Bumper body part arrangement and a motor vehicle

Abstract

Bumper-body part assembly, comprising a cavity (10) which is at least partially enclosed by a bumper element (6) and a body part (8), wherein a sound generator assembly (12) is at least partially arranged in the cavity (10), wherein the sound generator assembly (12) comprises a housing assembly (13) with at least one loudspeaker (26), an electronics assembly (28) and fastening means (16), characterized in that the housing assembly (13) comprises a deformation assembly (18) which is arranged in the cavity (10), wherein the deformation assembly (18) comprises at least two deformation elements (20, 22) which are movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, whereby the overall height of the deformation elements (20, 22) can be reduced, wherein a base plate (32) is provided between the body part (8) and the deformation assembly (18), wherein the base plate (32) has a honeycomb structure (34).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bumper-body assembly with a cavity that is at least partially enclosed by a bumper element and a body part, wherein a sound generator assembly is at least partially arranged in the cavity, the sound generator assembly comprising a housing assembly with at least one loudspeaker, an electronics assembly, and fastening means. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle with such a bumper-body assembly.

[0002] Bumper-body panel assemblies, specifically front and rear panel configurations, are well-known in the art. In these assemblies, the bumper components serve to absorb or at least significantly reduce the force exerted on the body panel behind it in the event of a crash, thus minimizing the consequences for the body panel. A cavity is provided between the bumper component and the body panel behind it, allowing the bumper component to deform towards the body panel upon impact, thereby preventing or at least reducing damage to the body panel. The increasing use of electric and hybrid vehicles necessitates the mandatory installation of so-called sound generators, which are intended to give the silent electric cars a certain "sound" that makes the vehicles audible to pedestrians.In principle, the sound generator can be arranged within a hollow profile of a bending crossbeam; see, for example, DE 10 2020 002 996 A1 and DE 10 2015 016 945 A1. However, this has several disadvantages. For instance, installation within the hollow profile is cumbersome and therefore costly. Openings must also be made in the hollow profile to transmit the sound to the surroundings. Furthermore, the hollow profile loses its deformation capacity in the area of ​​the sound generator, so that a body panel behind it can be damaged in a crash. A partial solution to these disadvantages can be achieved by installing a sound generator in the cavity between the bumper and the body panel. This is demonstrated, for example, in the American patent application US 2017 / 0106787 A1.The loudspeaker and the electronics of the sound generator assembly are partially located in the cavity between the bumper and the body panel. In a crash, components that are difficult to deform, such as the loudspeaker or the electronics, can become wedged between the bumper and the body panel, thereby transferring the impact energy acting on the bumper directly to the body panel, damaging or even destroying it. In this context, WO 2022 / 263 143 A1 discloses a bumper-body panel arrangement in which the housing assembly includes a deformation element located in the cavity. This deformation element comprises at least two deformation bodies that are movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thus reducing the overall height of the deformation bodies.

[0003] The object of the present invention is therefore to avoid the aforementioned disadvantage in a better way.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention by the housing arrangement having a deformation arrangement located in the cavity. This allows the housing arrangement of the sound generator assembly to be deformed in the event of a crash, thus contributing to the protection of the body panel. The deformation arrangement has at least two deformation elements movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thereby reducing the overall height of the deformation elements. A base plate is provided between the body panel and the deformation arrangement, the base plate having a honeycomb structure.

[0005] It is particularly advantageous for the deformation elements to be designed to be slidably one inside the other and / or hinged or foldable relative to one another. For this purpose, hinge or folding edges can be provided between the deformation elements, for example. Furthermore, the deformation elements can have ribs for directed force transmission. It is also advantageous if a predetermined breaking line is provided between the first and second deformation elements. In particular, this predetermined breaking line can be designed with a V-shaped offset.

[0006] Advantageously, at least the first deformation body, facing the body panel, can be designed as a hollow body, thus forming a resonance volume. In this way, the deformation body, in addition to its deformation function, also serves to amplify the sound emitted by the sound generator. The second deformation body can also be designed as a hollow body, with the two hollow bodies being connected to each other. This makes it easy to increase the resonance volume.

[0007] In a particularly advantageous way, the first deformation body has a flange area with the fastening means to arrange the sound generator assembly on the respective body part.

