INSERT PANEL LAYOUT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement of a dashboard of a motor vehicle passenger compartment comprising an airbag safety system.

[0002] In the automotive sector, dashboards are installed transversely in the passenger compartment, supported by a structural crossmember, in front of the driver and front passenger seats. The dashboard houses, on the driver's side, the instrument panel and driving indicators, and in the center, a screen allowing control of various vehicle parameters, climate control, and navigation systems. On the passenger side, it houses the front passenger airbag safety system and possibly an additional screen.

[0003] Airbag safety systems are generally installed in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle to protect passengers in the event of a severe impact by deploying between them and any potentially dangerous internal components of the vehicle. These safety systems are now well-known. EP2193052 discloses a dashboard layout incorporating an airbag safety system, configured to deploy within the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, comprising: a structural body comprising a wall having a front part and a rear part, an open area capable of opening into said wall of the structural body, and at least one housing which accommodates said airbag safety system with a flap closing at least part of said open area being capable of opening by tilting directed from rear to front, around a securing element retaining said flap, under the pressure of the deploying airbag when the safety system is triggered, said housing with said flap and said open area defining a deployment channel of said safety system positioned at the rear of said front part of the wall of the structural body, a decorative assembly comprising a decorative support having a first and a second opposing face, and a decorative covering covering the first face of said decorative support,and the second face of said decorative support being disposed on said wall of said structural body such that an area of ​​the decorative assembly covers said deployment channel of the security system.

[0004] The passenger front airbag safety system integrated into the dashboard comprises a container housing the airbag, also known as a bag, which is inflated by a gas cartridge activated by a trigger, usually pyrotechnic. This container, containing the airbag, fits into a designated housing in the dashboard's structural body. This housing opens into a specific open or frangible section of the dashboard's structural body. This housing and the dedicated section of the dashboard body together form the airbag deployment channel. The system's container is fixed to the housing in the dashboard body, and the container's opening is closed by a flap consisting of one or two leaves that rotate laterally to open when the airbag is propelled upon detection of an impact.The decorative part of the dashboard which covers the body of the dashboard covers in particular the said specific open or frangible part of the body of the dashboard, in other words it covers the airbag deployment channel and the flap.

[0005] As is known, for airbag deployment, a so-called "frangible" or "fusible" area—that is, an area designed to break easily, for example by tearing or bursting under the pressure of the flap during airbag deployment—is necessary in the decorative section of the dashboard that covers the dashboard body near the safety system to allow the airbag to deploy. This area, in particular, covers the deployment channel. Therefore, at least one frangible decorative area must be provided, for example, made from fragile materials and / or incorporating features such as localized thinning in the thickness of the decorative section, for example by cutting, so that the area breaks easily.

[0006] Furthermore, technical constraints must be met to comply with the airbag deployment specifications (speed, pushing force, aggressiveness on the bag, exit direction, etc.). It is therefore necessary to validate the proper functioning of the airbag for each set.

[0007] This dashboard design, with its side section incorporating a front airbag on the passenger side, increases the number of mandatory airbag functionality checks, limits decorative options, and imposes structural constraints on the decorative portion. Furthermore, it leads to the destruction of the dashboard structure, including the decorative section, in the event of a collision that triggers the airbag.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to address the drawbacks of the previous art.

[0009] One aim of the invention is to allow any type of dashboard decoration to be applied to a section containing an airbag. Another aim is to prevent damage to the dashboard structure, including the decorative portion.

