Vehicle and method for manufacturing such a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle with a bulkhead (1) extending between the A-pillars (3) of the vehicle, which separates a vehicle front section (5) from a vehicle interior (7) and terminates at the top of the vehicle with a windshield crossmember (9), wherein a front section package (21) consisting of, for example, a 12V battery (23), a by-wire braking system (27), and thermal management components (25) is arranged in the vehicle front section (5), and a cockpit module (29) is arranged in the vehicle interior (7). According to the invention, the bulkhead (1), the windshield crossmember (9), the cockpit module (29), and the front section package (21) are combined to form a pre-assembly unit (V).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1, a method for manufacturing such a vehicle according to claim 9, and a pre-assembly unit according to claim 10, which can be installed in such a vehicle.

[0002] In a typical two-track vehicle body, the front end and the passenger compartment are separated by a bulkhead that runs transversely between the two A-pillars. This bulkhead terminates vertically at the top of the vehicle with a windshield crossmember, upon which the lower edge of the windshield rests. The front end houses a front-end package, consisting, for example, of a 12V battery, a by-wire braking system, and thermal management components for an air conditioning system. The passenger compartment contains a cockpit module, comprising, for example, an instrument panel, an air conditioning unit, by-wire steering and braking systems without mechanical coupling, and an airbag module.

[0003] A generic process for manufacturing such a vehicle comprises the following process steps: a body-in-white process step in which a body-in-white is assembled. The body-in-white is then coated with a corrosion-resistant layer in a coating process step (for example, cathodic dip coating). This is followed by a vehicle assembly process step in which, on an assembly line at the vehicle manufacturing plant, the cockpit module and the front end package, among other components, are installed separately into the body-in-white. Due to severely limited accessibility, the media channels, such as a fresh air duct or refrigerant lines, as well as the wiring harnesses between the front end package and the cockpit module, must be routed ergonomically inconveniently through corresponding openings in the bulkhead.

[0004] From DE 199 27 504 B4 a motor vehicle is known in which the firewall forms a component of the cockpit module, wherein operating equipment belonging to this of the vehicle projects into the engine compartment of the vehicle by passing through at least one recess in the firewall.

[0005] DE 10 2007 052 ​​720 A1 discloses a module carrier for a dashboard. This carrier has an inner cross member for attachment to a vehicle structure and an outer cross member for lower windscreen mounting. DE 10 2014 222 441 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a control unit arranged in a cockpit module and a wiring harness comprising at least one data and / or power cable for connecting the control unit to the vehicle's electrical system. DE 10 2021 102 436 B3 discloses a motor vehicle with a vehicle interior in which a cockpit module is arranged and with at least one vehicle door. DE 20 2022 105 172 U1 discloses a vehicle cockpit module for a front part of a vehicle's interior. The vehicle cockpit module has a main module consisting of a driver module, corresponding to a driver's seat, and a center module arranged in the middle of the vehicle.

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle in which the installation of the front-end package and the cockpit module can be carried out with reduced manufacturing time and / or reduced manufacturing effort compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the production should be shifted from the main assembly line in the vehicle manufacturing plant to the system supplier or to secondary areas.

[0007] The problem is solved by the features of claim 1, claim 9 or claim 10.

[0008] The invention relates to a vehicle with a bulkhead extending between the vehicle's A-pillars, separating the vehicle's front end from the vehicle interior and terminating at the top of the vehicle with a windshield crossmember. The vehicle's front end contains a front-end package, consisting, for example, of a 12V battery, a by-wire braking system, and thermal management components. The vehicle interior contains a cockpit, consisting, for example, of an instrument panel, an air conditioning unit, and an airbag module. According to the characterizing part of claim 1, to simplify vehicle manufacturing, the bulkhead, the windshield crossmember, the cockpit module, and the front-end package are combined into a pre-assembly unit. This pre-assembly unit is installed in the body-in-white during a vehicle assembly process step on the assembly line of a vehicle manufacturing plant, preferably by means of a detachable connection, such as screw connections.The connection points should preferably be set automatically.

[0009] In the pre-assembly unit, media channels, such as a fresh air duct or refrigerant lines, as well as wiring harnesses between the components of the front end package and the cockpit module, can be pre-routed through corresponding openings in the bulkhead, even before the body shell is installed. This provides more ergonomically favorable access for the worker compared to the current state of the art. If necessary, the geometry of the openings in the bulkhead can also be adapted, as threading may be eliminated or passages combined on the main assembly line.

[0010] Furthermore, the cockpit package, like the bulkhead, is dependent on the steering configuration. An advantage lies in the steering of the bulkhead (left / right). The invention makes it possible to provide a uniform body shell, applicable across vehicle types with respect to steering (i.e., variant left + right), into which the type-adapted pre-assembly unit, consisting of the front-end package and cockpit module, can be inserted.

