Motor vehicle with a front hood having a cover

Abstract

motor vehicle (10) with a front hood (11) which is attached to a body of the motor vehicle (10) via a hinge mechanism (20), and comprising at least one cover (16; 16a) attached to the hinge mechanism (20) made of plastic, carbon fibers and / or glass fibers, wherein the cover (16; 16a), in a closed state of the front hood (11), covers a recess (15) in a cowl (13) of the motor vehicle (10), into which a rear edge of the front hood (11) dips when the front hood (11) is opened.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, with a front hood having a cover, in particular to prevent leaves from entering through an opening between the front hood and a cowl.

[0002] Fig. Figure 1 shows a section of a cowl 1 of a passenger car and a hood 2, or engine hood, depicted in its fully open position. Particularly with hoods 2 that can be pivoted via a hinge mechanism located somewhat further from the rear end of the hood 2, the effect is that a trailing edge of the hood 2 dips downwards into an area where the cowl 1 is located when it opens. For this reason, a side wall of the cowl 1, as shown in Figure 1, exhibits a characteristic shape. Fig. Figure 1 shows a recess 3 (dashed line). When the hood 2 is closed, this recess 3 forms a passageway to the front area or engine compartment of the passenger car, through which dirt, especially leaves, can enter.

[0003] German patent application DE 10 2012 004 890 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a front hood that is connected to the body of the motor vehicle via a hinge mechanism and has at least one plastic cover attached to the hinge mechanism, wherein the cover, when the front hood is closed, covers a recess in a cowl of the motor vehicle. However, DE 10 2012 004 890 A1 does not concern a front hood whose trailing edge dips into the recess when opened.

[0004] A cover for covering a hood hinge is known from DE 10 2012 013 017 A1.

[0005] DE 10 2006 004 017 A1 shows a vehicle with a front flap for lifting a rear edge of the front flap.

[0006] Furthermore, DE 10 2005 005 416 A1 describes a front hood arrangement and a motor vehicle with a front hood arrangement. DE 10 2006 062 252 A1 describes a motor vehicle with a hinge device, a hinge device, and a method for relocating a hinge device.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to at least partially eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages. This object is achieved by a motor vehicle according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, a motor vehicle is provided with a hood that is connected to the body of the vehicle via a hinge mechanism and with at least one cover attached to the hinge mechanism comprising plastic, carbon fibers and / or glass fibers (i.e., one, two, or all three of these materials). When the hood is closed, the cover conceals a recess in a cowl of the vehicle into which a trailing edge of the hood dips when the hood is opened. This easily prevents or at least significantly reduces the entry of leaves through the recess into the front area or engine compartment. Because the cover is a separate component, the manufacturing process of the hood is not affected. Furthermore, the choice of material for the cover ensures crashworthiness and safety.Safety requirements are not negatively affected, as, for example, plastic could easily break in the event of a pedestrian collision to avoid endangering pedestrians.

[0009] The term "wind gutter" refers to an upwardly open channel located below an end section (viewed along the vehicle's longitudinal axis) in front of the windshield of a motor vehicle. More precisely, a wind gutter is a channel with a bottom from which two side walls extend upwards at essentially right angles.

[0010] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the hinge mechanism has two hinge joints spaced apart with respect to a transverse axis of the vehicle, each of which has two articulated arms that are attached to the hood via pivot points spaced apart with respect to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, with a cover being attached to each of the hinge joints between the pivot points. In this way, the cover can be provided and attached without having to adapt existing hoods.

[0011] In particular, the cover is detachably attached to the hinge mechanism. This allows for easy replacement.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cover is fastened via a click fastening, in particular a fastening in which the cover has projections provided with hooks which are pushed onto a strut on the hinge mechanism, so that the hooks snap into the strut and the hooks hold the cover on the strut by means of undercut(s).

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the invention, a section of the cover covering the recess essentially extends in an xz-plane, i.e. the plane of the motor vehicle which is spanned by a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a vertical axis of the vehicle.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cover is made of plastic, in particular entirely of plastic. This allows for cost-effective and simple manufacturing. Furthermore, the material breaks very easily in a pedestrian collision.

[0015] Alternatively, the cover could be (entirely) made of carbon fibers or glass fibers.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the cover is connected to the hinge mechanism by a non-destructively removable press-fit bolt. This makes the cover even more securely and easily mounted to the hinge mechanism.

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings illustrate the following: Fig. Figure 1 shows a section of a wind turbine according to the state of the art; Fig. 2 shows a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. Figure 3 shows a section of a wind tunnel of the motor vehicle. Fig. 2, in which a recess is covered by a cover; Fig. 4 shows the cover according to the embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 shows a side view of the cover made of Fig. 4 in an assembled state; Fig. Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional view of the cover made of Fig. 4 from the top in an assembled state; Fig. Figure 7 shows a three-dimensional view of the cover made of Fig. 4 from above, from a different perspective like Fig. 6, in an assembled state; Fig. Figure 8 shows a side view of a variant of the cover with a press-fit bolt, in a mounted state; Fig. 9 shows the cover from Fig. 8 in the same side view as Fig. 8, however excluding the components to which the cover is mounted, and Fig. Figure 10 shows a side view of the cover made of Fig. 8 from the opposite direction as in Fig. 8, in an assembled state.

