be provided, or the intermediate space may be filled with an elastic material. With regard to filling the intermediate spaces with an elastic material, reference is made in particular to the possibility of extending the design portion into the intermediate spaces, so that segments of the support portion made of the second material and the design portion made of the first material, which design portion extends to the rear as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction, are arranged alternately on the side of the lip portion opposite the viewing region. A spoiler lip having the features of claim 1 makes it possible, on the one hand, to achieve a desired dimensional stability by suitable selection and arrangement of the first material and of the second material in the lip section and, on the other hand, to absorb impact forces acting from the vehicle front side and / or from the vehicle underside, without damage occurring to the spoiler lip itself or to a component directly or indirectly connected to the spoiler lip.This applies in particular to such embodiments in which the design section is made of an elastic, in particular flexurally elastic material, which can temporarily elastically deform, in particular in order to absorb forces such as those mentioned above, and in which the support section is made of a less elastic material, but does not lie over the full surface on the design section, but is designed in such a way that the support section, on account of its geometric configuration, permits a certain bending and / or torsion without damage. Examples of suitable configurations of the support section having the above properties are in particular:• Segment-like designs, in particular those in which a plurality of segments extending in the vehicle vertical direction are arranged spaced apart from one another in the vehicle transverse direction, which segments are connected to one another via at least one material bridge (e.g. in the upper, middle and / or lower region) and are thus lockable relative to one another,• grid-like configurations which permit torsion and / or bending of the supporting section,• Configurations in which, by film hinge-like sections and / or partially reduced material thickness (as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction), desired bending points and / or desired torsion points are provided in the support section.In particular in the case of the segment-like configuration, the segments can be displaced relative to one another in order to absorb forces acting on the lip portion, in particular in the lower region, by deformation or displacement or "to escape" said lip portion.In a practical embodiment of a spoiler lip according to the invention, the lip section and the support section are planar elements. This means in particular elements whose component thickness is only a fraction of the length or width (the comparison should be made with respect to the dimension that follows closest in terms of size), in particular less than 20 percent, preferably less than 10 percent and particularly preferably less than 5 percent. It is likewise preferred if the design section directly adjoins the support section over a large surface area via at least one connecting surface, preferably via one connecting surface or a plurality of connecting surfaces which predominantly extend in the vehicle vertical direction (z direction) and in the vehicle transverse direction (y direction), with the result that a particularly stable connection can be produced and detachment of the design section from the support section is counteracted, in particular if forces act from the front and / or from below on the lip section of the spoiler lip.The design section and the support section are preferably elements which extend predominantly in the vehicle vertical direction and in the vehicle transverse direction and are arranged so as to bear directly against one another. In the case of a configuration that bears against one another, a homogeneous, design-responsive visible surface can be produced in the region of the design section with the aid of the support section, in particular if said support section is configured to be smooth in the region adjoining the design section.As already indicated above, an elastic (in particular a flexurally elastic) material is preferably selected as the first material of the design section of a spoiler lip according to the invention. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), in particular those based on olefin (TPO), can be used as the first material, for example.The second material of the support section of a spoiler lip according to the invention is preferably a material with reduced elasticity compared to the first material, in particular a flexurally rigid material. Polypropylene materials (PP), for example, can be used as the second material, in particular reinforced polypropylene materials, such as talc-reinforced polypropylene, for example.It is preferred if, as viewed in the vehicle vertical direction, a retaining section extending predominantly in the vehicle transverse direction and in the vehicle longitudinal direction adjoins in the upper region of the lip section. With the aid of such a holding section, the spoiler lip according to the invention can be connected firmly to other elements of a motor vehicle in a simple and cost-effective manner, for example by means of a screw connection, rivet connection and / or clip connection to a bumper and / or a mounting bracket, in particular a mounting bracket which is made of plastic and is designed in the manner of a frame, in a front end of a motor vehicle.A material bridge mentioned above can be formed in particular in that the support section is formed integrally with a holding section and the support section extends downward from the holding section as viewed in the vehicle vertical direction. Regardless of whether the holding section serves as a material bridge, the one-piece configuration of the supporting section and holding section is also preferred because of the simple and cost-effective production and the resulting high bending stiffness.If the holding section extends both forwardly and rearwardly as viewed from the supporting section in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the form of two holding sections, a T-shaped configuration with a