Motor vehicle comprising a gasket between a flap and a front opening

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a front opening (14); a pivoting flap designed to close the front opening; a gasket (24) between the front opening and the pivoting flap; a plurality of bodies (16, 18, 20) including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body; the front opening having a perimeter with a path to accept the gasket, this gasket-accepting path running alongside the first body and the second body; characterized in that the gasket-accepting path has a first portion secured to the first body and a second portion secured to the second body, the second portion being cut off from the first portion.

Description

Description Title of the invention: Motor vehicle comprising a seal between a flap and a front opening

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2203820 filed on April 25, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to motor vehicles comprising a hood, or cover, mounted in an airtight manner on a front opening. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a vehicle comprising a sealing device between the hood and the front opening.

[0003] A motor vehicle typically comprises a front end containing an engine compartment. The front end also includes a number of components surrounding the engine compartment, such as front fenders, headlight housings, and a bumper frame.

[0004] The engine compartment includes an opening allowing access for maintenance, which is closed by a pivoting flap.

[0005] The flap comprises an outer panel that forms a visible body element from outside the vehicle, and an inner lining formed by a sheet metal piece positioned opposite the engine compartment. In the closed position, the flap is fitted within the opening frame with a functional gap.

[0006] We are seeking to achieve a watertight and airtight closure of the flap, because a lack of airtightness at the flap can create vortices which have a negative impact on the aerodynamic behavior of the vehicle.

[0007] In some motor vehicles, an additional piece is fitted to cover the engine compartment body and form the outline of the opening. This additional piece, also called the upper trim panel, includes a support track with the flap to which a sealing gasket is attached.

[0008] This solution provides a flat support surface around the entire circumference of the engine compartment opening. The flap's seal is While easy to control, adding a large extra part is a costly solution in terms of materials and installation process. The additional part adds rigidity to the vehicle's front end, making it difficult to conform the front end to the deformation stresses in the event of a pedestrian impact.

[0009] Examples of hood sealing devices in motor vehicles are known, such as those described in document FR2934234. This device comprises a sealing gasket arranged between the hood and part of the opening, specifically at the front fender. The sealing gasket is fixed to part of an inner lining of the hood and includes a domed profile configured to cooperate with an edge of the vehicle body in order to pressurize the hood in a transverse direction.

[0010] This solution is appealing because it allows for good flap positioning, but the seal isn't designed to span multiple areas, particularly the bumper frame. An additional seal is needed to cover the opening, which risks leakage at the joint between the seals. Furthermore, this solution doesn't account for the vehicle's behavior in the event of a pedestrian impact.

[0011] The invention aims to improve upon existing state-of-the-art solutions, and in particular to provide a motor vehicle comprising a flap that is hermetically sealed over the engine compartment opening by means of an inexpensive sealing device that can be extended around the entire perimeter of the opening. The invention also aims to provide a system capable of withstanding the stresses of a vehicle impact.

[0012] Accordingly to a first aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a front opening; a pivoting flap adapted to close the front opening; a seal between the front opening and the pivoting flap; a plurality of bodies including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body; the front opening comprising a perimeter with a receiving track for the seal, said receiving track running along the first body and the second body.

[0013] The vehicle is remarkable in that the receiving track comprises a first section attached to the first body, and a second section attached to the second body, the second section being cut from the first section.

[0014] In the vehicle thus defined, a single seal can be installed across the entire front section of the front block. The contact between the hood and the opening of the front block can therefore be airtight. The elements of the receiving track can be formed from existing parts of the front block. Since the first and second sections are physically separate, they can share a single seal without transmitting force from one body to the other in the event of a pedestrian impact.

[0015] In some embodiments, the vehicle includes an interface between the first body and the second body, at said interface the receiving track includes a slot between the first section and the second section.

[0016] In some embodiments, the receiving track is a joint fixing track and includes means for fixing said joint, said fixing means being distributed over the first section and the second section.

[0017] Preferably, two successive sections of the receiving track formed respectively on two adjacent bodies are separated by a gap in a longitudinal and / or transverse direction of the vehicle; preferably, the gap measures between 5 and 15 mm; preferably between 8 and 10 mm.

[0018] Advantageously, the receiving track includes a horizontal strip under the joint.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first body comprises a light device housing and a blade forming the first section; the blade and the light device housing being made of material.

[0020] Preferably, the lighting device housing includes a frangible mounting tab, a break initiator delimiting the frangible mounting tab and passing through the first section; the first section extending along the frangible mounting tab and the lighting device housing.

[0021] In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a joint support forming the second section, said support being fixed to the second body.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second body is a bumper frame having a rear face with an upper edge, the support being fixed to said upper edge.

