Wing bracket formed by an indexing part and a reinforcing part

Abstract

The invention relates to an indexing part (1) for a bracket (3) for a motor vehicle, the indexing part (1) allowing at least one wing of the vehicle to be indexed on a body of the vehicle, the indexing part (1) comprising a first indexing interface (6) allowing the indexing part (1) to be indexed on the body, the indexing part (1) further comprising a second indexing interface (7) allowing the wing to be indexed on the indexing part (1), the indexing part (1) being unfit on its own, in the event that the vehicle suffers a repairable impact, to maintain the geometry of the indexing part (1), the indexing part (1) being designed to be reinforced by a reinforcing part (2), by attachment thereof to the indexing part (1), in order to form a wing bracket (3) capable of withstanding deformation in the event that the vehicle suffers a repairable impact.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title of the invention: Wing support formed from an indexing part and a reinforcing part.

[0003] The present invention claims priority from French application 2206671 filed on June 30, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] The technical field concerns indexing parts and reinforcement parts, wing supports formed from a reinforcement part fixed to an indexing part and vehicles equipped with such a wing support.

[0005] For car manufacturers, the quality of their vehicles' finish and aesthetics are essential to stand out from other brands. Manufacturers therefore make significant efforts to constantly improve these areas. Customers are particularly attentive to the flushness and assembly clearances of various body components of a vehicle.

[0006] Furthermore, car manufacturers must address various major concerns arising from the behavior of a vehicle during different types of impacts in order, on the one hand, to ensure the safety of vehicle passengers or other road users, particularly the most vulnerable such as pedestrians, and, on the other hand, to limit the costs of repairs following urban impacts, known as reparable impacts, i.e. impacts sustained at low speeds of around 15 to 20 kilometers per hour.

[0007] The behavior of motor vehicles in these situations is regulated and tested using standardized test procedures. These standardized procedures are, for example, described by the international organization Euro NCAP. The requirements for these test results are becoming increasingly numerous and increasingly difficult to meet, forcing car manufacturers to constantly innovate.

[0008] The results of repairable impacts are particularly important for insurance companies, which establish ratings for vehicles sold to reflect the potential costs incurred during a repairable impact. Also, to improve the results of repairable impact tests, it is necessary to ensure that such an impact impacts as few parts of the vehicle as possible. In this context, most motor vehicles have at least one fender support to connect the fender, the front bumper and the vehicle body. Such a fender support ensures sufficient rigidity to ensure the bumper and fender hold during a repairable impact, for example. The fender support also plays an aesthetic role, since the bumper and fender are indexed on this fender support, making it possible to define the clearances and flushness of the bumper and fender.

[0009] There are essentially two types of fender brackets: a first type of one-piece fender brackets, allowing for good hold and adjustment of optimum flush clearances. Generally, such fender brackets have numerous reinforcements, such as folded edges. However, for reasons of feasibility, it is sometimes impossible to produce the fender bracket in a single piece and car manufacturers then resort to the second type of fender brackets made in two parts, a first part allowing the bracket to be fixed to the vehicle body and a second part on which the bumper and the fender are indexed, the first and second parts being fixed to each other. However, this second type of fender brackets proves to be unsatisfactory because the fixing of the two parts determines the quality of the flush clearances, and generally causes significant dispersions in terms of clearances and flush clearances.Furthermore, the geometry's resistance in the event of a repairable impact requires a significant sheet metal thickness for at least one of the two parts.

[0010] Thus, there is a need for a solution that can achieve a satisfactory two-part wing support.

[0011] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a two-part wing support which ensures repairable impact resistance while ensuring adequate flushness between the wing and the bumper.

[0012] To this end, the present invention relates to an indexing part for a fender support for a motor vehicle, the indexing part making it possible to index at least one fender of the vehicle on a body of the vehicle, the indexing part comprising a first indexing interface making it possible to index the indexing part on the body, the indexing part further comprising a second indexing interface making it possible to index the fender on the indexing part, the indexing part being unsuitable for ensuring alone, in the event of a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle, the holding of the geometry of the indexing part, the indexing part being designed to be reinforced by a reinforcing part by fixing on the indexing part in order to form a fender support capable of resisting deformation during a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle.The invention also relates to a reinforcement part shaped to at least partially match the shape of an indexing part according to the invention, the reinforcement part being designed to be fixed to the indexing part to form a wing support and to allow the support to resist deformation in the event of a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle.

