Rear spoiler

Abstract

A multi-part rear spoiler (1) comprising a base carrier (2) connectable to a motor vehicle body and an upper shell (3) arranged on the base carrier (2), wherein the upper shell (3) and the base carrier (2) are connected to each other by at least three positive locking connections which differ in their respective complementary interlocking means and wherein a first positive locking connection is a latching pawl connection (4) formed internally in an end-face transition area (7) in the rear spoiler (1), in which at least a first positive locking means formed as a latch (19) engages at least partially behind a first complementary positive locking means formed as a latch handle (20) and a second positive locking connection is an overlap connection (5) formed in a rear-face area (8) of the rear spoiler (1) spaced apart from the end-face transition area (7),in which a second form-locking element shaped as a lip (25) and a second complementary form-locking element shaped as a counter-lip (26) at least partially interlock each other, wherein the first form-locking connection realizes a form-lock at least along the longitudinal axis and the second form-locking connection realizes a form-lock at least on one side of the vertical axis, in the direction of the upper shell (3) as well as at least on one side of the longitudinal axis in the direction of the front transition area, and in addition a third form-locking connection is formed in side wall areas (9) of the rear spoiler (1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a multi-part rear spoiler comprising a base carrier connectable to the body of a motor vehicle and an upper shell arranged on the base carrier. The upper shell and base carrier are connected to each other via positive-locking connections that differ in their respective complementary interlocking means. A first positive-locking connection is formed in a frontal transition area, and a second positive-locking connection is formed in a rearward area of ​​the rear spoiler spaced apart from the frontal transition area. At least three positive-locking connections are also provided between the upper shell and the base carrier.

[0002] The joining of multi-component body panels of a motor vehicle, especially aerodynamically effective body panels such as spoilers or wings consisting of an upper and lower shell, is largely achieved using material-bonding joining processes. These primarily involve adhesive bonding or suitable welding processes such as friction welding, needle welding, or ultrasonic welding.

[0003] However, these bonding methods carry the risk that process variations during gluing or welding may result in an insufficient bond between the components. In the worst-case scenario, this can lead to one or more components detaching from the vehicle, posing a significant hazard to road traffic, especially during operation. Therefore, complex testing procedures are necessary to identify and reject body panels with insufficient bonding. These testing procedures are, however, extremely time-consuming and thus costly.

[0004] To prevent individual components from coming loose, it is advantageous to establish another or even a different mechanical connection between the components of the fairing part.

[0005] The disclosure in DE 10 2014 103 823 A1 relates to an interlocking concept for a rear spoiler or wing, which consists of an upper and a lower shell. The connection between the upper and lower shells is achieved via hook elements formed on a sliding strip of the lower shell, which engage in corresponding receptacles on the upper shell when the sliding strip is moved horizontally. Specifically, both the upper and lower shells are each formed in two parts, with the sliding strip attached to a support component of the lower shell and the receptacles attached to a functional strip bonded to the upper shell.

[0006] German patent DE 10 2015 122 103 A1 also describes a fairing component for a motor vehicle, which can be designed as a spoiler. In this case, an upper shell of the fairing component is attached to a supporting component by deforming at least one of its two side walls, at least partially, using a sonotrode, such that it, or a part thereof, engages behind an adjacent flange or a stiffening rib. In the case of deformation on only one side, the upper shell has a locking projection on the side wall that is not to be deformed, against which the supporting component rests in a form-fitting manner.

[0007] Furthermore, patent DE 10 2016 214 834 A1 discloses a rear spoiler with interchangeable spoiler lips, each of which can be positively attached to a spoiler base consisting of an upper and a lower shell via a hook and a clip element. However, this design involves a detachable positive-locking connection at two points between the spoiler lips and the spoiler base, which can lead to the spoiler lip detaching during driving and thus pose a traffic hazard. While an adhesive connection is proposed as an alternative, this alone offers no advantages in this respect.

[0008] Furthermore, DE 10 2009 060 868 A1 discloses a connection arrangement for the adjustable attachment of a rear spoiler to a substructure, with fastening bolts, adjusting plate and combination element consisting of combination nut and combination washer as well as optional support flange and stop, wherein the distance and position of the spoiler can be changed and fixed by manual operation.