[0010] To this end, the invention provides an arrangement of a dashboard comprising an airbag safety system, configured to extend into the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular behind the windshield and towards the front passenger seat, said arrangement comprising: a structural body comprising a wall having a front part and a rear part, an open area and / or a frangible area capable of opening into said wall of the structural body, and at least one housing which houses said airbag safety system with a flap (410) closing at least partially said open area and / or located under said frangible area and being capable of opening by tilting directed from rear to front, around a fastening element retaining said flap, under the pressure of the deploying airbag when the safety system is triggered, said housing with the flap and said open area and / or said frangible area defining a deployment channel of said safety system positioned at the rear of said front part of the wall of the structural body, a decorative assembly comprising a decorative support having a first and a second opposing face, and a decorative covering covering the first face of said decorative support,and the second face of said decorative support being disposed on said wall of said structural body such that an area of ​​the decorative assembly covers said deployment channel of the safety system. Said decorative assembly is secured to the wall of said structural body by retention means that are releaseable under the pressure of the shutter when the safety system is triggered, and the front end of said decorative assembly is held to the front wall portion of said structural body by at least one hinged connection allowing the decorative assembly to tilt from rear to front under the pressure of the shutter when the safety system is triggered, while retaining it to the front wall portion of said structural body.

[0011] Thus, the said decorative assembly is detached from the structural body at the rear of the said at least one hinged connection by releasing the said retaining means and caused to tilt forward, under the pressure of the shutter when the safety system is triggered.

[0012] The terms "front" and "rear" refer to the front and rear of the dashboard arrangement as installed in a motor vehicle. Preferably, said releasable restraint means comprise restraint elements supported by the second face of the decorative support, each restraint element having an elongated, forward-directed end that is press-fitted into respective recesses provided in the wall of the structural body, said recesses each having an elongated portion complementary to that of said end of said restraint element.

[0013] In particular, said arrangement includes at least two releasable restraints spaced apart and proximal to the rear end of the decoration support, and at least two other releasable restraints spaced apart and located between the front of the deployment channel of the safety system and said at least one hinged connection retaining the decorative assembly to the front wall portion of the structural body.

[0014] The invention has the advantage that any type of decorative coating can be applied. According to a preferred embodiment, the decorative coating comprises at least one layer of flexible material, in particular of the foam type.

[0015] Preferably, the decorative support is made of a rigid material.

[0016] Preferably, said hinge connection retaining the decorative assembly to the front wall part of the structural body includes a strap fixed on one side to the wall of the structural body and on the other side to the decorative assembly.

[0017] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a dashboard that includes at least one arrangement as described above, said arrangement extending at least along one lateral portion of the dashboard, and in particular behind the windshield and towards the front passenger seat. Advantageously, said dashboard extends transversely across the entire width of the passenger compartment behind the windshield, said dashboard having a design, at least over its entire free surface, identical to that of the decorative trim of said arrangement.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of example but not limitation, with reference to the attached drawings in which: [ Fig. 1A ] is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the vertical plane XZ of a dashboard arrangement comprising an airbag safety system, in its usual position when said safety system is deactivated, according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1B ] is a detailed view of the figure 1A . [ Fig. 2A ] is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the vertical XZ plane of the dashboard layout of the figure 1A , during the tilting of the entire set, at the beginning of the airbag deployment. Fig. 2B ] is a detailed view of the figure 2A . [ Fig. 3 ] is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in the vertical XZ plane of the dashboard layout of the figures 1A And 2A , at the end of the set's tilting motion, after the airbag has deployed. Fig.4 ] is a perspective view of a classic orthonormal XYZ coordinate system of a motor vehicle.

[0019] The orientations expressed in the description of the figures are given with reference to an orthonormal XYZ coordinate system of a motor vehicle according to the figure 4 , in which X represents the longitudinal direction, oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle, Y the transverse direction oriented towards the right of the vehicle, and Z the vertical direction oriented towards the top of the vehicle in its usual position, resting on its wheels.

[0020] The orientations of the described arrangement therefore refer to these orientations, with the terms front and rear also being indicated in reference to the front and rear of the motor vehicle.

[0021] THE figures 1A-1B , 2A-2B And 3 illustrate a dashboard layout according to an embodiment of the invention, at different stages of the deployment of the airbag of an airbag safety system, the figures 1A et 1B corresponding to the security system not activated (usual position), the figures 2A et 2B corresponding to the airbag beginning to deploy, and the figure 3 corresponding to the end of airbag deployment.

