Optimized stop piece for a rear panel of a vehicle
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023706393
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-02-24
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-20
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-01-20
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] DESCRIPTION
[0002] TITLE: OPTIMIZED STOP PIECE FOR A VEHICLE REAR PANEL
[0003] Technical field of the invention
[0004] The present invention claims priority from French application 2201651 filed on February 24, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.
[0005] The invention relates to vehicles comprising a trunk partially delimited by a rear panel on which a trunk flap rests, and more precisely to the stop pieces which equip such rear panels.
[0006] State of the art
[0007] Many vehicles, generally of the automobile type, include a trunk which is partially delimited by a rear panel and access to which is controlled by a trunk flap capable of resting on this rear panel in its closed position.
[0008] In order to cushion the impact of the trunk lid against the rear panel at the end of its closing, at least one stop piece may be attached to the outer face of this rear panel and possibly provided with a rubber damping element (possibly synthetic). Each stop piece comprises a wall comprising a main part having an upper face which projects towards the rear end of the vehicle and defines a stop for the trunk lid and an upper peripheral edge which extends this main part and which is secured to the rear panel.
[0009] In some vehicles, the shape of the rear panel does not allow the lower peripheral edge which extends the lower sub-part of the main part to bear against this rear panel, so that there is an empty space between this rear panel and this lower peripheral edge (which is in a way suspended). Consequently, when the rear bumper of the vehicle undergoes a so-called "repairability" impact (i.e. of an intensity below a threshold corresponding to a low intensity (or at low speed)), it may come to bear against a stop piece. However, this support almost always causes significant deformation of the rear panel, at least in the support zone in which the upper peripheral edge is welded, due to the lever arm effect resulting from the suspension of the lower sub-part of the main part of the wall of the stop piece concerned.This is problematic because while it is easy to replace a damaged rear bumper, the same is not true of the rear panel, which can only be specifically repaired in situ by hammering in a boilermaking workshop, which is time-consuming, expensive and does not always allow a return to the initial shape and therefore can be visible and / or disturbing for neighboring equipment.
[0010] Furthermore, deformation of the rear panel can also cause damage to equipment near the damaged support area.
[0011] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.
[0012] Presentation of the invention
[0013] For this purpose, it proposes in particular a stop piece comprising a wall comprising a main part, having an upper face which projects towards the rear of a vehicle and defines a stop for a trunk flap of this vehicle, and an upper peripheral edge, extending this main part and suitable for being secured to a rear panel of the vehicle.
[0014] This stop piece is characterized by the fact that the main part of its wall comprises a lower sub-part located under the upper face, suitable for extending to the rear panel, and extended by at least one lower extension suitable for resting on, and being secured to, the rear panel.
[0015] Thanks to the absence of empty space between the rear panel and a portion of the main part of the wall of the stop piece, when the rear bumper of the vehicle comes to bear against this stop piece during a repairability impact, this does not induce any real deformation of the rear panel in the support zone where the stop piece is welded due to the absence of a lever arm effect.
[0016] The stop piece according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:
[0017] - in a first embodiment, the lower extension may constitute a lower peripheral edge extending the lower sub-part of the main part at an angle which is adapted to its support on the rear panel;
[0018] - in a second embodiment, the lower extension may constitute a fixing lug which extends the lower sub-part of the main part at an angle which is adapted to its support on the rear panel;
[0019] - in this second embodiment, the lower sub-part may comprise at least a first lateral zone located to the right or left of the lower extension and devoid of material;
[0020] - also at least in this second embodiment, the wall of the stop piece may comprise, on a part of the upper peripheral edge and / or the main wall, outside its lower sub-part, at least a second lateral zone located to the right or to the left of the lower extension and devoid of material;
[0021] - it can be made of steel;
[0022] - the upper peripheral edge and the lower extension may be suitable for welding to the rear panel;
[0023] - it may include a damping element secured to the upper face.
[0024] The invention also proposes a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising a rear panel partially delimiting a trunk and comprising at least one stop piece of the type presented above, and a trunk flap controlling access to this trunk and capable of resting on this rear panel.