[0009] German patent DE 102 59 981 A1 discloses a body component, in particular a hood, comprising at least two plastic sandwich shells made of a thermoplastic outer shell and a thermoset inner shell. These shells are coupled via a pocket with openings arranged along the lower and lateral edges to form a loose plug-in connection and are additionally connected by screw connections, which fix vertically and allow relative movement in the plane. The patent also describes the connection design with the pocket and plug-in tabs, a motor vehicle with such a component, and an assembly method in which one shell is inserted into the pocket of the other parallel to the shell planes.

[0010] DE 103 42 168 A1 also describes a fastening device for a component held in a body recess, featuring V-shaped, forward-opening receptacles at the upper and lower recess areas and corresponding guide elements on the component, which define an upright pivot axis when inserted. A lateral retaining element engages behind one recess edge, and a spring-loaded locking element with a two-stage locking hook engages at the opposite edge. Disassembly is achieved by inserting a card into the gap at the locking area.

[0011] DE 10 2012 018 282 A1 describes a cover element arrangement at the front end with a hook-in and positioning bar with sealing element that can be inserted into a body-side rib receptacle, lower and lateral detachable fastenings including oversize or elongated hole connections for tolerance compensation, handles that engage through the cover and are attached and sealed via through-holes on the body, receiving openings with clipped-in sealing rings for wiper shafts, as well as an associated assembly method and a vehicle.

[0012] DE 102 49 419 B4 further discloses a glue-in roof module with outer skin and support frame, the connection of which is achieved via various snap-fit ​​solutions, for example by engagements in frame openings that are snapped into downwardly bent edge areas or tabs of the outer skin, by separate fastening elements with securing and pretensioning elements or by a decorative strip that clamps the outer skin to the support frame, and describes assembly procedures with a pre-assembled module or a frame that is glued in first.

[0013] DE 20 2014 101 058 U1 is a trim element with a plastic body and molded-on locking elements, to which an additional side locking element with a locking surface aligned parallel to the outer edge is assigned, whereby a lateral locking movement occurs during assembly in addition to the main direction, optionally with several clips and in particular as a triangular partial cover of a rear spoiler as well as a vehicle component with such an element.

[0014] German patent DE 10 2013 112 846 A1 describes an arrangement for fastening two body parts with a retaining strip pre-mounted on the first part and a retaining element attached to the second part. The second part is inserted into the retaining strip in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and aligned longitudinally, transversely, and vertically by means of groups of fastening and positioning elements. Alignment is achieved by a locking connection in the longitudinal direction and by tongue-and-groove seats and support ribs in the transverse and vertical directions. The final position is fixed by means of a screw connection. The retaining strip is pre-fixed and screwed to the first part by means of hook-like retaining devices, locking springs, and guide ribs.

[0015] DE 20 2015 100 661 U1 describes a side spoiler with a base carrier that can be connected to the body of a motor vehicle and an upper shell arranged on this base carrier, wherein the upper shell and base carrier are coupled by several positive-locking connections, the complementary positive-locking elements of which are each designed differently. A first positive-locking connection is located in the frontal transition area of ​​the side spoiler, a second is located in a rearward area opposite the frontal transition area. A total of at least three positive-locking connections are provided between the upper shell and the base carrier, which differ in their geometry and interact as coordinated counterparts.

[0016] Against this background, the invention is based on the objective of designing a rear spoiler of the type mentioned above in such a way that a secure and reliable connection between the upper shell and the base body of the rear spoiler can be ensured even without an adhesive bond.

[0017] This problem is solved with a rear spoiler according to the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous further developments of the invention.

