vehicle

By integrating the container lid and sealing arrangement onto the front hood of a vehicle, the mechanical wear and accessibility issues associated with traditional hinge-based front trunk containers are addressed, resulting in a comfortable, wear-free, and sealed storage solution.

DE102024118166A1Inactive Publication Date: 2025-05-15AUDI AG
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Patent Information

Application Number
DE102024118166
Authority / Receiving Office
DE · DE
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-06-27
Publication Date
2025-05-15
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing vehicles with front trunk containers experience mechanical wear and inconvenience in accessing the storage space due to the use of hinges that can break and manual operation requirements.

Method used

The vehicle design eliminates the need for hinges by integrating the container lid and sealing arrangement directly onto the front hood, allowing the trunk container to be opened and closed simultaneously with the front trunk, thus avoiding mechanical wear and enhancing accessibility.

Benefits of technology

This design provides comfortable and wear-free use of the trunk container, ensuring reliable sealing against dust and water ingress while simplifying access to the storage space.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle with a front hood (3), a front trunk (5), and a trunk container, wherein the trunk container comprises a container base (11), a sealing arrangement (21), and a container lid (13). According to the invention, the container lid (13) and the sealing arrangement (21) are arranged on the front hood (3).
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Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A generic vehicle, which is exemplified by an electrically powered vehicle, has a front trunk that can be closed by means of a front hood of the vehicle. A trunk container is arranged in the front trunk, which has a lower container section and a container lid connected to the lower container section via hinges. The closed trunk container defines a storage space in which, for example, a charging cable for the vehicle can be stowed while the vehicle is moving. The hinges are actuated when the trunk container is opened and closed and are therefore subject to mechanical wear, which can lead to the hinges breaking. In addition, the container lid must be opened manually to open the trunk container. The vehicle therefore has the disadvantages that the use of the trunk container is subject to mechanical wear and that accessibility to the storage space is inconvenient.

[0003] DE 10 2022 125 926 A1 discloses a front storage compartment under a hood. US 2022 / 0009419 A1 discloses a front storage compartment for a vehicle.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle in which the use of a trunk container in the front trunk is comfortable and wear-free.

[0005] The object is achieved by the features of the independent claim. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0006] According to the invention, a vehicle is proposed with a front hood, a front trunk, and a trunk container, wherein the trunk container has a container base, a sealing arrangement, and a container lid. According to the invention, the container lid and the sealing arrangement are arranged on the front hood. Due to the arrangement of the container lid and the sealing arrangement, no hinges are required to connect the container lid to the container base, in contrast to a known vehicle. This also prevents hinges from wearing out. Furthermore, when the front trunk is opened and closed, the trunk container is also opened or closed at the same time. In this vehicle, using the trunk container is therefore convenient and does not require any locking.

[0007] The vehicle can, for example, be formed by an electrically powered vehicle, preferably by an electrically powered passenger car.

[0008] For clarification purposes and / or as an example, the lower part of the container is preferably arranged entirely within the front trunk. The front trunk can be closed from above by means of the front hood. The front trunk can be open from below or closed by means of attachments in the underbody area of ​​the vehicle. The lower part of the container can be open from above via an opening that can be closed by means of the container lid.

[0009] In order to make the storage space, which is delimited to the outside by the trunk container in the closed state, easily accessible, it is provided in an exemplary embodiment that the container lid and the sealing arrangement are arranged on the front hood in such a way that during a closing process in which the front trunk is closed by means of the front hood, the lower part of the container is also closed by means of the container lid with the sealing arrangement interposed, and / or that the container lid and the sealing arrangement are arranged on the front hood in such a way that during an opening process in which the front trunk is opened by opening the front hood, the trunk container is also opened by moving the container lid together with the sealing arrangement away from the lower part of the container.

[0010] In order to accommodate the container lid in a space-saving manner on the vehicle, a preferred embodiment provides that the container lid is connected to an inner side surface of the front hood and / or that a part of an inner side surface of the front hood forms the container lid.

[0011] In order to connect the container lid to the front hood in a structurally simple and cost-effective manner, it is provided in an exemplary embodiment that the container lid is connected to the front hood in a form-fitting, force-fitting or material-fitting manner, wherein it is preferably provided that the container lid is clipped or screwed to the front hood on an inner surface of the front hood or is injection-molded directly onto the front hood.

[0012] For example, the sealing arrangement can be connected to the container lid, preferably to a lid edge of the container lid, in a force-fitting and / or material-locking manner.