[0023] In some embodiments, the second body is a front wing and the support is a riser fixed to the front wing; preferably, the front wing includes a third section which forms the receiving track and which is tangent to the second section.

[0024] In some embodiments, the receiving track is a lower receiving track; the flap comprises an outer panel and an inner lining; the inner lining comprises an upper support track on the seal; the upper support track being complementary to the lower receiving track.

[0025] In some embodiments, the seal comprises a mounting surface on the vehicle and a free end opposite the mounting surface; the free end exhibits a profile in a transverse plane of the seal that is rounded with a radius that varies along a longitudinal direction of the seal.

[0026] The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will become clear upon reading the following description, given by way of example with reference to the attached drawings on which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a top view of a front block of a motor vehicle showing a front opening;

[0029] Figure 3 is a top view of a front block of a motor vehicle showing a front opening from which a seal is missing;

[0030] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a detail of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention showing a housing for a lighting device;

[0031] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention showing a front wing;

[0032] Figure 6 is a perspective view from below of a flap of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0033] In the following description, the term "include" is synonymous with "include" and is not restrictive in that it permits the presence of other elements in the device or process to which it refers. It is understood that the term "include" includes the terms "consist of".

[0034] Similarly, the terms "lower", "higher", "top" and "bottom" shall be understood according to their usual definition, in which the terms "lower" and "bottom" indicate a greater proximity to the ground in the vertical direction than respectively the terms "higher" and "top".

[0035] In this description, the terms "longitudinal," "longitudinally," "transverse," and "transversely" are used in relation to the vehicle's frame of reference and mounting configuration. "Longitudinal" refers to the vehicle's principal direction of travel. "Transverse" refers to a direction perpendicular to the vehicle's principal direction of travel. "Front" refers to the vehicle's principal direction of travel. "Rear" refers to the opposite of the front of the vehicle.

[0036] In this description, the term "perpendicular" should not be understood in its strict sense. Perpendicular means an inclination of 90° + / - 10°; preferably + / - 5°; more preferably + / - 2°. Similarly, the term "horizontal" should not be understood in its strict sense. A tolerance of 10°, preferably 5°, is applied in the context of the invention. The term "parallel" should not be understood in its strict sense. The concept of parallelism covers inclinations less than or equal to 10°; preferably 5°.

[0037] A motor vehicle 10, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a front block 12 arranged at the front of a passenger compartment. The front block 12 includes a central engine compartment with a front opening 14, shown in Figure 2.

[0038] The vehicle comprises a plurality of bodies, including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body. The vehicle 10 may comprise more than two bodies arranged around the engine compartment. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the bodies may consist of front fenders 16, light device housings 18, and a bumper frame 20 shown in Figure 2 shows the components arranged successively around the engine compartment. The front block 12 also includes a pivoting flap 22, also called a hood, adapted to close the front opening 14.

[0039] A seal 24, shown in Figure 2, is arranged between the front opening 14 and the pivoting flap 22. The front opening 14 has a perimeter with a receiving track 26 for the seal, as shown in Figures 3 to 5. The receiving track 26 runs along the first and second body sections. The receiving track can also run along more than two adjacent body sections. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the receiving track runs along the front fenders, the light housings, and the bumper frame.

[0040] The receiving track 26 comprises a first segment attached to the first body, and a second segment attached to the second body, the second segment being cut from the first. In other words, the receiving track includes a break forming two distinct segments, i.e., physically disjoint on two distinct bodies. The segments can be added to the bodies or made from one or more parts of the bodies. In the following description, it will be understood that features associated with the first body can be adapted to the second body, and vice versa. Thus, features associated with the first segment can be adapted to the second segment, and vice versa.

[0041] The sections of the receiving track can be formed by a blade made from the material of a body. For example, the first body comprises a light device housing 18 as shown in figure 4, and a blade 30 forming the first section; the blade 30 and the light device housing 18 being made from the material.

[0042] Vehicle 10 may include a joint support forming the second section, said joint support being fixed to the second body.

[0043] For example, the second body can be a bumper frame 20 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The bumper frame 20 has an upper edge, not shown, and the joint support is formed by a part 31 attached to said upper edge.

[0044] The joint support can also, for example, be fixed to a front wing 16 of the vehicle 10 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The joint support can then be a riser 36 fixed to the front wing 16. The riser 36 comprises a flat body forming the receiving track 26 of the joint, and at least one foot 38 forming a spacer between the body 26 and the front wing 16. The foot 38 may advantageously include a frangible zone in the event of a collision with the vehicle.

[0045] The vehicle 10 may include an interface between the first and second body sections. The interface may be a contact or attachment area between the bodies. At the interface, the receiving track may include a slot between the first and second sections.