[0018] According to the invention, a multi-part rear spoiler is provided, wherein the rear spoiler has a base carrier that can be connected to the body of a motor vehicle and an upper shell arranged on the base carrier, particularly when the rear spoiler is mounted on the motor vehicle, facing away from the body and at least partially covering the base carrier. The upper shell and the base carrier are connected to each other exclusively by at least three positive-locking connections that differ in their respective complementary – and therefore mutually complementary – interactions.Here, a first positive-locking connection is formed in a frontal transition area – and thus, in the installed state of the rear spoiler, facing the front of the vehicle – and a second positive-locking connection is formed in a rearward area of ​​the rear spoiler, spaced apart from the frontal transition area – and thus, in the installed state, facing away from the front of the vehicle – between the base support and the upper shell. In total, however, at least three positive-locking connections are formed between the upper shell and the base support, with a third positive-locking connection being formed, in particular, in the side wall areas of the rear spoiler, which are formed transversely to the frontal transition area and transversely to the rearward area, and thus, in the installed state, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle – on the left and right sides.The positive-locking connections are designed such that the upper shell is not detachable from the base carrier without damage. The preferably one-piece base carrier can be connected to the vehicle body, for example, via a force-fit and / or positive-locking connection such as a bolted connection. By utilizing at least three interacting positive-locking connections, high reliability and thus a low probability of failure can be guaranteed with regard to the upper shell detaching, both on its own and during vehicle operation. This is independent of any additional material bond between the upper shell and the base carrier. Simultaneously, this results in a structurally simple and therefore advantageous design for the rear spoiler and an economically viable installation method.

[0019] Furthermore, three common spatial axes can be defined for the rear spoiler: a longitudinal axis running along the rear and front transition areas, a transverse axis through the sides, and a vertical axis perpendicular to both the longitudinal and transverse axes. Essentially, when the rear spoiler is mounted on the vehicle, the longitudinal axis runs parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, the transverse axis parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis, and the vertical axis parallel to the vehicle's vertical axis.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the invention, the first positive locking connection is a latching connection formed internally in the rear spoiler, in which at least one first positive locking element, formed as a latch on the upper shell, at least partially engages a first complementary positive locking element, formed as a latch handle on the base support. This creates a positive locking connection which, preferably, cannot be released without damage, thus minimizing the probability of the upper shell coming loose due to mechanical stress, particularly during driving. The first positive locking connection achieves a positive locking at least along the longitudinal axis, thus in the direction of the frontal transition area and in the opposite direction. Depending on the embodiment, a positive locking connection along or in one direction of the vertical axis is also possible.

[0021] Furthermore, the second positive locking connection according to the invention is an overlap connection in which a second positive locking element, formed as a lip on the upper shell, and a second complementary positive locking element, formed as a counter-lip on the base support, mutually engage at least partially. It should be provided that the second positive locking connection provides a positive locking connection at least on one side of the vertical axis, in the direction of the upper shell, and at least on one side of the longitudinal axis in the direction of the end-face transition area.

[0022] According to the invention, the first positive locking connection achieves a positive locking connection at least along the longitudinal axis, and the second positive locking connection achieves a positive locking connection at least on one side of the vertical axis, in the direction of the upper shell, and at least on one side of the longitudinal axis in the direction of the end-face transition area.

[0023] In a highly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the third positive-locking connection – realized in the side wall areas of the rear spoiler – is a double-hook connection formed in the essentially parallel side walls of the base support and the upper shell, which form at least parts of the side area. In this double-hook connection, at least one third positive-locking element, acting as a hook, and at least one third complementary positive-locking element, acting as a counter-hook, interlock at an angle to each other. Preferably, the hook and counter-hook are positioned perpendicular to each other, enabling a virtually optimal positive lock between them. The third positive-locking connection should provide a positive lock along both sides of the vertical axis and along one side of the longitudinal axis, towards the end-face transition area.

[0024] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the rear spoiler lies in the fact that each hook of the third positive-locking connection is formed – especially injection-molded – extending inwards from, and in particular perpendicular to, the respective side walls of the upper shell, extending within the rear spoiler, with one hook opening facing towards the frontal transition area of ​​the rear spoiler. Furthermore, it is advantageous if each counter-hook of the third positive-locking connection is formed in the plane of the respective side walls of the base support, with one counter-hook opening facing away from the frontal transition area of ​​the rear spoiler. This provides a practical design of the double-hook connection, particularly from a manufacturing perspective, which, with regard to standard mold making, e.g.,regarding injection molding, which can be implemented with minimal economic and design effort.