[0013] In order to achieve a sealing effect of the sealing arrangement such that the storage space delimited to the outside by the trunk container is reliably sealed against the ingress of dust and / or water by the container lower part and the container lid, but in particular by the sealing arrangement, it is provided in an exemplary embodiment that the sealing arrangement is in a preferably force-fitting and / or material-locking joint connection with the container lid, preferably a lid edge of the container lid, wherein it is preferably provided that the sealing arrangement is in a joint connection with the container lid, preferably the lid edge of the container lid, such that, when the trunk container is closed, the sealing arrangement is arranged between the container lid and the container lower part, preferably an edge of the container lower part, and / or between the lid edge and the container lower part, preferably an edge of the container lower part.

[0014] The lid edge can protrude from a base body portion of the container lid, preferably when the front hood is closed, toward the container bottom. Alternatively, the lid edge can be formed by a region of the container lid, preferably a base body portion of the container lid, facing the container bottom, preferably when the front hood is closed.

[0015] In order to achieve complete sealing of the storage space delimited to the outside by the trunk container, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the sealing arrangement extends, preferably completely and / or without gaps, along the lid edge and / or, preferably on the outside, circumferentially around the lid edge and / or, preferably on the outside, circumferentially around the container lid.

[0016] In order to provide the sealing arrangement in a cost-effective and easy-to-assemble manner, it is provided in an exemplary embodiment that the sealing arrangement is formed by a single sealing element that extends along the, preferably complete, lid edge, and / or that the sealing arrangement is formed by two or more sealing elements that are arranged one behind the other along the lid edge.

[0017] The sealing arrangement and / or the sealing elements can each be formed by a profile seal or by a section of a profile seal.

[0018] In order to also achieve dust and / or water tightness of the joints of the sealing element or sealing elements, it is provided in an exemplary embodiment that the sealing element is in continuous contact at its two ends and / or that the two ends of the sealing element are in a preferably materially bonded joint connection with one another, and / or that the mutually facing ends of the sealing elements are in continuous contact and / or are in a preferably materially bonded joint connection with one another.

[0019] In order to enable tolerance compensation between the container lower part and the container lid in the vertical direction of the vehicle by means of the sealing arrangement, a preferred embodiment provides that the sealing arrangement and / or the sealing elements are elastically deformable.

[0020] In order to achieve tolerance compensation and elastic deformability of the sealing arrangement in a cost-effective manner, a particularly preferred embodiment provides that the material of the sealing arrangement and / or the material of the sealing elements comprises an elastomer.

[0021] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached schematic drawing.

[0022] They show: Fig. 1 in a side view a vehicle, and Fig. 2 in a front view of the vehicle with a view into the front trunk with the front flap open.

[0023] In the Fig. 1 shows a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is, here only as an example, formed by an electrically powered passenger vehicle and has a front hood 3 in the front area VWB of the vehicle 1. In the Fig.1 shows the front hood 3 in its closed state.

[0024] A front trunk 5 of the vehicle 1 is bounded to the outside by the front area VWB of the vehicle 1 and the front hood 1 in the closed state. The front trunk 5 is in the Fig. 2. The front hood 3 is hinged to the body of the vehicle 1 via hood hinges 7.

[0025] The vehicle 1 has a trunk container in the front area VWB of the vehicle. The trunk container has a container base 11, a container lid 13, and a sealing arrangement 21. The container base 11 is arranged entirely within the front trunk 5 and is attached to the body of the vehicle 1 in the front area VWB. The container lid 13 can also be considered a frunk cover.

[0026] Basically, the container lid 13 and the sealing arrangement 21 are connected to an inner side surface 23 of the front hood 3. The inner side surface 23 of the front hood 3 faces the underbody of the vehicle 1 when the front hood 3 is closed, and points towards the front of the vehicle 1 when the vehicle hood 3 is open. The container lid 13 is screwed to the inner side surface 23, here merely by way of example, and is thus non-positively connected to the front hood 3. The container lid 13 has a circumferential lid edge 31 that projects from a base body section of the container lid 13 in the direction of the container lower part 11. Alternatively, the container lid 13 in this or another embodiment of the vehicle 1 can also be formed merely by a part of the inner side surface 23 of the front hood 3.In this alternative, the container lid 13 is made of the same material and is connected in one piece to the front hood 3 and can, for example, be injection-molded onto a plastic part of the front hood 3.

[0027] Basically, the container lid 13 and the sealing arrangement 21 are connected to the inner side surface 23 of the front hood 3 in such a way that during a closing process in which the front trunk 5 is closed by means of the front hood 3, the container lower part 11 is also closed by means of the container lid 13 with the interposition of the sealing arrangement 21. Furthermore, the container lid 13 and the sealing arrangement 21 are basically connected to the inner side surface 23 of the front hood 3 in such a way that during an opening process in which the front trunk 5 is opened by opening the front hood 3, the trunk container is also opened by moving the container lid 13 together with the sealing arrangement 21 away from the container lower part 11.

