CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FRONT WING AND THE FRONT PILLAR OF A VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, more particularly to the front structure of a motor vehicle.

[0002] The body structure of a motor vehicle typically comprises, on each side, a front pillar and a front fender reinforcement extending longitudinally from the front pillar.

[0003] Published patent document FR 2 992 941 A1 discloses a device for attaching a front fender to the body wall of a motor vehicle. This disclosure provides a bracket-shaped support attached on one side to the front pillar and on the other side to a rear attachment bracket of the front fender. This is intended to prevent the fender from moving backwards in the event of an impact. However, attaching the fender to the front pillar weakens the entire structure and can cause significant damage.

[0004] Documents EP 1 854 705 A1, WO2014 / 154962 and WO2013175083 also describe vehicle structures comprising a front fender reinforcement extending forward and under the front fender from a front pillar. Document EP 1 854 705 A1 discloses the preamble of claim 1.

[0005] The invention aims to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the aforementioned state of the art. More particularly, the invention aims to improve the repairability of the vehicle at the level of the attachment of the front wing to the front pillar, in the event of an impact at the front.

[0006] The invention relates to a motor vehicle body structure, comprising: a motor vehicle front pillar; a front wing with a rear attachment bracket; a front wing reinforcement extending forward and under the front wing from the front pillar; a support with a first portion attached to the front pillar and a second portion attached to the attachment bracket; remarkable in that the attachment of the support to the front pillar comprises an attachment to the front wing reinforcement.

[0007] By attachment to the wing reinforcement, we mean direct attachment to said reinforcement, advantageously by superimposing it on said reinforcement. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the front wing reinforcement comprises a tab extending between the front foot and the first portion of the support.

[0008] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first portion of the support is fixed by electrical resistance welding points to the tab of the front wing reinforcement.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the structure comprises a front leg reinforcement, the attachment of the support to the front leg comprising an attachment to said front leg reinforcement, the front leg reinforcement being a stamped part arranged against an inner face of said leg.

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the front foot has a U-shaped cross-section and the reinforcement of the front foot has a U-shaped section matching said cross-section.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the U-shaped cross-section of the front leg further comprises wings forming joining grooves with a counter-piece of said leg; the U-shaped section of the reinforcement of the front leg further comprising wings sandwiched in said grooves.

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the U-shaped cross-section of the front pillar is formed by a stamping forming a body side delimiting a front door entrance of the vehicle.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the front foot reinforcement is fixed to the front foot by electrical resistance welding points.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the welding points fixing the reinforcement of the front foot to said foot comprise welding points also fixing the tab of the front wing reinforcement to said foot.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first and second portions of the support form a bracket, the first portion being fixed to an external and longitudinal face of the front foot and the second portion projecting from said face transversely.

[0016] The measures of the invention are interesting in that they make it possible to improve the attachment area between the front wing and the front pillar of a motor vehicle. This involves at least one of the two measures consisting of attaching the support to the front wing reinforcement and providing a reinforcement of the front pillar. The extension tab of the front wing reinforcement, positioned between the support and the front pillar, also makes it possible to improve the transmission of forces, in the event of a front impact, from said reinforcement to the front pillar. The attachment of the various parts by electric welding points ensures effective attachment while being simple to implement. The manufacture of the various parts is carried out by stamping, a technique which is also mastered and easy to implement.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood with the aid of the description and the drawings among which: There figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle according to the invention; The figure 2 is a side view of a vehicle body structure, more particularly of an attachment area between a front pillar and a front fender of the vehicle of the figure 1 ; There figure 3 is a magnification of the fixation area of the figure 2 , exterior view of the vehicle body structure; The figure 4 is a magnification of the fixation area shown in figures 2 And 3 , view of the interior of the vehicle body structure.

[0018] There figure 1 shows a perspective view of a motor vehicle having a body structure according to the invention. The body structure 3 according to the invention is essentially metallic and comprises two body sides 7, positioned on each side of the vehicle 1. These body sides 7 serve in particular as a support for a roof, and as a frame for doors 5 of the vehicle 1. The front of the body side 7 forms a front pillar 9, attached at its front end to a front wing 11 of the vehicle 1 by means of a rear fixing lug for the front wing (not visible in these figures).

[0019] THE figures 2 And 3 show an anterior part of the side of the body shown in the figure 1 , at the fitting stage. Thus, the body side 7 delimits a 5' entrance of the front door of a motor vehicle. The front pillar 9 of the vehicle has a transverse and horizontal U-shaped section, with a base 9A and two wings 9B, positioned at the front and rear of said base 9A. The front and rear wings 9B form joining grooves with the wings of a counter-piece of the front pillar (not visible in these figures). The front pillar 9 and the counter-piece of the corresponding front pillar 9 thus form a hollow structure. The base 9A of the front pillar 9 further has a longitudinal outer face 9C oriented towards the outside of the vehicle, which is used for fixing a front wing reinforcement 13 according to the invention.

