Multifunctional wheel arch reinforcement

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicles, particularly motor vehicles. The invention relates in particular to wheel arch reinforcement type parts intended to reinforce a rear wheel arch and to vehicles equipped with such wheel arch reinforcements.

[0002] The inner rear wheel arch is a sheet metal forming the side partition arranged between the space intended to receive a vehicle's rear wheel and the interior of the vehicle, namely its trunk or passenger compartment. Compared to the front wheel arches, the rear wheel arches must undergo specific constraints at their location within the said vehicle. To improve the vehicle's performance in its road behavior in terms of body torsion, it is known to use wheel arch reinforcements.

[0003] For this purpose, document US8141937 presents a vehicle structure comprising a rear external wheel arch reinforcement, therefore located outside the interior part of the vehicle. This solution is not advantageous, because the part requires an additional coating against the possible appearance of corrosion caused by air humidity.

[0004] To avoid this drawback, document CN106428222 proposes the addition of a part acting as a quarter panel lining inside the vehicle. Such a configuration effectively increases the torsion of the hollow body installation environment and avoids the risk of corrosion. However, despite the improvement in the torsion of the body in this installation location, the weight of the vehicle is increased by the addition of the part. In addition, current manufacturing constraints require that the fitting step be as simple as possible. The addition of a quarter panel lining as proposed by this document does not allow such simplification. A solution therefore remains to be found to overcome these constraints.

[0005] Finally, document EP 2 380 801 A1 discloses a vehicle comprising a wheel arch reinforcement according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

[0006] Nowadays, there is a constant effort to reduce the overall weight of vehicles in order to reduce the emissions of polluting gases such as CO 2 . One way to achieve this is to reduce the thickness of the parts forming the body. However, due to such a reduction in the thickness of the parts located at the rear of the body, the assembly is made more vulnerable to damage and it no longer allows the assembly of additional parts on the already existing parts. A solution therefore remains to be found to improve the torsion of the body while being able to reduce the thickness of the parts located towards the rear of the said body.

[0007] The invention aims to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a new wheel arch reinforcement making it possible to improve the performance in terms of body torsion without significantly increasing the weight of said vehicle. The invention also aims to propose a multifunctional wheel arch reinforcement in that it can also serve as a fixing interface for at least one additional element and / or at least one device.

[0008] To this end and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle comprising a wheel arch reinforcement, a rear panel and an internal rear wheel arch, the vehicle being remarkable in that said reinforcement is arranged to extend between said rear panel and said internal rear wheel arch.

[0009] As will be understood from reading the definition just given, the invention proposes a new arrangement for a wheel arch reinforcement by arranging it in a space unoccupied in the prior art. The positioning of said wheel arch reinforcement inside the vehicle makes it possible to protect it from corrosion while allowing it to improve the performance of the vehicle in terms of body torsion.

[0010] Furthermore, the location of said wheel arch reinforcement also allows for better extraction of air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, since it replaces a baffle. Indeed, it is known to place a plurality of baffles in the passenger compartment, of the plastic deflector type, to extract air from said passenger compartment while reducing rolling noise. Thus, according to the invention, the wheel arch reinforcement, by its positioning, also has a baffle function for the passage of air. This is in line with current efforts to reduce the weight of the vehicle, since the addition of the wheel arch reinforcement eliminates the need to install additional baffles at this location. The wheel arch reinforcement comprises a body, and said body forms a main attachment interface and has at least one attachment means.The rear panel comprises an internal face placed opposite the rear face of the internal rear wheel arch, said body is provided at each of its ends, in its longitudinal direction, with at least one fixing tab for its fixing to the rear panel and to the internal rear wheel arch respectively. The wheel arch reinforcement further comprises an additional fixing tab extending along an inclined or vertical plane towards the front of the vehicle beyond the body of the wheel arch reinforcement; and said additional fixing tab is fixed or placed in abutment on a lateral face of the internal rear wheel arch.

[0011] Particularly advantageously, the positioning of the wheel arch reinforcement according to the invention between said wheel arch and said panel makes it easier to install or fix other elements as we will see in detail. The unique and multifunctional nature of the wheel arch reinforcement also facilitates the fitting process during vehicle production, since it requires the fixing of a single part instead of several. This configuration is advantageous in that it further improves the performance of the vehicle in terms of body torsion. Said additional tab can be fixed to the wheel arch by welding.