[0022] There figure 1A represents an arrangement of a dashboard of a motor vehicle, which is installed, supported transversely by a structural crossmember 7 (Y direction), and which extends substantially longitudinally in front of the front seats in the passenger compartment and behind the windshield (not shown). On

[0023] there figure 1A Some elements are shown slightly spaced apart for better readability of the figure 1A .

[0024] There figure 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (X direction) in the vertical XZ plane of a passenger-side arrangement of the passenger compartment.

[0025] According to the example, an 8-inch screen is mounted on the dashboard, facing the front passenger, with the said arrangement being located behind this screen.

[0026] The dashboard includes a structural body 2 comprising a wall having a front part 21 and a rear part 22. A facade 9 is arranged on the rear part 22 of the wall, this facade includes for example an air vent.

[0027] The dashboard arrangement includes a decorative assembly 1 comprising a decorative support 10 and a decorative covering 11 with which said support 10 is covered. The decorative support 10 comprises a first face (upper face) and a second face (lower face) opposite the first face, the decorative covering 11 being arranged on the upper face.

[0028] The dashboard body includes a housing 41 comprising two straight walls 413, 413' which support, in the space between them, an airbag safety system 5, this space opening into a through opening 20 made in the wall of the dashboard structural body. The housing 41 includes lateral mounting wings 411, 412 extending substantially perpendicularly to said straight walls 413, 413', allowing its attachment to the wall 21, 22 of the dashboard structural body, for example by screws or clips, on either side of the opening 20 (as schematically indicated by the circled parts designated by the reference numerals 42, 43 on the Fig.3 This opening 20 is closed by a single flap 410, at the upper end of the safety system 5. The opening 20 constitutes an exit opening for the deploying cushion 50. This housing 41, equipped with the flap 410, and the cushion exit opening 20 define the airbag deployment channel 4.

[0029] The flap 410 is movable attached to one 413 of the two straight walls of the housing 41, by means of a rear fastening element 400, for example a net, forming a loose hinge allowing the flap to tilt while retaining it, so that it can open from the rear to the front under the pressure of the deploying cushion when the safety system is triggered, to provide passage for said cushion.

[0030] The flap 410 can be integrated into the housing 41 of the airbag, its side, opposite to that held by the net, being secured along a line thinned in its thickness making it capable of being broken under the pressure of the deploying cushion.

[0031] The said decorative assembly 1 is arranged, according to the second face of the decorative support 10, on the wall of the said structural body 2 of the dashboard, an area of ​​the decorative assembly 1 covering the said airbag deployment channel, in particular the flap 410, above the opening 20 in the wall of the structural body.

[0032] The said decorative assembly 1 is secured to the wall of the said structural body of the dashboard, in particular on either side of the opening 20 of the airbag deployment channel, by means of releasable retention, under the push "F" of the flap 410 (and indirectly of the deploying cushion 50 which pushes the flap) when the safety system is triggered, exiting the deployment channel.

[0033] Detail A of the means of withholding the figure 1A is represented schematically in Fig.1B when the airbag safety system is deactivated. These restraint means include a restraint element 12 and a complementary restraint housing 24. This restraint element 12 is attached to the underside (second face) of the decorative support 10, and it has a hook shape with an elongated, forward-facing end 120, provided with a flexible portion 121. The notch-type restraint housing 24 is formed in the opposite dashboard body wall, and it has a complementary shape to accommodate the end 120, 121 of said restraint element 12.