[0008] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the flange area has a receiving means for the at least one loudspeaker and the electronics assembly on a surface facing the underside of the vehicle. This makes it easy to position the at least one loudspeaker and the electronics assembly outside the cavity between the bumper element and the body panel, so that there is no obstruction of the deformation area in the event of a crash.

[0009] To prevent a force component from being transmitted from the direction of the loudspeaker and electronics assembly towards the cavity, local weakening elements can be incorporated into the base plate in a projection of a connection area of ​​the mounting device from the deformation arrangement onto the base plate. In the event of a crash, this also causes the loudspeaker and electronics assembly to "fold away" towards the underside of the vehicle. The mounting device with the loudspeaker and electronics assembly can be designed such that this "folding away" is further amplified by cams, levers, and / or fracture edges within the mounting device.

[0010] Furthermore, the base plate and the honeycomb structure can be adapted to the stiffness distribution of the body part through geometric changes.

[0011] The invention is also solved by a motor vehicle with such a bumper-body part arrangement, wherein the bumper-body part arrangement is designed as a front part and / or rear part arrangement.

[0012] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. This drawing shows Fig. 1. A perspective view of the rear section arrangement of a tubular body of a motor vehicle, Fig. 2 a sectional view of a bumper-body part arrangement according to the invention in its initial state, Fig. 3 a sectional view of the bumper-body part arrangement according to Fig. 2 after a deformation, Fig. 4 a perspective view of a base plate of the bumper-body part arrangement according to the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, Fig. 5 a perspective view of a deformation arrangement of the bumper-body part assembly, and Fig. 6 a detailed view of the cavity, the deformation arrangement according to Fig. 5.

[0013] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bumper-body-part assembly 2 according to the invention for a tubular body 4 of a motor vehicle (not shown). The bumper-body-part assembly 2 is designed here as a rear-section assembly. This assembly comprises a bumper element 6 and a body part 8 to which the bumper element 6 is attached. A sound generator assembly 12 with a housing assembly 13 is partially provided in a cavity 10. This sound generator assembly 12 gives the vehicle a specific sound, making the motor vehicle perceptible to a pedestrian. Reference numeral 14 denotes a flange area that is part of the housing assembly. Reference numeral 16 denotes an opening provided in the flange area 14 as a fastening means, through which the housing assembly 13 of the sound generator assembly 12 can be attached to the body part 8.

[0014] Fig. Figure 2 now shows a sectional view of the bumper-body part arrangement 2. Fig. 1. To protect the body panel 8 from impact by the bumper element 6 in a crash, the housing arrangement 13 of the sound generator arrangement 12 has a deformation arrangement 18, which in the present embodiment has a first and second deformation body 20, 22. Both the first and the second deformation body 20, 22 are designed as hollow bodies which, in the event of a crash (see [reference to relevant section]), Fig. 3) can be slid into one another. Furthermore, the interconnected hollow bodies of the deformation elements 20, 22 form a resonance volume for a loudspeaker 26 arranged below the cavity 10 in a mounting element 24. The mounting element 24 is designed as part of the flange area 14. An electronics arrangement 28, which may consist of a circuit board, is shown schematically in this figure only. To position the loudspeaker 26 and the electronics arrangement 28 outside the cavity 10, the mounting element 24 is provided in a surface of the flange area 14 facing the underside of the vehicle.

[0015] In the present embodiment, the deformation bodies 20, 22 also have inwardly directed ribs 30 which optimize the force transmission into the deformation bodies 20, 22.

[0016] Furthermore, a base plate 32 is shown, which has a honeycomb structure 34 to increase stiffness in the area of ​​the body part 8 and is provided between the deformation arrangement 18 and the body part 8. This base plate 32 has a local weakening element 36 in the area of ​​a projection of a connection area 38 of the receiving element 24, which in the present embodiment is as shown in Fig. 4 is shown, formed by the absence of the honeycomb structure in this area.