[0012] Preferably, the vehicle further comprising at least one electrical box, the vehicle is remarkable in that one of the electrical boxes is fixed to the main fixing interface of the wheel arch reinforcement. Advantageously, the main fixing interface is flat to allow better support of the electrical box. The electrical box is preferably fixed to the electrical interface by clipping or by screwing.

[0013] Optionally, at least one means of securing the main fastening interface is a clipping pin, and the electrical box is secured to the main fastening interface by clipping.

[0014] Preferably, at least one means of fixing the main fixing interface is a hole for the passage of a screw, and the electrical box is fixed to the main fixing interface by screwing.

[0015] According to one means of implementing the invention, the vehicle comprising a trunk provided with a side trim, the vehicle is remarkable in that the wheel arch reinforcement further comprises an additional attachment interface and in that said trunk side trim is attached to the wheel arch reinforcement at said additional attachment interface. Preferably, the additional attachment interface extends from the main attachment interface along a plane not parallel thereto. The presence of an additional attachment interface for the attached side trim results in a better perceived quality to the touch of said trim by stiffening it at this level.

[0016] Advantageously, said additional fastening interface and said additional fastening tab extend from the same edge of the main fastening interface. Preferably, they are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other. This configuration optimizes the weight presented by the wheel arch reinforcement. It also allows the passage of air entering the vehicle from the surrounding environment and circulating through the passenger compartment towards the air exhaust outlet located at the rear of said vehicle.

[0017] All these advantages mean that the multifunctional part according to the present invention makes it possible to overcome “process” constraints in that a single part is necessary to ensure several functions in its location.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the wheel arch reinforcement has at least one stiffening rib. Preferably: at least one stiffening rib is oriented along the longitudinal direction of the main fastening interface; and / or at least one stiffening rib is arranged at the additional fastening interface.

[0019] The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will appear clearly on reading the following description, given by way of example, with reference to the attached drawings in which: There figure 1 is a view showing the wheel arch reinforcement for a vehicle according to the invention comprising a body forming a fixing interface and fixing tabs; The figure 2 is a left side view of a vehicle trunk of a vehicle structure including a reinforcement extending between a wheel arch and a rear panel; The figure 3 is a left side view of the interior of a vehicle trunk illustrating a rear panel and side trim attached to the wheel arch reinforcement according to the invention.

[0020] In the following description, the term "comprise" is synonymous with "include" and is not limiting in that it allows the presence of other elements in the structure, vehicle or wheel arch reinforcement part to which it refers. It is understood that the term "comprise" includes the terms "consist of". In the various figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements. The terms "front", "rear" will be understood in relation to the general orientation of the vehicle. The term "front" will indicate a positioning oriented towards the front of a vehicle in the horizontal direction and the term "rear" will indicate a positioning oriented towards the rear of a vehicle in the same direction.

[0021] We will first refer to the figure 1 showing a wheel arch reinforcement 1 comprising a body forming at least one fixing interface 3. Said fixing interface 3 comprises at least one fixing means 5, preferably at least two fixing means, such as clipping pins or holes for the passage of screws. Said fixing means are intended for fixing an electrical box 7.

[0022] The wheel arch reinforcement 1 comprises two fixing tabs 13 located opposite each other and intended to be fixed with the parts of the surrounding installation environment, namely the rear panel and the internal rear wheel arch. Said reinforcement further comprises an additional tab 9 extending in the longitudinal direction and in a plane perpendicular to said main interface 3 and appearing in the form of a rim of said main interface 3. One of the ends of the tab 9 extends forward beyond this main interface 3. The tabs 9 and 13 are located in planes that are not parallel to each other. In addition, the reinforcement also comprises an additional interface 27 located in a plane perpendicular to the fixing interface 3.This has an additional fixing means 11 configured to receive a side trim 21 provided in turn with a fixing means, such as a clipping pin 23 (visible on the . figure 3 ). The additional tab 9 and the additional interface 27 are spaced apart. This configuration is in line with current efforts to reduce vehicle weight.

