Composite for the exterior cladding of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A composite for an exterior fairing of a motor vehicle, comprising an exterior fairing part (1) which is connected to a lower part (2) made of plastic by means of an joining connection (5) arranged between an inner side (3) of the exterior fairing part (1) and an outer side (4) of the lower part (2), wherein at least one holder (6) is arranged on the inner side (3) of the exterior fairing part (1), which cooperates with a holder receptacle (7) of the lower part (2) to secure the exterior fairing part (1) to the lower part (2) in the event of a failure of the joining connection (5), characterized in that the at least one holder (6) is glued to the inner side (3) of the exterior fairing part (1) made of plastic, wherein a clearance (s) is provided between the holder (6) and the holder receptacle (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a composite for an outer panel of a motor vehicle according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

[0002] The generic document DE 10 2018 131 912 A1 discloses a multi-part trim component for motor vehicles, which has a positive connection between an upper shell and a structural component by the engagement of a connecting element in a receptacle.

[0003] DE 10 2009 010 771 B4 discloses a fastening structure for a side spoiler on a vehicle, in which the holder and the spoiler are made of materials with similar thermal expansion coefficients in order to minimize stresses due to temperature changes.

[0004] Furthermore, such a composite is already known, for example, from EP 3 339 145 A1 and comprises an outer cladding part made of plastic, which is connected to a lower part made of plastic by means of a joining connection in the form of an adhesive connection arranged between an inner side of the outer cladding part and an outer side of the lower part.

[0005] In such multi-layered exterior panels or outer skin components made of plastic, the joint between the outer panel and the lower part can fail. In such a failure, the outer panel can potentially detach completely and become a hazard in road traffic, particularly for traffic following the vehicle. For this reason, it is already known to provide both safety straps and securing elements on the inside of the outer panel, which can be produced, for example, by so-called hot stamping—i.e., the provision of holders by appropriately heating and forming the plastic material.

[0006] In the case of exterior cladding parts without a distinctive surface design of the outer skin, for example in the case of largely flat or planar exterior cladding parts, the above-mentioned securing options lead to a mark on the visible surface of the exterior cladding part due to the geometries to be provided for the connection between the exterior cladding part and the lower part on the exterior cladding part, such as tabs, ribs or the like.

[0007] The object of the present invention is therefore to create a composite of the type mentioned at the outset, by means of which an improved and visually imperceptible securing of the outer cladding part to the lower part can be realized.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention by a combination having the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments with favorable further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] The composite according to the invention for an exterior panel of a motor vehicle comprises an outer panel part and a lower part, which are connected to one another by means of a joint, for example an adhesive joint or a welded joint, between the inside of the outer panel part and the outside of the lower part. In order to reliably prevent complete removal of the outer panel part from the lower part in the event of failure, i.e., upon release of the joint, the invention provides at least one holder glued to the inside of the outer panel part, which cooperates with a holder receptacle of the lower part to secure the outer panel part to the lower part in the event of failure of the joint.

[0010] Accordingly, according to the invention, at least one holder is attached to the inside of the outer trim part by means of an adhesive bond, for example and in particular by means of an adhesive tape, which prevents the outer trim part from detaching from the lower part in the event of failure of the actual adhesive bond, which is also referred to as the primary adhesive bond. The key advantage of gluing the holder to the inside of the outer trim part is its non-marking attachment to the inside of the outer trim part, so that, unlike previous methods, the corresponding holder is not visible from the outside.By selecting the appropriate adhesive connection between the holder and the inside of the outer trim part, in particular by selecting the appropriate adhesive tape, on the one hand a reliable securing of the outer trim part to the lower part and on the other hand a mark-free attachment of the holder to the outer trim part, without the holder being visible from the outside of the outer trim part, is achieved.

[0011] Finally, the invention provides for a clearance between the holder and the holder mount. This means that the holder does not come into effect when the primary adhesive bond between the inside of the outer trim part and the outside of the lower part is functioning, but rather only when the primary adhesive bond or similar joint fails and the trim part threatens to fall off the lower part.

[0012] An advantageous embodiment provides for the holder to be bonded to the inside of the exterior trim panel using an adhesive tape. Such high-performance adhesive tapes ensure, on the one hand, a secure attachment of the holder to the inside of the exterior trim panel and, on the other hand, a non-marking arrangement, so that the holder or its attachment point is not visible on the surface of the exterior trim panel from the outside.