[0034] The retaining element 12 is press-fitted into the retaining slot 24, following a longitudinal movement of the decorative assembly 1 relative to the dashboard body. The decorative assembly 1 is thus retained by clipping to the wall of the dashboard structural body. There may be four retaining elements 12 and four corresponding retaining slots 24 distributed between the decorative assembly 1 and the dashboard body, in order to ensure secure attachment of the decorative assembly 1 to the dashboard body. Two of the releasable retaining means are spaced apart and located near the rear end of the decorative support 10, and the other two are spaced apart and located between the front of the deployment channel 4 of the safety system and the hinge connections 3 retaining the decorative assembly 1 to the front wall portion 21 of the structural body described later.

[0035] Detail A' of the means of withholding the figure 2A is represented schematically in Fig.2B , when the airbag safety system is activated. The releasable restraint means 12, 24 detach under the push "F" of the flap 410 pushed by the airbag 50 in deployment when the safety system is triggered, the restraint element 12 of said decorative assembly 1 coming out of its restraint housing 24 of said structural body of dashboard.

[0036] Furthermore, the arrangement includes two retaining pins 6 for the decorative assembly 1 to the structural body wall, which are also releaseable when the airbag safety system is activated. Each pin 6 is located near and behind the screen 8, as shown in the example. The retaining pin 6 has one end 61 that is fixed to the decorative support 10, and its other end 62, which is free, is inserted into the opposite front wall portion 21 of the structural body, so that the decorative assembly 1 is held to the structural body of the dashboard when the airbag safety system is deactivated. This pawn 6 has a straight part whose end 61 is fixed to the scenery support 10 and a curved part, almost at a right angle to the straight part 61 and directed towards the front, ending with the free end 62, inserted into the front wall part 21 of the structural body.

[0037] These retaining pins 6 thus have the same direction of insertion into their respective housing of the structural body as the other retaining hooks 12. This facilitates the assembly and fixing of the decorative assembly 1 on the structural body, and allows the release of the various retaining elements when the safety system is triggered.

[0038] These retaining pins 6, as shown in the example, also facilitate the centering of the decorative assembly 1 during installation, by clipping the various retaining elements into place. The different retaining elements 12 are inserted into their respective slots 24 in the structural body, following a movement of the decorative element 1 from the rear to the front of the dashboard body. These fairly substantial retaining pins 6 also provide vibration resistance.

[0039] Furthermore, the front part of said decorative assembly 1, proximal and at the rear of the screen 8 as in the example, is fixed to a front wall part 21 of said structural body of dashboard by two hinge links 3 each having a strap 31 proximal to said retaining pin 6. Said strap 31 is fixed between the wall of the structural body, for example by a screw fixing element 30, and the front end of said decorative assembly 11, for example by fixing between the decoration support 10 and the decorative covering 11.

[0040] Each hinge joint 3 allows the decorative assembly 1 to tilt forwards within the passenger compartment, relative to the structural body of the dashboard, when the airbag safety system is activated. Said decorative assembly 1 is secured to said structural body of the dashboard, at the rear of said hinge joint 3, by retaining means 12, 24 which are released under the thrust "F" of the flap 410 pushed by the airbag 50 in deployment upon activation of the safety system, so that said decorative assembly 1 is detached from the wall of the structural body at the rear (direction X) of the hinge joint 3 by the release of the retaining means 12, 24 and is caused to tilt forwards within the passenger compartment, under the thrust of the airbag in deployment upon activation of the safety system, the retaining pin 6 being also detached from the wall of the structural body, its free end 62 protruding from its housing.The decorative assembly 1 is then tilted more or less vertically. The front end of said decorative assembly 1 is held by the strap 31, under maximum tension, to the wall (front wall part 21) of the structural body, which prevents the decorative assembly 1 from being completely released at the risk of being projected into the passenger compartment (see . Fig. 3 ).

[0041] Decorative set 1 can be retained without being destroyed when the airbag is triggered.

[0042] The invention has the advantage that any type of decorative coating can be applied. The coating can consist of one or more layers of material, and the materials used can be varied, for example, textured material or fabric.