[0023] The wheel arch reinforcement 1 has at least one rib for stiffening the part. The greater the number of ribs, the more the rigidity of the part will be improved. Preferably, the stiffening ribs are placed around the perimeter of the fixing interface 3 of the wheel arch reinforcement 1. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the wheel arch reinforcement 1 comprises at least one rib 25 on each side of the interface. Preferably, the wheel arch reinforcement 1 is made of steel.

[0024] There figure 2 illustrates the installation environment of the wheel arch reinforcement 1 where an electrical box 7 is fixed to the fixing interface 3 of the wheel arch reinforcement 1 through the fixing means 5. The flat surface of the main interface 3 allows good contact between the electrical box 7 and the wheel arch reinforcement 1.

[0025] There figure 2 illustrates, in addition to the wheel arch reinforcement 1, a rear wheel arch 17 and a rear panel 15. Said rear panel 15 is an assembled panel and comprises a housing for a rear light 19. The wheel arch reinforcement 1 extends between the two parts (15, 17), being fixed there by means of the fixing tabs 13 coming to bear on one side against the rear panel 15 and, on the other side, against the wheel arch 17. The fixing tabs 13 and the additional tab 9 are fixed to these two parts (15, 17) permanently, for example by welding.

[0026] Of course, the wheel arch reinforcement 1 can be installed on both the left and right side of the body. The presence of an additional fixing tab 9 can also act as a foolproofing device.

[0027] There figure 3 illustrates a view of the interior of the trunk of a vehicle comprising a rear panel 15 and a side trim 21 fixed to the wheel arch reinforcement (not visible in this figure) by a fixing means 23, preferably a clipping pin. Said clipping pin 23 is received by the assembly means 11. The side trim 21 comes to bear on the fixing interface 27 of the wheel arch reinforcement 1, hiding it from the view of a user (visible in the figures 1 et 2 ). Thus, the perceived quality of touch by the user is improved in that it is more rigid. Conventionally, the upholstery is made of fabric, such as carpet.

Claims

1. Vehicle comprising a wheel arch reinforcement (1), a rear panel (15) and an inner rear wheel arch (17), said reinforcement (1) being arranged to extend between said rear panel (15) and said inner rear wheel arch (17), the wheel arch reinforcement (1) comprising a body forming a main attachment interface (3) and having at least one attachment means (5), the rear panel (15) comprising an inner face placed facing the rear face of the inner rear wheel arch (17), said body each being provided with at its ends, along its longitudinal management, of at least one fixing tongue (13) for fixing it to the rear panel (15) and to the inner rear wheel arch (17) respectively, wherein the wheel arch reinforcement (1) further comprises an additional fixing tongue (9) extending in an inclined or vertical plane in management of the front of the vehicle beyond the body of the wheel arch reinforcement (1); and wherein said additional fixing tongue (9) is fixed or resting on a lateral face of the inner rear wheel arch (17).

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, the vehicle further comprising at least one electrical box (7), the vehicle being characterized in that one of the electrical boxes (7) is fixed to the main fixing interface (3) of the wheel arch reinforcement (1).

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: - at least one means (5) for fastening the main fastening interface (3) is a clipping pin, and in that the electrical box (7) is fastened to the main fastening interface (3) by clipping; and / or - at least one fastening means (5) of the main fastening interface (3) is a hole for the passage of a screw, and the electrical box (7) is fastened to the main fastening interface (3) by screwing.

4. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicle comprises a trunk provided with a side fitting (21), wherein the wheel arch reinforcement (1) further comprises an additional attachment interface (27) and wherein said trunk side fitting (21) is attached to the wheel arch reinforcement (1) on the level of said additional attachment interface (27), preferably the additional attachment interface (27) extends from the main attachment interface (3) on a drawing not parallel thereto.

5. Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that said additional fixing interface (27) and said additional fixing tongue (9) extend from the same edge of the main fixing interface (3), preferably they are arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another.

6. Vehicle according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the wheel arch reinforcement (1) has at least one stiffening rib (25), preferably at least one stiffening rib (25) is arranged on the level of the additional fixing interface (27).

7. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wheel arch reinforcement (1) has at least one stiffening rib (25), at least one stiffening rib (25) is oriented along the longitudinal management of the main fixing interface (3).