[0011] In its assembled state, the bulkhead extends vertically downwards in the vehicle's direction to a bulkhead crossmember at the bottom, to which the vehicle floor is subsequently attached. Unlike the bulkhead itself, the bulkhead crossmember is an integral part of the body-in-white. The body-in-white features a mounting base to which the pre-assembly unit can be attached with high connection strength. Preferably, the body-in-white mounting base is approximately U-shaped, with an upright cross member running along the bulkhead crossmember in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This cross member transitions laterally at each of the A-pillars into a vertical web running vertically in the vehicle's direction of travel. During the vehicle assembly process, the bulkhead, along with the windshield crossmember, which is part of the pre-assembly unit, is aligned with the U-shaped body-in-white mounting base in a specific assembly direction.The installation direction is preferably aligned with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle towards the front. Furthermore, a tight seal can be achieved using flexible sealant (windshield adhesive) or solid sealant.

[0012] It is preferable if the pre-assembly unit is not attached via complex spot welds or similar methods, but rather via detachable bolted connections. The bolt axes can be ergonomically aligned along the vehicle's longitudinal axis. In mass production, this attachment takes place during a vehicle assembly process step on the main assembly line of a vehicle manufacturing plant.

[0013] In one specific embodiment, the cockpit module can have a module crossmember extending between the two A-pillars, to which the cockpit components are attached. The module crossmember is positioned longitudinally behind the bulkhead and is connected to the windscreen crossmember via a longitudinal strut, thus transmitting forces. In this way, the module crossmember and the bulkhead form a rigid supporting structure for the pre-assembly unit, onto which the front end package and the cockpit module can be pre-assembled.

[0014] With the pre-assembly unit still disassembled, the body-in-white according to the invention has an assembly access open towards the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction. This assembly access is bounded downwards by the bulkhead crossmember, upwards by a roof structure of the body-in-white, and laterally by the A-pillars in the transverse direction. The large cross-section of this assembly access allows the pre-assembly unit to be inserted without interference during the vehicle assembly process step, in which the pre-assembly unit is transferred longitudinally to the rear of the vehicle through the body-in-white assembly access into the vehicle interior. The assembly principle according to the invention is, of course, also conceivable for, for example, a completely assembled hat-shaped perimeter (i.e., side / roof / B-pillar).

[0015] Inside the vehicle, the pre-assembly unit is aligned transversely and then moved forward in the assembly direction until it is flush with the body shell, and then preferably connected using bolted connections. It should be noted that, alternatively, any other assembly direction is also conceivable using suitable insertion contours and connection technology, for example, vertically downwards. In this case, the sealing contour would have to be adapted accordingly.

[0016] An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0017] They show: Fig. Figures 1 to 9 show different views illustrating the vehicle body structure according to the invention.

[0018] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 indicates an assembled body structure of a two-track vehicle to the extent necessary for understanding the invention. Accordingly, the body structure in the Fig. 1 a front wall 1 which extends between the two A-pillars 3 of the body structure opposite each other in the transverse direction y of the vehicle, of which in the Fig. Figure 1 shows only an A-pillar 3. The bulkhead 1 separates the front of the vehicle 5 from the interior 7. The bulkhead 1 also terminates at the top of the vehicle with a windshield crossmember 9. The windshield crossmember 9 runs along each side of the vehicle at an upper pillar node 11, connecting to an upper wheel arch longitudinal member 13 and a side frame member 15. The side frame member 15 extends into the roof structure, which has a roof crossmember 16. This, together with the side frame members 15 and the windshield crossmember 9, defines a body-side windshield opening. A strut tower 18 is located in the inner corner area between the upper wheel arch longitudinal member 13 and the windshield crossmember 9. A body longitudinal member 14 also runs below the upper wheel arch longitudinal member 13.

[0019] In the Fig. 1. The front wall 1 transitions downwards in the vehicle's vertical direction 7 into a floor-side front wall cross member 17. Further downwards, a vehicle floor 19 adjoins the front wall cross member 17.

[0020] A front-end package 21 is arranged in the vehicle's front section 5, of which only a dashed outline is indicated in the figures. According to the Fig. 2 a 12V battery 23, thermal management components 25 (i.e., air conditioning compressor and valves), a by-wire braking system 27, and an on-board electrical system. In contrast, a cockpit module 29 is located in the vehicle interior 7. The cockpit module 29 consists, among other things, of an instrument panel 31 (also indicated only by a dashed line), an air conditioning unit 33, a by-wire steering system 35, pedals (not shown), an airbag module 37, and a module cross member 39 to which the cockpit components are attached.

[0021] The cockpit module 29 and the front body package 21 are connected via media channels, for example fresh air ducts or refrigerant lines 41 ( Fig. 1) and vehicle electrical system cable harnesses are connected to each other. These are connected by corresponding feedthrough openings 43 ( Fig. 1) laid in the front wall 1.