[0025] Furthermore, it is considered advantageous if a further development of the invention is characterized in that the counter-hook opening is formed by a longitudinal slot that penetrates the side walls at a distance from an upper edge of the respective side walls of the base support, or by a longitudinal slot that penetrates the side walls at a distance from an upper edge of the respective side walls of the base support and an insertion recess that penetrates the side wall continuously in the direction of the upper edge. Due to the longitudinal slot or the longitudinal slot and the insertion recess, an overhang is formed that extends at a distance from the longitudinal slot in the direction of the upper edge, which, in conjunction with the longitudinal slot or the longitudinal slot and the insertion recess, should in turn form the actual counter-hook.In this context, the design of a longitudinal slot or a longitudinal slot with an insertion recess also depends on the design of the side walls of the base support.

[0026] Furthermore, a promising embodiment of the rear spoiler is demonstrated when the locking pawl, particularly via a solid-state joint, is elastically deformable on the base support, extending in the opposite direction to the front transition area, and also has an elastic pawl arm with a pawl head formed at the end of which facing away from the base support. It is also advantageous if the locking handle is formed internally within the rear spoiler by a cover wall of the upper shell, extending essentially parallel to the front transition area, with an engagement opening present in sections between the cover wall and the locking handle.

[0027] It is considered to be highly practical – especially in connection with the above context – if the latch arm extends through the engagement opening of the latch handle and the latch head engages at least partially behind the latch handle.

[0028] With the aforementioned embodiments of the first positive locking connection, it is possible that the first positive locking connection can be realized by the latching pawl deforming elastically to engage in the latching handle, and at the same time, after realizing the first positive locking connection, it is no longer possible to release it, especially without damage.

[0029] A further promising embodiment of the invention is designed such that the lip is formed at an end spaced apart from the top wall of the upper shell, in particular on a rear wall of the upper shell which is shaped in the direction of the base support and the front transition area and is directed towards the front transition area, and / or the counter lip is formed at an end facing the top wall of the upper shell, on a rear wall of the base support which is shaped in the direction of the upper shell and is shaped in the direction of the front transition area and is formed in the opposite direction to the front transition area.This is particularly advantageous in the production of the lip and counter-lip, as the production of the form-locking means can thus be integrated into the production of the upper shell or base body and no further manufacturing step is necessary.

[0030] Furthermore, if the first, second, and third positive-locking connections can be formed by a sliding movement of the upper shell towards the front transition area, this is advantageous because it ensures a significantly simple assembly process for the rear spoiler. It is conceivable that the base carrier is attached to the vehicle body via a force-fit and / or positive-locking connection, such as a screw connection and / or a clip connection. To assemble the upper shell, the hooks of the third positive-locking connection are first inserted through the insertion openings into the longitudinal slots of the counter-hooks of the third positive-locking connection. The upper shell is then moved into the assembled state by means of a sliding movement towards the front transition area, and thus, in particular, towards the front of the vehicle.In addition to the third positive locking connection, characterized by the interlocking of the hook and counter-hook, the first positive locking connection is formed by the latch engaging in the latch handle, and the second positive locking connection is formed by the partial engagement of the lip and counter-lip. Regarding the formation of the first positive locking connection, it should also be noted that, as a result of the transition to the assembled state, the latch engages in its detent position, whereby in this detent position the latch head at least partially engages behind the detent support.

[0031] The invention allows for numerous embodiments. To further illustrate the basic principle of the invention, various embodiments are shown in the drawing and described below. The drawing shows in Fig. 1 a sectional view of the rear spoiler; Fig. 2 a more detailed illustration of the double hook connection and the latching connection; Fig. 3 a partial view of the rear spoiler; Fig. 4 another possible design of the first positive locking connection.