[0018] Fig. Figure 2 shows a motor vehicle 10, in particular a passenger car, with a front hood 11 or engine hood, a windshield 12 and a cowl 13. In Fig. Figure 2 specifies a vehicle longitudinal axis x, a vehicle transverse axis y, and a vehicle vertical axis z, which are perpendicular to each other. The cowl 13 is an upwardly open channel located below an end section (viewed along the vehicle longitudinal axis x) in front of the windshield 12. More precisely, the cowl 13 is a channel with a bottom and two side walls 14 extending upwards from this bottom, essentially at right angles, along the vehicle vertical axis z (see Figure 2). Fig. 3).

[0019] Fig. Figure 3 shows a section of the wind tunnel 13 of the motor vehicle 10. Fig. 2. The wind deflector 13 has a recess 15 in one side wall 14, as already mentioned in connection with Fig. 1 explains, which is provided there for the reasons already mentioned. In particular, the recess 15 is larger than 5 cm. 2 , especially larger than 10cm 2 According to the invention, the recess 15 is covered or closed by a cover 16, which is attached to the front hood 11, when the front hood 11 is closed. When the front hood 11 is fully open, the recess 15 is not covered by the cover 16.

[0020] Fig. Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional view of the cover 16 according to an embodiment of the invention. The cover 16 is a component manufactured separately from the front hood 11 and is made of a different material than the front hood 11. The cover 16 is made of plastic, in particular entirely of plastic, and is manufactured, for example, by injection molding. The cover 16 essentially has the shape of an angled plate with a larger section 17 for covering the recess 15 and a comparatively smaller section 18 for fastening. Several projections 19 are provided for fastening, which are equipped with hooks and / or other snap-in elements.

[0021] Fig. Figure 5 shows a side view (seen along a vehicle transverse axis y) of the cover 16 and its fastening. Fig. 6 and Fig. Figures 7 show three-dimensional views of the cover and its attachment from different perspectives. The front hood 11 is connected to the body of the motor vehicle 10 via a hinge mechanism 20. The hinge mechanism 20 has two hinge joints 21 located on opposite sides and at the rear of the front hood 11, i.e., one hinge joint 21 on the left and one on the right when viewed along the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle. Each hinge joint 21 has two articulated arms 22 that are connected to the front hood 11 at pivot points 23 spaced apart along the longitudinal axis x of the vehicle. More precisely, the pivot points 23 are located on a strut 24 of the front hood 11. The strut 24 is, in particular, a longitudinal strut that extends substantially along the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle.

[0022] As in the Fig. As can be seen in Figures 5 to 7, the cover 16 is attached between the pivot points 23 on the front hood 11, specifically to the strut 24. The cover 16 is fixed to the strut 24 by means of a click-fit fastener. If only the click-fit fastener is provided on the cover 16, then it is a detachable fastener.

[0023] The Fig.Figures 8 to 9 show a cover 16a, which differs from the cover 16 described above only in that, in addition to the click-fit fastening, it is attached to the strut 24 by a press-fit pin 25 when assembled. This press-fit pin 25 is made of plastic and, after the cover 16a is clicked into place, is pressed through corresponding through-holes in the cover 16a and in the strut 24, thus connecting the press-fit pin 25 (and therefore the cover 16a) to the strut 24 in a way that allows for non-destructive removability. The press-fit pin 25 functions like a rivet; that is, when pressed in, a tip of the press-fit pin 25 is expanded, preventing it from being pulled out or loosened from the assembled state.

[0024] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description, this illustration and description is to be understood as exemplary and not as limiting, and it is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiment. The mere fact that certain features are mentioned in various dependent claims is not intended to imply that a combination of these features could not also be used advantageously.

Claims

[1] motor vehicle (10) with a front hood (11) which is attached to a body of the motor vehicle (10) via a hinge mechanism (20), and comprising at least one cover (16; 16a) attached to the hinge mechanism (20) made of plastic, carbon fibers and / or glass fibers, wherein the cover (16; 16a), in a closed state of the front hood (11), covers a recess (15) in a cowl (13) of the motor vehicle (10), into which a rear edge of the front hood (11) dips when the front hood (11) is opened. [2] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1, wherein the hinge mechanism (20) has two hinge joints (21) spaced apart with respect to a transverse axis (y) of the vehicle, each of which has two articulated arms (22) that are attached to the front hood (11) via pivot points (23) spaced apart with respect to a longitudinal axis (x) of the vehicle, and wherein a cover (16; 16a) is attached to each of the hinge joints (21), between the pivot points (23). [3] Motor vehicle (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (16; 16a) is detachably attached to the hinge mechanism (20). [4] Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 3, wherein the cover (16; 16a) is attached via a click fastening. [5] Motor vehicle (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a section of the cover (16; 16a) covering the recess (15) extends substantially in an xz-plane of the motor vehicle (10). [6] Motor vehicle (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (16; 16a) is made of plastic. [7] Motor vehicle (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (16a) is connected to the hinge mechanism (20) by a non-destructively detachable press-fit bolt (25).

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