[0013] In this context, it has proven to be further advantageous to use acrylic foam tape as the adhesive. Such acrylic foam tapes are extremely inexpensive and, in addition, highly effective and durable in terms of their adhesive performance.

[0014] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if the holder has a holder head that is engaged behind by the respective form-locking elements of the holder receptacle. These form-locking elements are preferably only used when the outer trim part is at risk of falling off or detaching from the lower part. Conversely, this means that the form-locking elements of the holder receptacle engage behind the holder head when the joint is functioning, but are not in direct contact with the holder head, but rather with a corresponding amount of play.Since there is no contact between the holder and the holder receptacle, preferably when the joint is functioning, for example a primary adhesive joint, the holder is not initially loaded or used for holding functions even in normal operation, but only for securing functions when the joint, for example a primary adhesive joint, threatens to fail.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the invention, the holder is made of a plastic material. Such a holder can be bonded particularly conveniently to the inside of the exterior trim part and is also correspondingly lightweight.

[0016] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous if the holder receptacle is formed integrally with the lower part. This allows for a particularly simple and cost-effective holder receptacle.

[0017] A particularly simple joining connection between the outer cladding part and the lower part can be realized in a further embodiment of the invention if this is an adhesive connection.

[0018] Finally, it has proven advantageous to use different adhesives for the bonding between the outer trim panel and the lower part, and for the bonding of the bracket to the outer trim panel. This ensures, in particular, that both adhesives do not fail simultaneously.

[0019] Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or on their own.

[0020] The invention will now be explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment and with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a partial and perspective sectional view of a composite and an outer panel of a motor vehicle with an outer panel part made of plastic and a lower part also made of plastic, which are connected to each other via an adhesive bond, wherein a holder is glued to the inside of the outer panel part, which cooperates with a holder receptacle of the lower part to secure the outer panel part to the lower part in the event of failure of the adhesive bond; and Fig. 2 a further partial perspective view of the composite according to Fig. 1, where two holders can be seen by means of which the outer cladding part is secured to the lower part.

[0021] In Fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a composite for an outer panel of a motor vehicle. This multi-layer outer panel is formed in the present case by an outer panel part 1 made of a plastic, which at least partially forms the outer skin of the motor vehicle and which forms the composite with a lower part 2, which is also made of a plastic. An adhesive bond 5 is provided between an inner side 3 of the outer panel part 1 and an outer side 4 of the lower part 2, which adhesive bond 5 is formed in the present case by several individual adhesive bonds 5.1 and 5.2. Alternatively, a different type of joint can be used between the inner side 3 of the outer panel part 1 and the outer side 4 of the lower part 2, for example a welded bond.The outer trim part 1 and the lower part 2 can, for example, be made of a suitable thermoplastic material, such as PC or TP, or a thermoplastic terpolymer, such as ABS. The adhesive bond 5 arranged between these plastic components 1, 2 can, for example, be a one- or two-component adhesive.

[0022] The adhesive joint 5 forms the joint between the lower part 2 and the outer panel part 1, which usually connects the components to each other in the normal state. Therefore, the adhesive joint 5 is also referred to as the primary adhesive joint.

[0023] However, as a result of external influences, the joint / adhesive connection 5 of such multi-layer outer skin components can fail, possibly even completely. In such a case of failure, the outer panel part 1 threatens to detach completely from the lower part 2, which in turn can lead to dangerous situations in road traffic, particularly for the traffic following the motor vehicle.

[0024] For this reason, at least one holder 6 is provided in the present case, which is glued to the inner side 3 of the outer cladding part 1 and which cooperates with a corresponding holder receptacle 7 of the lower part 5 to secure the outer cladding part 1 to the lower part in the event of failure of the adhesive connection 5.

[0025] As from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, the holder 6 is essentially double-T-shaped and also has a cheek 8 on one side, which connects a base 9 to a holder head 10. A central web 11 is also provided, which connects the base 9 to the holder head 10. In the present case, the holder 6 is formed in particular from a plastic, for example, also from a thermoplastic. Of course, other designs are also conceivable.

[0026] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the holder 6 is attached to the inner side 3 of the outer trim part 1 by means of an adhesive tape 12, in particular in the form of an acrylic foam adhesive tape. Instead of the adhesive tape 12, another type of adhesive connection between the holder 6 and the outer trim part 1 is of course also conceivable.