[0043] According to the example, and a preferred embodiment of the invention, the decorative coating 11 comprises at least one layer of foam and a surface decorative effect, for example, a textured one, which can be superimposed on this foam layer. The invention prevents the foam layer from being shredded into pieces that could be dispersed throughout the passenger compartment, potentially being inhaled by the passengers during airbag deployment.

[0044] The invention has the advantage that the decorative trim of the dashboard can be identical across its entire surface. The portion of the dashboard, excluding the described annoyance which is particularly suited to the side of the dashboard on the front passenger side, behind the windshield and towards the front passenger seat, can indeed feature a design identical to that of the decorative trim of said arrangement containing an airbag.

[0045] The invention is described with releaseable retaining means that are press-fit, of the clip type, capable of being unclipped; however, releaseable retaining means that break, for example along separable sections, or that dislodge or deform under the pressure of the airbag deployment channel flap, may also be suitable. Broken retaining means can be easily replaced to reinstall the dashboard.

Claims

1. Arrangement of a dashboard comprising an inflatable airbag safety system, configured to extend into the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular behind the windscreen and toward the front passenger seat, said arrangement comprising: - a structural body comprising a wall having a front portion (21) and a rear portion (22), an open zone (20) and / or a frangible zone opening into said wall of the structural body, and at least one housing (41) containing said inflatable airbag safety system (5) with a flap (410) which at least partially closes said open zone (20) and / or which is located beneath said frangible zone and can be opened by tilting from the rear to the front, about an attachment element (400) retaining said flap, under the deployment force of the airbag when the safety system is triggered, said housing with said flap and said open zone (20) and / or said frangible zone defining a deployment channel (4) of said safety system positioned behind said front wall portion of the structural body, - a trim assembly (1) comprising a trim support (10) comprising a first face and a second face that are opposed, and a decorative covering (11) covering the first face of said trim support, and the second face of said trim support being arranged on said wall of said structural body such that a zone of the trim assembly covers said deployment channel (4) of the safety system, and said trim assembly (1) being secured to the wall of said structural body by retaining means (12, 24, 6) releasable under the force of the flap (410) when the safety system is triggered, and the front end of said trim assembly (1) being held on the front wall portion (21) of said structural body by at least one hinge connection (3) allowing the trim assembly (1) to be tilted from the rear to the front under the force of the flap (410) when the safety system is triggered while remaining attached to the front wall portion (21) of said structural body.

2. Arrangement of a dashboard according to Claim 1, characterized in that said releasable retaining means comprise retaining elements (12) supported by the second face of the trim support, each of said retaining elements having an elongate end (120) directed forward and press-fitted into respective housings (24) in the wall of the structural body, said housings each having a portion of elongate shape complementary to the shape of said end of the retaining element.

3. Arrangement of a dashboard according to Claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two releasable retaining means spaced apart from each other and near to the rear end of the trim support (10) and at least two other releasable retaining means spaced apart from each other and located between the front of the deployment channel (4) of the safety system and said at least one hinge connection (3) attaching the trim assembly (1) to the front wall portion (21) of the structural body.

4. Arrangement of a dashboard according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the decorative covering (11) comprises at least one layer of flexible material, in particular foam.

5. Arrangement of a dashboard according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said hinge connection (3) attaching the trim assembly (1) to the front wall portion (21) of the structural body comprises a strap (31) fastened both to the wall of the structural body and to the trim assembly (1).

6. Arrangement of a dashboard according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the trim support (10) is made of a rigid material.

7. Motor vehicle comprising a dashboard, characterized in that said dashboard comprises at least one arrangement according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, said arrangement extending at least over a lateral portion of the dashboard, and in particular behind the windscreen and towards the front passenger seat.

8. Motor vehicle comprising a dashboard according to Claim 7, said dashboard extending transversely over the entire width of the passenger compartment behind the windscreen, said dashboard comprising a decorative finish, at least over the entire free surface thereof, that is identical to the decorative finish of the decorative covering of said arrangement.