[0025] Brief description of the figures
[0026] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:
[0027] [Fig. 1] schematically and functionally illustrates, in a perspective view from the rear side of the vehicle, a portion of a first example of a vehicle rear panel comprising a first example of an embodiment of a stop piece according to the invention, and
[0028] [Fig. 2] schematically and functionally illustrates, in a perspective view from the rear side of the vehicle, a portion of a second example of a vehicle rear panel comprising a second example of an embodiment of a stop piece according to the invention.
[0029] Detailed description of the invention
[0030] The invention aims in particular to propose a stop piece PB intended to equip a rear panel PR of a vehicle and making it possible to avoid damage to this rear panel PR in the support zone comprising this stop piece PB when the rear bumper of the vehicle comes to bear against the latter (PB) during a repairability impact.
[0031] In the following, it is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the stop piece PB is intended to equip a rear panel PR of a motor vehicle, such as for example a car. But the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. It in fact concerns any vehicle (land, sea (or river), or air) comprising a trunk partially delimited by a rear panel and access to which is controlled by a trunk flap capable of resting on this rear panel in its closed position.
[0032] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate two examples of vehicle rear panels PR, respectively comprising first and second examples of embodiments of a stop piece PB according to the invention.
[0033] Although not illustrated, the rear panel PR partially delimits the trunk of the vehicle, access to which is controlled by a trunk flap. In its closed position, this trunk flap rests on the rear panel PR and in particular on each stop piece PB that it includes.
[0034] As illustrated, a stop piece PB, according to the invention, comprises at least one wall PA which comprises a main part PP, an upper peripheral edge BPS and at least one lower extension El.
[0035] The main part PP has an upper face FS, which projects towards the rear end of the vehicle and which defines a stop for the vehicle's tailgate, and a lower sub-part SPI. The upper peripheral edge BPS extends the main part PP and is suitable for being secured to an upper sub-area ZS of a support area of the rear panel PR, for example by welding. This support area is located close to the rear bumper of the vehicle.
[0036] The lower sub-part SPI of the main part PP is located under the upper face FS and is able to extend to the rear panel PR. In addition, this lower sub-part SPI is extended by at least one lower extension El which is able to rest on the rear panel PR and to be secured to this rear panel PR in a lower sub-zone ZI of the aforementioned support zone.
[0037] Thus, there is no longer any empty space between the rear panel PR and a portion of the main part PP of the wall PA of the stop piece PB, and therefore when the rear bumper of the vehicle comes to bear against this stop piece PB during a repairability impact this does not induce any real deformation of the rear panel PR in the bearing zone where the stop piece PB is welded due to the absence of a lever arm effect. This is particularly advantageous because it avoids having to specifically repair this zone in situ by hammering in a boilermaking workshop. In addition, the absence of deformation of the aforementioned zone makes it possible not to damage equipment adjacent to this zone.
[0038] At least two embodiments of the PB stop piece can be envisaged.
[0039] In a first embodiment illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 1, the lower extension E1 can constitute a lower peripheral edge which extends the lower sub-part SPI at an angle adapted to its support on the rear panel PR.
[0040] The extension of this lower peripheral edge El around the lower sub-part SPI can be more or less large. However, the longer this extension, the greater the bearing surface of the stop piece PB on the rear panel PR and therefore the more the force absorbed during the impact can be distributed.
[0041] In a second embodiment illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 2, the lower extension E1 can constitute a fixing lug which extends the lower sub-part SPI at an angle adapted to its support on the rear panel PR.
[0042] This makes it possible to locally define a relatively large support surface while reducing the mass of a lower peripheral edge El of the type illustrated in Figure 1. The support surface here is smaller than that offered by the lower peripheral edge El of the first embodiment, and therefore the fixing lug El must absorb a significant force during the impact because this force is distributed over a smaller surface.
[0043] It will be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 2, that the lower sub-part SPI can comprise at least a first lateral zone Z1 located to the right or to the left of the lower extension El and devoid of material. This makes it possible to reduce the mass of the stop part PB. It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 2 the first lateral zone Z1 is located to the right of the lower extension El. But in an alternative embodiment not illustrated it could be located to the left of the lower extension El.