[0027] In the present case, the holder receptacle 7 is formed integrally with the lower part 2 or has been correspondingly formed or reshaped. The holder receptacle comprises a substantially rectangular recess 13 that is recessed relative to the outer side 4 of the lower part 2, from which two tab-like form-locking elements 14 protrude toward an outer side 15 of the holder head 10.

[0028] Out of Fig. 1 shows that the form-locking elements 14 engage behind the holder head 10, but are not in direct contact with it. Rather, a corresponding clearance s is provided between the holder 6 and the holder receptacle 7 in the area between the free ends of the form-locking elements 14 and the outer side 15 of the holder 10, so that when the outer trim part 1 and the lower part 2 are intact, i.e., when the two components are properly connected to one another via the adhesive connection 5, the form-locking elements 14 are not in contact with the holder head 10.

[0029] Such clearance is also provided between the recess 13 of the lower part 2 and the base 9 of the holder 6. Likewise, the holder receptacle 7 has a correspondingly large recess 16, so that the lower part 2 is not in contact with the cheek 8 of the holder 6. With a proper and intact connection of the outer trim part 1 and the lower part 2, the holder 6 is therefore not in contact with the holder receptacle 7 or with the lower part 2 at any point. Rather, corresponding clearances or clearances are provided everywhere.

[0030] Accordingly, the holder 6 is only used when a failure of the adhesive bond 5 between the outer trim part 1 and the lower part 2 occurs. In particular, the outer trim part 1 is then held to the lower part 2 by means of the holder 6, in particular by the form-locking elements 14 coming into contact with the holder head 10. In such a failure event, the holder receptacle 7 ensures that the holder 6, and thus the outer trim part 1, cannot detach from the lower part 2 or the holder receptacle 7.

[0031] Ideally, different adhesives or adhesive tapes are provided for the adhesive bond 5 between the outer trim part 1 and the lower part 2, and for the bond 12 between the holder 6 and the outer trim part 1. This ensures that if the adhesive bond 5 fails, there is a high probability that the adhesive bond 12, which is formed here by an adhesive tape, will not also fail or has already failed.

[0032] In Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the composite analogous to Fig. 1, wherein two holders 6 engaging in corresponding holder receptacles 7 are particularly visible. Furthermore, respective fastening elements 16 are visible on the lower part 2, by means of which the lower part can be attached, for example, to the vehicle body shell. These fastening elements 16 interact with corresponding fastening receptacles 17 on the lower part 2. List of reference symbols 1 exterior cladding part 2 lower part 3 Inside 4 Outside 5 Adhesive bond 6 holders 7 Holder mount 8 Cheek 9 bases 10 Holder head 11 jetty 12 adhesive tapes 13 Deepening 14 form-locking elements 15 Outside 16 recess 17 mounting brackets

Claims

[1] Composite for an outer panel of a motor vehicle, comprising an outer panel part (1) which is connected to a lower part (2) made of plastic by means of a joining connection (5) arranged between an inner side (3) of the outer panel part (1) and an outer side (4) of the lower part (2), wherein at least one holder (6) is arranged on the inner side (3) of the outer panel part (1), which holder cooperates with a holder receptacle (7) of the lower part (2) to secure the outer panel part (1) to the lower part (2) in the event of a failure of the joining connection (5), characterized by that at least one holder (6) is glued to the inside (3) of the outer cladding part (1) made of plastic, wherein a play (s) is provided between the holder (6) and the holder receptacle (7). [2] Composite according to claim 1, characterized bythat the holder (6) is glued to the inside (3) of the outer cladding part (1) by means of an adhesive tape (12). [3] Composite according to claim 2, characterized by that the adhesive tape (12) is designed as an acrylic foam adhesive tape. [4] Composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the holder (6) has a holder head (10) which is engaged behind by respective form-locking elements (14) of the holder receptacle (7). [5] Composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the holder (6) is made of a plastic. [6] Composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the holder receptacle (7) is formed integrally with the lower part (2). [7] Composite according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the joint (5) between the outer cladding part (1) and the lower part (2) is an adhesive joint. [8] Composite according to claim 7, characterized by that the adhesive connection (5) between the outer cladding part (1) and the lower part (2) and the adhesive connection (12) of the holder (6) to the outer cladding part (1) are formed by different adhesives.

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