[0028] The sealing arrangement 21 is elastically deformable and, here merely by way of example, is formed by a single, elongated sealing element 33. The material of the sealing element 33 is an elastomer. Due to the elastic deformability of the sealing arrangement 21, the sealing arrangement 21 can provide tolerance compensation between the container lower part 11 and the container lid 13 in the vertical direction of the vehicle when the front hood 3 is closed.

[0029] The sealing element 33 is formed, here merely by way of example, by a profile seal, wherein the sealing element 33 extends along the entire lid edge 31. At a joint S of the two ends of the sealing element 33, the two ends of the sealing element 33 are glued together and thus form a material connection.

[0030] The sealing element 33 is, here merely by way of example, attached to the lid edge 31 and is frictionally connected thereto. Of course, in this or another embodiment of the vehicle 1, the sealing element 33 can also be screwed and / or glued to the lid edge 31, for example.

[0031] When the front hood 3 is closed, the sealing element 33 is arranged between the container lid 13 and the container base 11, so that a storage space of the vehicle 1, a so-called frunk, is delimited to the outside by the container base 11 and the container lid 13 as well as the sealing element 33. By means of the sealing element 33, the storage space is sealed against the ingress of dust and / or water and / or moisture into the storage space when the front hood 3 is closed. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS: 1 vehicle 3 Front hood 5 Front trunk 7 Hood hinge 11 Container base 13 Container lid 21 Sealing arrangement 23 Inside surface 31 Lid edge 33 Sealing element S joint VWB front end area QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2022 125 926 A1

[0003] US 2022 / 0009419 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Vehicle with: a front hood (3), a front trunk (5), and a trunk container, wherein the trunk container has a container base (11), a sealing arrangement (21) and a container lid (13), characterized by , that the container lid (13) and the sealing arrangement (21) are arranged on the front hood (3). [2] Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by , that the container lid (13) and the sealing arrangement (21) are arranged on the front hood (3) in such a way that during a closing process in which the front trunk (5) is closed by means of the front hood (3), the container lower part (11) is also closed by means of the container lid (13) with the sealing arrangement (21) interposed, and / or that the container lid (13) and the sealing arrangement (21) are arranged on the front hood (3) in such a way that during an opening process in which the front trunk (5) is opened by opening the front hood (3), the trunk container is also opened by moving the container lid (13) together with the sealing arrangement (21) away from the container lower part (11). [3] Vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the container lid (13) is connected to an inner side surface (23) of the front hood (3), and / or that a part of an inner side surface (23) of the front hood (3) forms the container lid (13). [4] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the container lid (13) is connected to the front hood (3) in a form-fitting, force-fitting or material-fitting manner, wherein it is preferably provided that the container lid (13) is clipped or screwed to the front hood (3) on an inner side surface (23) of the front hood (3) or is injection-molded directly onto the front hood (3). [5] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the sealing arrangement (21) is in a preferably force-fitting and / or material-fitting joint connection with the container lid (13), preferably a lid edge (31) of the container lid (13), wherein it is preferably provided that the sealing arrangement (21) is in a joint connection with the container lid (13), preferably the lid edge (31) of the container lid (13), in such a way that, when the trunk container is closed, the sealing arrangement (21) is arranged between the container lid (13) and the container lower part (11), preferably an edge of the container lower part (11), and / or between the lid edge (31) and the container lower part (11), preferably an edge of the container lower part (11). [6] Vehicle according to claim 5, characterized by that the sealing arrangement (21) extends, preferably completely and / or without gaps, along the lid edge (31) and / or circumferentially around the container lid (13). [7] Vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, characterized bythat the sealing arrangement (21) is formed by a single sealing element (33) which extends along the, preferably complete, lid edge (31), and / or that the sealing arrangement (21) is formed by two or more sealing elements which are arranged one behind the other along the lid edge (31). [8] Vehicle according to claim 7, characterized by , that the sealing element (33) is in continuous contact at both ends and / or that the two ends of the sealing element (33) are joined to one another, preferably by a material bond, and / or that the mutually facing ends of the sealing elements are in continuous contact and / or are in a preferably materially bonded connection with one another. [9] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the sealing arrangement (21) and / or the sealing elements (33) are elastically deformable. [10] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the material of the sealing arrangement (21) and / or the material of the sealing elements (33) comprises an elastomer.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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    CN107433911A

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