[0017] Fig. Figure 3 now shows the effect of a low-speed crash on the bumper element 6 and the bumper-body assembly 18. The bumper element 6 was deformed at a specific angle, which also deformed the first deformation element 20 and displaced the deformation element 22 into it. Due to the local weakening element 36, the mounting element 24 with the loudspeaker 26 and the electronics assembly 28 was folded away outside the cavity 10 towards the underside of the vehicle, and the base plate 32 was also deformed. The body part 8 was essentially undamaged. Only a sheet metal extension 40 was slightly displaced. However, in a less severe impact, even this sheet metal extension 40 would not be affected. In an alternative embodiment, it is of course also possible for the mounting element to be able to rotate freely.

[0018] Fig. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the base plate 32 with the honeycomb structure 34 and the local weakening element 36, which could be easily formed by omitting the honeycomb structure. Fasteners 42 are also shown, which correspond to the fasteners 16 of the flange area 14.

[0019] Fig. Figure 5 shows a perspective front view of the deformation assembly 18. The flange area 14 with the fastening elements 16 and the mounting element 24 for the loudspeaker 26 is clearly visible. Furthermore, both the first deformation body 20 and the second deformation body 22 have external ribs 44 for improved force transmission. In addition, a predetermined breaking line 46 is provided between the first and second deformation bodies 20, 22, which ensures a defined release of the second deformation body 22 from the first deformation body 20 in the event of a crash, thus enabling the deformation bodies 20, 22 to be easily slid together.

[0020] Fig.Figure 6 shows a perspective interior view of a transition area 48 from the first deformation body 20 to the second deformation body 22. The predetermined breaking line 46 is clearly visible here, which in the present embodiment has an offset V-shape with two V-shaped geometries 48, 50. The inner ribs 30 and outer ribs 44 are also visible.

[0021] To ensure that the deformation arrangement 18 is triggered safely, it is possible to arrange additional volume bodies between the surface of the second deformation body 22 facing the bumper element 6 and the bumper element 6.

Claims

[1] Bumper-body part assembly, comprising a cavity (10) which is at least partially enclosed by a bumper element (6) and a body part (8), wherein a sound generator assembly (12) is at least partially arranged in the cavity (10), wherein the sound generator assembly (12) comprises a housing assembly (13) with at least one loudspeaker (26), an electronics assembly (28) and fastening means (16), characterized by , that the housing arrangement (13) has a deformation arrangement (18) which is arranged in the cavity (10), wherein the deformation arrangement (18) has at least two deformation bodies (20, 22) which are movable relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, whereby the overall height of the deformation bodies (20, 22) can be reduced, wherein a base plate (32) is provided between the body part (8) and the deformation arrangement (18), wherein the base plate (32) has a honeycomb structure (34). [2] Bumper-body assembly according to claim 1, characterized by , that the deformation bodies (20, 22) are designed to be movable into one another and / or foldable and / or collapsible relative to each other. [3] Bumper-body assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the deformation bodies (20, 22) have ribs (30, 44) for directed force application. [4] Bumper-body part arrangement according to one of claims 1-3, characterized by , that a predetermined breaking line (46) is provided between the first and the second deformation body (20, 22). [5] Bumper-body assembly according to claim 4, characterized by , that the predetermined breaking line (46) is V-shaped with offset V-shaped geometries (48, 50). [6] Bumper-body part arrangement according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized by, that at least the first deformation body (20) directed towards the body part (8) is designed as a hollow body and thus forms a resonance volume. [7] Bumper-body part arrangement according to claim 6, characterized by , that the second deformation body (22) is also designed as a hollow body, the hollow bodies being connected to each other. [8] Bumper-body assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the first deformation body (20) has a flange area (14) with the fastening means (16). [9] Bumper-body assembly according to claim 8, characterized by , that the flange area (14) has a receiving means (24) for the at least one loudspeaker (26) and the electronic arrangement (28) on a surface facing the underside of the motor vehicle. [10] Bumper-body assembly according to claim 9, characterized by, that in a projection of a connection area of ​​the receiving means (24) from the deformation arrangement onto the base plate (32) local weakening means (36) are provided in the base plate (32). [11] Bumper-body assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the base plate (32) and the honeycomb structure (34) are adapted to the stiffness distribution of the body part (8) by changes in geometry. [12] Motor vehicle with a bumper-body assembly (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the bumper body part arrangement (2) is designed as a front part and / or rear part arrangement.

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