[0046] For example, two successive sections of the receiving track may be separated by a gap along the longitudinal and / or transverse direction of the vehicle. The sections are preferably formed on two adjacent bodies, but two sections of the same body may also be separated by a gap. Preferably, the gap measures between 5 and 15 mm; preferably between 8 and 10 mm.

[0047] The seal 24 is an elongated plastic seal that provides an airtight and watertight seal between the flap and the receiving track. The seal may have a predetermined profile along a transverse plane of the seal. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the seal 24 may comprise a substantially flat mounting surface 46 on the vehicle and a free end 48 opposite the mounting surface. The free end 48 may have a rounded profile in a transverse plane of the seal. The radius of the rounded profile of the seal 24 may vary along the longitudinal direction of the seal so as to give the seal more or less resistance to bending about a horizontal axis.

[0048] According to variants, not shown, the joint can be a lip joint showing a profile with one or more parallel lips seen in a transverse plane of the joint.

[0049] The receiving track 26 may be a mounting track for the joint 24 and include means for mounting said joint, said means for mounting being distributed over the first section, the second section, and, where applicable, over the other sections. For example, the receiving track 26 includes holes for The fastener 27 shown in Figure 4, and the joint 24, include tabs 28, shown in Figure 5, which are fixed by deformation within said fastener holes. The fastener holes 27 may be spaced at a predetermined constant interval, for example between 5 and 20 cm; preferably between 7 and 10 cm.

[0050] According to variants, not shown, the joint may also include gripping lips forming a fixing clamp engaged around one end of a fixing wall formed on the fixing track.

[0051] The receiving track 26 can be formed over two or more bodies. For example, the receiving track 26 extends successively over a right front wing, a right headlight block, the bumper frame, a left headlight block, and a left front wing of the vehicle.

[0052] The receiving track 26 may form a horizontal band under the joint 24. The receiving track 26 may also include variations in height along the vertical direction. In this case, when two sections of the receiving track are separated by a gap, the ends of the two sections facing each other may be arranged coplanarly to avoid an abrupt change in height along the vertical direction.

[0053] The light housing 18 may include a mounting tab 32, shown in Figure 4, which is preferably frangible in the event of an impact. The mounting tab 32 may then be delimited by a break 34 extending through the section running along the frangible mounting tab 32 and the light housing 18. The break 34 may be a gap, for example between 8 and 10 mm in a transverse or longitudinal direction of the vehicle, or a frangible area. Other sections of other bodies may also include one or more breaks.

[0054] The flap 22 may include an outer panel 40 and an inner lining 42, as shown in Figure 6. The receiving track 26 may be a lower receiving track, and the inner lining 42 may then include an upper support track 44 on the joint; the upper support track being complementary to the lower receiving track. When the lower receiving track includes height variations in a vertical direction, the The upper support track includes the same height variations so as to remain in contact with the joint.

Claims

Demands

1. Motor vehicle (10) comprising a front opening (14); a pivoting flap (22) adapted to close the front opening; a seal (24) between the front opening and the pivoting flap; a plurality of bodies (16, 18, 20) including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body; the front opening comprising a perimeter with a receiving track (26) for the seal, said receiving track (26) running along the first body and the second body; characterized in that the receiving track comprises a first section integral with the first body, and a second section integral with the second body, the second section being cut from the first section.

2. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle comprises an interface between the first body and the second body, at the level of said interface, the receiving track (26) comprises a slot between the first section and the second section.

3. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the receiving track (26) is a joint fixing track and includes fixing means (27) for said joint, said fixing means (27) being distributed over the first section and the second section.

4. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that two successive sections of the receiving track (26) formed respectively on two adjacent bodies are separated by a gap in a longitudinal and / or transverse direction of the vehicle; preferably, the gap measures between 8 and 10 mm.

5. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first body comprises a light device housing (18) and a blade (30) forming the first section; the blade (30) and the light device housing (18) being made of material.

6. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the light device housing (18) comprises a frangible fixing tab (32), a break initiator (34) delimiting the frangible fixing tab and passing through the first section; the first section extending along the frangible fixing tab (32) and the light device housing (18).

7. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a joint support (31, 36) forming the second section, said joint support being fixed to the second body.

8. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the second body is a front wing (16) and the joint support is a riser (36) fixed to the front wing.

9. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the receiving track (26) is a lower receiving track; the flap comprises an outer panel (40) and an inner lining (42); the inner lining (42) comprises an upper support track (44) on the joint; the upper support track (44) being complementary with the lower receiving track.

10. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the seal (24) comprises a mounting surface (46) on the vehicle, and a free end (48) opposite the mounting surface; the free end (48) shows a profile in a transverse plane of the seal rounded with a radius varying along a longitudinal direction of the seal.

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