particularly high bending stiffness results in the cross section (sectional plane oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction). Such a configuration also makes it possible to fasten the spoiler lip, as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction, in front of or behind the plane of the lip portion extending in the vehicle vertical direction. This is advantageous with regard to the absorption of forces acting on the spoiler lip, since forces acting from the front and from the rear on the spoiler lip can likewise be absorbed via the limbs of the holding section which extend in two directions.If the holding section of a spoiler lip according to the invention has at least one C-shaped end section in order to receive an end section of a connecting component in a clamping manner, the connection of the spoiler lip to other connecting components of a motor vehicle and thus also the absorption of external forces by the spoiler lip can be further improved.An advantageous increase in the bending stiffness of spoiler lips according to the invention in the vehicle vertical direction about bending axes running in the vehicle transverse direction results if the support section extends at least partially (for example in the region of segments of the support section) over at least 75 percent of the height of the lip section. The height of the lip section means the section of the spoiler lip extending predominantly in the vehicle vertical direction. It is particularly preferred if the support section extends at least partially over at least 80 percent of the height of the lip section, further preferably over at least 90 percent.According to further practical embodiments of a spoiler lip according to the invention, said spoiler lip has at least one of the following features: a) The design section (and optionally also the support section) extends over at least 50 percent of the maximum width of the motor vehicle. The sections preferably extend over at least 70 percent of the maximum vehicle width, further preferably over at least 80 percent. b) The design section (and optionally the support section) has a curved contour as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction. c) The design section and the support section have a tooth-like connecting surface as viewed in the vehicle vertical direction and / or as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction. d) Regions of the support section formed as segments are connected to one another via material bridges and / or film hinges. e) The spoiler lip is formed as a fixed, non-driven spoiler lip and is fixedly connected to another vehicle part. f) The spoiler lip is connected by injection molding to another element of a motor vehicle. In particular, a holding section of a spoiler lip according to the invention can be injection-molded onto another element or can be formed integrally therewith. A bumper and / or a plastic mounting bracket in particular may be used as connecting element(s). Separate assembly work, such as screws, rivets, clips, etc., can then be omitted, resulting in favorable production.Further practical embodiments of the invention are described below in conjunction with the drawings. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a front bumper of a motor vehicle with a spoiler lip according to the invention in a view from the front, FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the lip section of the spoiler lip from FIG. 1 in a sectional illustration according to the line A-A in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows an enlarged illustration of the region of the spoiler lip from FIGS. 1 and 2 denoted by III in FIG. 2 , FIG. 4 shows a sectional illustration of the spoiler lip from FIGS. 1-3 along the line B-B in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the spoiler lip from FIGS. 1-4 along the line C-C in FIG. 3 ; and FIG. 6 shows a view of the lip section of the spoiler lip from FIGS. 1-5 in a view according to the arrow VI in FIG. 3.FIG. 1 shows a front bumper 10 of a motor vehicle, not shown. Two fog lamps 12 and a ventilation grille 14 are arranged in the bumper 10. Furthermore, a spoiler lip 16 according to the invention is arranged on the underside of the bumper 10 directed toward the ground. In the embodiment shown, the spoiler lip is produced as a separate component and is firmly connected to the bumper 10 shown and to a mounting bracket, not shown. This is a so-called integrated spoiler lip 16 which is arranged in a fixed manner and is not driven. The spoiler lip 16 therefore always remains in the position shown when the motor vehicle on which the bumper 10 is mounted is used as intended. In particular, the spoiler lip is not actively pivotable or is movable in another way in order to be able to move it between a rest position and an operating position.FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration (horizontal section) through a lip section 20 of the spoiler lip 16 according to the invention. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the spoiler lip 16 is designed to be curved rearwardly in each case as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction (y direction) from a front-most central region 18-as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x direction)-toward the outer sides for aerodynamic reasons.FIG. 3 shows the region marked III in FIG. 2 in an enlarged representation by way of example for the entire spoiler lip 16. As can be seen from the regions respectively shown with hatching in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and 5, the spoiler lip 16 comprises a lip portion 20 extending predominantly in the vehicle vertical direction (y direction) and two holding portions 22 a, 22 bextending predominantly in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x direction), wherein the holding portions 22 a, 22 bare arranged together with the lip portion 20 in a T-shaped manner.The lip section 20 is designed as a multi-component component with a design section 24 arranged in the viewing area S and a support section 26 arranged outside the viewing area S. The design portion 24 is formed from a first material, and the support portion 26 is formed from a second material different from the first material. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the first material is a flexurally elastic plastic, in particular a thermoplastic. The second material is an essentially dimensionally stable material, in particular a thermosetting plastic.As can be clearly seen in FIGS. 3 and 6, the support section 26 in the embodiment shown is configured in the manner of segments, i.e. a plurality of tooth-like segments 30 having a width Bs (measured in the direction of extent of the segments 30) are arranged alternately with material recesses 28 as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction (y direction). The height Hs of the segments 30 (measured in the direction of extension of the segments) is entered in FIGS. 4 and 5. It can also be seen in these figures that the material thickness Ds in the region of the segments extending over the height Hs is reduced compared to the material thickness of the base region 32 of the support section 26 adjoining the upper side of the segments 30 and extending over the width of the spoiler lip 16.The holding sections 22 a, 22 band the supporting section including the base region 32 and segments 30 are formed integrally from plastic in the embodiment shown. The design portion 20 is also formed of plastic, but of a different plastic with a higher elasticity. In the embodiment shown, the design section 20 is produced by injection molding onto the base region 32 and the segments 30. The spoiler lip 16 is therefore produced as a two-component injection-molded part.As can be seen in FIG. 4, a c-shaped end section 34 is formed on the holding section 22 aat its open end. This serves to arrange the end section in a clamping manner around an open end of a bumper and to connect it firmly to the latter via connecting elements, not shown. The holding section 22 bis likewise connected to a mounting support via connecting elements, not shown, so that the orientation of the spoiler lip 16 relative to the body of the motor vehicle, not shown, is fixed.In FIG. 3, the dashed lines 36 indicate a further alternative variant in which the design section 24 of the first material extends into the region between the segments 30 and additionally fills the regions marked with the dashed lines 36 with material.The features of the invention disclosed in the present description, in the drawings and in the claims can be essential, both individually and in any combinations, for the realisation of the invention in its various embodiments. The invention can be varied within the scope of the claims and taking into account the knowledge of the responsible person skilled in the art.List of reference characters10 Bumper 12 Fog lamp 14 Ventilation grille 16 Spoiler lip 18 Central region 20 Lip portion 22 a, b Retaining portion 24 Design portion 26 Support portion 28 Material cutout 30 Segment 32 Base region 34 C-shaped end portion 36 Dashed lines

Claims

Spoiler lip for a motor vehicle having a lip portion (20) which extends over a large part of the vehicle width and predominantly in the vehicle vertical direction and in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein the lip portion (20) comprises a design portion (24) and at least one support portion (26) and is formed as a multicomponent component from at least two different materials, wherein the design portion (24) is produced from a first material and the support portion (26) is produced from a second material, wherein the design portion (24) and the support portion (26) are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that the support portion (26) extends over at least 50 percent of the height of the respective lip portion (20) at least in a partial region, characterized in that the support portion (26) is of segment-like configuration and comprises, as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction, a multiplicity of segments (30) which alternate with material recesses (28) and / or elastically configured material portions.Spoiler lip according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the lip portion (20) and the support portion (26) are planar elements.Spoiler lip according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first material of the design portion (24) is an elastic material and / or the second material of the support portion (26) is a material having reduced elasticity compared to the first material.Spoiler lip according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, viewed in the vehicle vertical direction, a retaining section (22a, 22b) which extends predominantly in the vehicle transverse direction and in the vehicle longitudinal direction adjoins in the upper region of the lip section (20).Spoiler lip according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the holding section (22a, 22b) is formed integrally with the supporting section (26) from the second material.Spoiler lip according to one or more of Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the holding section (22a, 22b) extends both forwards and backwards from the supporting section (26), as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction.Spoiler lip according to one or more of Claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the holding section (22a, 22b) has at least one end section which is of C-shaped configuration in order to receive an end section of a connecting component in a clamping manner.Spoiler lip according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support section (26) extends at least partially over at least 75 percent of the height of the lip section (20).Spoiler lip according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a) the design section (24) extends over at least 50 percent of the maximum width of the motor vehicle, b) the design section (24) has a curved contour as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction, c) the design section (24) and the support section (26) have a tooth-like connecting surface as viewed in the vehicle vertical direction and / or as viewed in the vehicle transverse direction, d) regions of the support section (26) formed as segments (30) are connected to one another via material webs and / or film hinges, e) the spoiler lip (16) is formed as a fixed, non-driven spoiler lip (16) and is fixedly connected to another vehicle part, and / or f) the spoiler lip (16) is connected by injection molding to another element of a motor vehicle.

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