[0032] Fig. Figure 1 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of the multi-part rear spoiler 1. The rear spoiler 1 comprises the base carrier 2 and the upper shell 3 arranged on the base carrier 2. The upper shell 3 and the base carrier 2 are connected to each other by three positive-locking connections, each differing in its complementary interlocking elements. The first positive-locking connection in the frontal transition area 7 is designed as the internal latching connection 4 within the rear spoiler 1. To achieve the positive locking, the latching connection 4 has the latching pawl 19 as its first positive-locking element and the latching handle 20 as its first complementary positive-locking element, with the latching pawl 19 partially engaging behind the latching handle 20.The second positive-locking connection, however, is formed as an overlap connection 5 in the rear section 8 of the rear spoiler 1, which is spaced apart from the front transition area 7. This overlap connection comprises the lip 25 as the second positive-locking element and the counter-lip 26 as the second complementary positive-locking element. For the purpose of positive locking, the lip 25 and the counter-lip 26 partially overlap each other. For this purpose, the lip 25 is formed at the end of the rear wall 27 of the upper shell 3, which is shaped towards the base support 2 and is spaced apart from the top wall 23 of the upper shell 3, and is directed towards the front transition area 7. The counter-lip 26 is formed at the end of the rear wall 28 of the base support 2, which is shaped towards the top shell 3 and is directed opposite to the front transition area 7, and is shaped towards the top wall 23 of the upper shell 3.In addition to the first and second positive-locking connections, a third positive-locking connection in the form of a double-hook connection 6 is formed in the depicted side wall area 9 of the rear spoiler 1, specifically in the side walls 10, 11 of the base support 2 and the upper shell 3. This connection is formed by the third positive-locking elements, designed as hooks 12, and the third complementary positive-locking elements, designed as counter-hooks 13. To achieve the positive lock, the hook 12 and the counter-hook 13 are formed at an angle to each other and interlock. All three positive-locking connections can also be formed by a shearing movement of the upper shell 3 towards the front transition area 7.

[0033] Fig. Figure 2 shows a more detailed representation of the double hook connection 6 and the latching connection 4 formed in the rear spoiler 1. The illustration shows that each hook 12 extends inwards from the depicted side wall 11 of the upper shell 3 within the rear spoiler 1, and each counter-hook 13 is formed in the plane of the depicted side wall 10 of the base support 2. The respective hook opening 14 of the hooks 12 is directed towards the front transition area 7, while each counter-hook opening 15 of the counter-hooks 13 is directed in the opposite direction to the front transition area 7.

[0034] Furthermore, the counter-hook opening 15 furthest from the end-face transition area 7 is formed by the longitudinal slot 17 which extends through the side wall 10 at a distance from the upper edge 16 of the base support 2, the other counter-hook openings 15 by the longitudinal slots 17 which extend through the side wall 10 at a distance from the upper edge 16, and the insertion recesses 18 which extend continuously through the side wall 10 in the direction of the upper edge 16. The detail section of the end-face transition area 7, marked by the dashed circle, also shows a configuration of the latching connection 4. This shows that the latching latch 19 is elastically deformable on the base support 2 via its elastic latch arm 21, with the latch head 22 formed at the end of the latch arm 2 facing away from the base support 2 and the end of the latch arm 21 facing away from the end-face transition area 7.Furthermore, the locking handle 20 is formed within the rear spoiler 1, extending from a cover wall 23 of the upper shell 3, with the engagement opening 24 being located section by section between the cover wall 23 and the locking handle 20. The latch arm 21 extends through the engagement opening 24 and the latch head 22 partially engages behind the locking handle 20.

[0035] In Fig. Figure 3 shows a partial view of the rear spoiler 1, which consists of the upper shell 3 and the base support 2.