[0020] The front wing reinforcement 13 is positioned at the rear of the front wing (visible at figure 1 ), and will reinforce it, particularly in the event of an impact. This reinforcement 13 also serves to transmit the forces exerted on the front wing to the front pillar 9 of the vehicle. The front wing reinforcement 13 extends from the front pillar 9 towards the front of the vehicle, it comprises a longitudinal portion 13A of U-shaped cross-section, extended at the rear by a rear portion 13B. This rear portion 13B is fixed to the front pillar 9 by electrical resistance welding points 19A. At a rear end of the rear portion 13B of the reinforcement 13 is a tab 13C, which supports a support 17.

[0021] The support 17 according to the invention comprises a first portion 17A, fixed to the front foot 9 and a second portion 17B fixed to the rear fixing lug of the front wing (not visible in these figures). The first portion 17A is more precisely fixed to the lug 13C of the front wing reinforcement 13. This fixing is preferably carried out by electrical resistance welding, corresponding to the welding points 19B. The first and second portions (17A, 17B) of the support 17 advantageously form a bracket, the first portion 17A of which is fixed to the outer and longitudinal face 9C of the front foot 9. The second portion 17B then projects transversely from the outer and longitudinal face 9C.

[0022] In these figures we can also see a third electrical resistance welding point 19C, which will allow the fixing between the lug 13C of the front wing reinforcement 13, the front foot 9 and a front foot reinforcement described in figure 4 .

[0023] There figure 4 shows a view from the rear of the attachment area shown in figure 3 . We can particularly see the front pillar reinforcement 15. This front pillar reinforcement 15 is preferably a stamped part, arranged against an inner face 9D of the front pillar 9. The front pillar reinforcement 15 advantageously has a U-shaped cross-section, which matches the cross-section of the front pillar 9. Thus, the cross-section of the front pillar reinforcement 15 comprises a base 15A with two wings 15B, which are preferably sandwiched in the joining grooves of the front pillar 9. The presence of orifices in the front pillar reinforcement 15 also makes it possible to see one of the weld points 19A, which fixes the front wing reinforcement 13 to the front pillar 9 of the vehicle.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle body structure (3) (1), comprising: - a motor vehicle front foot (9) (1); - a front wing (11) with a rear fixing lug; - a front wing reinforcement (13) extending forward and under the front wing (11) from the front foot (9); - a support (17) with a first portion (17A) fixed to the front foot (9) and a second portion (17B) fixed to the fixing lug; characterised in that the attachment of the support (17) to the front foot (9) comprises an attachment to the front wing reinforcement (13).

2. Bodywork structure (3) according to claim 1, characterised in that the front wing reinforcement (13) comprises a lug (13C) extending between the front foot (9) and the first portion (17A) of the support (17).

3. Bodywork structure (3) according to claim 2, characterised in that the first portion (17A) of the support (17) is fixed by electrical resistance welding points (19B) to the lug (13C) of the front wing reinforcement (13).

4. Bodywork structure (3) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises a front foot reinforcement (15), the fixing of the support (17) to the front foot (9) comprising a fixing to said reinforcement of the front foot (15), the reinforcement of the front foot (15) being a stamped piece arranged against an inner face (9D) of said foot (9).

5. Bodywork structure (3) according to claim 4, characterised in that the front leg (9) has a U-shaped cross section and the reinforcement of the front leg (15) has a U-shaped cross section matching said cross section.

6. Bodywork structure (3) according to claim 5, wherein the U-shaped cross-section of the front foot (9) further comprises wings (9B) forming rabbets for joining with a counter-component of said foot (9); the U-shaped cross-section of the reinforcement of the front foot (15) further comprising wings (15B) sandwiched in said rabbets.

7. Bodywork structure (3) according to either of claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the U-shaped cross-section of the front foot (9) is formed by a press-formed body (7) defining an entry (5') of the front door (5) of the vehicle (1).

8. Bodywork structure (3) according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the reinforcement of the front foot (15) is fixed to the front foot (9) by electrical resistance welding points (19C).

9. Bodywork structure (3) according to either of claims 2 and 3 and according to Claim 8, characterised in that the welding points (19C) fixing the reinforcement of the front leg (15) to the said leg (9) comprise welding points (19C) also fixing the lug (13C) of the front wing reinforcement (13) to the said leg (9).

10. Bodywork structure (3) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the first and second portions (17A; 17B) of the support (17) form an angle bracket, the first portion (17A) being fixed to an outer and longitudinal face (9C) of the front foot (9) and the second portion (17B) projecting transversely from the said face (9C).