[0022] A key aspect of the invention is that the front bulkhead 1, the windscreen crossmember 9, the front body package 21, and the cockpit module 29 are combined into a pre-assembly unit V, which is assembled separately from the main assembly line in the vehicle manufacturing plant, for example, by a supplier. The pre-assembly unit V is installed in a vehicle assembly process step via screw connections S into a body-in-white R of the vehicle.

[0023] This is indicated in the Fig. 4 or Fig. The body-in-white R shown in Figure 5 has a U-shaped mounting base 45. The body-in-white mounting base 45 consists of a transverse web 47 extending in the transverse direction y of the vehicle along the front bulkhead crossmember 17, which transitions at each A-pillar 3 into a vertical web 49 extending in the vertical direction z of the vehicle. The front bulkhead 1, together with the window crossmember 9, is bolted to the U-shaped mounting base 45 by means of S. Furthermore, the body-in-white R has mounting brackets 51 at the A-pillars, to which the lateral ends of the module crossmember 39 are attached by means of bolted connections S.

[0024] In the vehicle assembly process step, the pre-assembly unit V is moved in a joining direction F ( Fig. 3 or Fig. 8) brought in alignment with the longitudinal direction x towards the front of the vehicle until it is in alignment with the U-shaped attachment base 45 and the attachment brackets 51 and then screwed to the body shell R via the screw connections S.

[0025] The transfer of the pre-assembly unit V into the body-in-white R is robot-assisted. To ensure reliable handling of the pre-assembly unit V, it must be designed with sufficient structural rigidity. With regard to a structurally rigid support structure for the pre-assembly unit V, the module crossbeam 39 is connected via longitudinal struts 53 ( Fig. 2 or Fig. 3) connected to the disc crossbeam 9 in a force-transmitting manner.

[0026] As an alternative to the illustrated embodiment, an integrated hybrid component made of steel / plastic, optimized for functionality, is also conceivable. Furthermore, other designs / materials for the end wall 1 and / or the disc crossbeam 9 are conceivable. When using fiber-reinforced plastic, an advantage is that corrosion protection measures for the end wall / disc crossbeam component can be omitted.

[0027] The following will be based on the Fig. Sections 6 to 9 describe a process for manufacturing the vehicle. According to this, the body shell R is first assembled in a body-building process step, as shown in the Fig. 4 or Fig. 5 is indicated. In the body shell R, the pre-assembly unit V is still disassembled, resulting in an assembly access 55 open in the longitudinal direction x towards the front of the vehicle with a large, interference-free cross-section. The assembly access 55 is bounded downwards by the front bulkhead crossmember 17, upwards by the roof frame crossmember 16, and laterally by the A-pillars 3 or the side frame sections 15.

[0028] Following the body-in-white process step, a coating process step is carried out in which the body-in-white R is coated with a corrosion-resistant layer, such as an e-coating paint. Afterwards, a vehicle assembly process step is performed at the main assembly line in the vehicle manufacturing plant: First, the pre-assembly unit V is provided at the main assembly line. The pre-assembly unit V is then robot-assisted and transferred in the longitudinal direction x towards the rear of the vehicle through the front body-in-white assembly access 55 into the vehicle interior 7 ( Fig. 6) Inside the vehicle interior 7, the pre-assembly unit V is pre-positioned from its longitudinal orientation by 90° into its installation position ( Fig. 7 and Fig. 8) The pre-positioned pre-assembly unit V is moved in the joining direction F ( Fig. 8) in alignment with the vehicle's longitudinal direction x towards the front of the vehicle until it is in contact with the U-shaped mounting base 45 and the two mounting brackets 51. Finally, the pre-assembly unit V is bolted to the body shell R via screw connections S ( Fig. 9); i.e., the front wall 1 is bolted together with the disc cross member 9 to the U-shaped connection base 45, while the module cross member 39 is bolted to the connection brackets 51. The screw axes of the screw connections S are ergonomically aligned in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle. REFERENCE MARK LIST: 1 Front wall 3 A-pillar 5 upper column node 7 Vehicle interior 9 disc crossbeams 13 Wheel arch longitudinal members 14 body longitudinal members 15 side frame part 16 roof crossbeams 17 disc crossbeams 18 Strut mount 21 Front axle package 23 12V battery 25 Thermal management component 27-By-Wire braking system 29 Cockpit 31 Instrument panel 33 Air conditioner 35-by-wire steering system 37 Airbag module 39 modular crossbeams 41 refrigerant lines 43 through-holes 45 U-shaped connection base 47 Crossbar 49 Vertical walkway 51 Connection console 53 longitudinal struts 55 Assembly access R body shell F Leading direction V Pre-assembly unit S screw connection QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

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

[0000] DE 199 27 504 B4

[0004] DE 10 2007 052 ​​720 A1

[0005] DE 10 2014 222 441 A1

[0005] DE 10 2021 102 436 B3

[0005] DE 20 2022 105 172 U1

[0005]

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