[0036] Fig.Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the first positive locking connection formed at the end-face transition area 7. This first positive locking connection is designed as a snap-fit ​​hook connection 29, which connects the upper shell 3 to the base support 2. Here, the snap hook 30 undercuts the snap support 31, thereby creating a positive locking connection along the vertical axis. This snap position of the snap hook 30 is achieved by a sliding movement of the upper shell 3 towards the end-face transition area 7. In this movement, the snap hook 30 moves along the indicated channel 32 until it abuts the snap support 31, thus also creating a positive locking connection on one side of the longitudinal axis, in the direction of the end-face transition area 7. Reference symbol list 1 Rear spoiler 2 base supports 3 Upper shell 4 latching connection 5 overlap connection 6 double hook connection 7 Transition area 8 Backside area 9 Side wall area 10 side wall 11 Side wall 12 hooks 13 counter hooks 14 Hook opening 15 Counterhook opening 16 Top edge 17 longitudinal slots 18 Inlet recess 19 latching mechanism 20 locking handle 21 handle arm 22 Jack head 23 Ceiling wall 24 access openings 25 Lippe 26 Opposite lip 27 Back panel 28 Back panel 29 Latch hook connection 30 locking hooks 31 Resting support 32-channel

Claims

[1] A multi-part rear spoiler (1) comprising a base carrier (2) connectable to a motor vehicle body and an upper shell (3) arranged on the base carrier (2), wherein the upper shell (3) and the base carrier (2) are connected to each other by at least three positive locking connections which differ in their respective complementary interlocking means and wherein a first positive locking connection is a latching pawl connection (4) formed internally in an end-face transition area (7) in the rear spoiler (1), in which at least a first positive locking means formed as a latch (19) engages at least partially behind a first complementary positive locking means formed as a latch handle (20) and a second positive locking connection is an overlap connection (5) formed in a rear-face area (8) of the rear spoiler (1) spaced apart from the end-face transition area (7),in which a second form-locking element shaped as a lip (25) and a second complementary form-locking element shaped as a counter-lip (26) at least partially interlock each other, wherein the first form-locking connection realizes a form-lock at least along the longitudinal axis and the second form-locking connection realizes a form-lock at least on one side of the vertical axis, in the direction of the upper shell (3) as well as at least on one side of the longitudinal axis in the direction of the front transition area, and in addition a third form-locking connection is formed in side wall areas (9) of the rear spoiler (1). [2] Rear spoiler (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the third positive locking connection is a double hook connection (6) formed in the side walls (10, 11) of the base support (2) and the upper shell (3), in which, formed at an angle to each other, at least a third positive locking means as a hook (12) and at least a third complementary positive locking means as a counter-hook (13) interlock. [3] Rear spoiler (1) according to claim 2, characterized by , that each hook (12) extending inwards from the respective side walls (11) of the upper shell (3) is formed in the rear spoiler (1), wherein a hook opening (14) is directed towards the front transition area (7) and / or each counter hook (13) is formed in the plane of the respective side walls (10) of the base carrier (2), wherein a counter hook opening (15) is directed opposite to the front transition area (7). [4] Rear spoiler (1) according to claim 3, characterized by, that the counter-hook opening (15) is formed by a longitudinal slot (17) that breaks through the side walls (10) at intervals to an upper edge (16) of the respective side walls (10) of the base support (2) or by a longitudinal slot (17) that breaks through the side walls (10) at intervals to an upper edge (16) of the respective side walls (10) of the base support (2) and an insertion recess (18) that breaks through the side walls (10) continuously in the direction of the upper edge (16). [5] Rear spoiler (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the latching pawl (19) is elastically deformable on the base carrier (2) and has an elastic latching arm (21) at the end of which a latching head (22) is formed away from the base carrier (2) and / or the latching handle (20) is formed inside the rear spoiler (1) extending from a cover wall (23) of the upper shell (3), wherein an engagement opening (24) is provided section by section between the cover wall (23) and the latching handle (20). [6] Rear spoiler (1) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the latch arm (21) extends through the engagement opening (24) and the latch head (22) engages at least partially behind the locking handle (20). [7] Rear spoiler (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the lip (25) is formed at an end of a rear wall (27) of the upper shell (3) that is spaced away from the top wall (23) of the upper shell (3) and is formed towards the front transition area (7) and / or the counter lip (26) is formed at an end of a rear wall (28) of the base support (2) that is formed towards the top shell (3) and is formed in the opposite direction to the top wall (23) of the upper shell (3). [8] Rear spoiler (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the first, second and third positive locking connection can be formed by a shearing movement of the upper shell (3) in the direction of the end-face transition area (7).

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