[0044] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 2, that the wall PA may comprise, on a part of the upper peripheral edge BPS and / or the main wall PP (apart from its lower sub-part SPI), at least one second lateral zone Z2 located to the right or to the left of the lower extension El and devoid of material. This also makes it possible to reduce the mass of the stop piece PB. It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 2 the second lateral zone Z2 is located to the right of the lower extension El, and defined both in the upper peripheral edge BPS and the main wall PP. But in a variant embodiment not illustrated it could be located to the left of the lower extension El.
[0045] In embodiments not illustrated, the stop piece PB could comprise only a first lateral zone Z1 or only a second lateral zone Z2.
[0046] When the stop piece PB comprises a first lateral zone Z1 and a second lateral zone Z2, it is necessary, as illustrated in Figure 2, for its main part PP to comprise a lateral fixing lug PF between its first Z1 and second Z2 lateral zones (here on the right). This in fact makes it sufficiently resistant.
[0047] It will also be noted, although this is not illustrated, that each stop piece PB may comprise a damping element secured to its upper face FS and intended to participate in the damping of the trunk flap at the end of closing. This fastening may be done by screwing thanks to the presence of a hole TF (possibly threaded) defined in the upper face FS, as illustrated non-limitingly in figures 1 and 2, or by gluing. Such a damping element may, for example, be made of rubber (possibly synthetic). But in an alternative embodiment the damping element could be secured to the trunk flap and in this case it abuts on the upper face FS at the end of closing of its trunk flap.
[0048] Preferably, each PB stop piece is made of metal. Thus, it can, for example, be made of steel or aluminum. But in an alternative embodiment, each PB stop piece could be made of a rigid and very resistant plastic or synthetic material.
[0049] Also preferably, the upper peripheral edge BPS and the lower extension E1 of each stop piece PB are welded to the rear panel PR. It will be noted that when the main part PP comprises a lateral fixing tab PF, the latter (PF) is also preferably welded to the rear panel PR. In Figure 2 the preferred locations of the welding points are shown by dotted circles.
Claims
DEMANDS 1. Stop piece (PB) comprising a wall (PA) having a main part (PP) having an upper face (FS), projecting towards the rear of a vehicle and defining a stop for a boot lid of said vehicle, and an upper peripheral edge (BPS), extending said main part (PP) and suitable for being attached to a rear panel (PR) of said vehicle, characterized in that said main part (PP) comprises a lower sub-part (SPI) located under said upper face (FS), suitable for extending to said rear panel (PR), and extended by at least one lower extension (El) suitable for resting on said, and for being attached to said, rear panel (PR).
2. Stop piece according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower extension (El) constitutes a lower peripheral edge extending said lower sub-part (SPI) at an angle adapted to its support on said rear panel (PR).
3. Stop piece according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower extension (El) constitutes a fixing tab extending said lower sub-part (SPI) at an angle adapted to its support on said rear panel (PR).
4. Stop piece according to claim 3, characterized in that said lower sub-part (SPI) comprises at least a first lateral zone (Z1) located to the right or left of said lower extension (El) and devoid of material.
5. Stop piece according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said wall (PA) comprises, on a part of said upper peripheral edge (BPS) and / or said main wall (PP), outside of said lower sub-part (SPI), at least one second lateral zone (Z2) located to the right or left of said lower extension (El) and devoid of material.
6. Stop piece according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is made of steel.
7. Stop piece according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said upper peripheral edge (BPS) and said lower extension (El) are suitable for being welded onto said rear panel (PR).
8. Stop piece according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a damping element attached to said upper face (FS).
9. Vehicle comprising a rear panel (PR) partially delimiting a trunk and a trunk flap controlling access to said trunk and adapted to rest on said rear panel (PR), characterized in that said rear panel (PR) comprises at least one stop piece (PB) according to one of the preceding claims.
10. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that it is of the automobile type.