[0013] The invention also relates to a wing support comprising at least one indexing part according to the invention on which a reinforcement part according to the invention is fixed.

[0014] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one wing support according to the invention, on which at least one wing is indexed on the second indexing interface.

[0015] Thus, the indexing part makes it possible to form, with the reinforcement part, a two-part wing support having a geometry hold in the event of a repairable impact and a low dispersion of clearances and flushness. The indexing part thus makes it possible to index the body and at least the wing thanks to the first and second indexing interfaces. In this way, the indexing part thus offers an acceptable dispersion of clearances and flushness. The rigidity of the wing support according to the invention is then ensured by the fixing on the indexing part of the reinforcement part. The wing support according to the invention thus makes it possible to avoid an increase in the thickness of the support. Finally, the indexing part has the same advantages, for assembly and adjustment, as a single-piece wing support.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the indexing part further comprises a third indexing interface making it possible to index a bumper of the vehicle on the indexing part.

[0017] According to one possibility, at least one of the first, second and / or third indexing interfaces comprises at least one indexing orifice and / or at least one screw nut fixed on the indexing part. According to one embodiment, the indexing part is formed by a stamped sheet metal.

[0018] Advantageously, the reinforcing piece connects at least two of the first, second and third indexing interfaces.

[0019] Advantageously, the reinforcement piece is fixed by welding to the indexing piece.

[0020] According to one possibility of the vehicle, the support comprises an indexing part which further comprises a third indexing interface making it possible to index a bumper of the vehicle on the indexing part, a bumper being indexed on the third indexing interface.

[0021] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0022] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an indexing part according to the invention fixed to a body of a vehicle according to the invention;

[0023] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 represents a perspective view of a wing support according to the invention formed from the indexing part of Figure 1 and a reinforcing part according to the invention.

[0024] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0025] An indexing part 1 according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, makes it possible to form, with a reinforcing part 2 illustrated in Figure 2, a wing support 3 for a motor vehicle, illustrated in Figure 2.

[0026] The indexing part 1 makes it possible to index at least one wing of the vehicle, not illustrated, on a body 4 of the vehicle, illustrated in FIG. 1. The indexing part 1 is, for example, produced using a stamped sheet metal 5.

[0027] The indexing part 1 comprises a first indexing interface 6 making it possible to index the indexing part 1 on the body 4.

[0028] The indexing part 1 further comprises a second indexing interface 7 making it possible to index the wing on the indexing part 1.

[0029] In the example illustrated in the figures, the indexing part 1 also comprises a third indexing interface 8 for indexing a bumper, not shown in the figures, of the vehicle on the indexing part 1. The indexing part 1 is unsuitable for ensuring alone, in the event of a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle, the maintenance of its geometry. The indexing part 1 is therefore likely to undergo deformations in the event of a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle, for example because it is devoid of a reinforcement zone such as a folded edge, or because its thickness is insufficient to give it sufficient rigidity.

[0030] The indexing part 1 is designed to be reinforced by the reinforcing part 2 by fixing it to the indexing part 1. The wing support 3 thus formed is then capable of resisting deformation during a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle.

[0031] For this purpose, the reinforcing piece 2 according to the invention is designed to be fixed to the indexing piece 1 and in particular to connect at least two of the first 6, second 7 and third 8 indexing interfaces. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the reinforcing piece 2 connects the first indexing interface 6 and the second indexing interface 7.

[0032] Advantageously, the fixing of the reinforcement part 2 on the indexing part 1 is carried out by welding.

[0033] In the example illustrated in the figures, at least one of the first 6, second 7 and / or third 8 interfaces comprises at least one indexing orifice 9 and / or a screw nut 10 fixed to the indexing part 1. In this case, each of the first 6, second 7 and third 8 interfaces comprises an indexing orifice 9 provided with a screw nut 10 welded in line with the orifice 9. The third indexing interface 8 further comprises, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a clearance hole 11 to allow the insertion of a bumper control pin.

[0034] As illustrated in Figure 1, the indexing part 1 is formed, on the one hand, of a plate 12 extending between the second 7 and third 8 indexing interfaces. At least one edge 13 of the plate 12 is, for example, shaped to match the internal shape of the wing fixed to the second indexing interface 7 and / or to match the internal shape of the bumper fixed to the third indexing interface 8.

[0035] The indexing part 1 is formed, on the other hand, of a tongue 14 integral with the plate 12 and projecting from the plate 12 from an edge 15 opposite the edge 13. The first indexing interface 6 is provided at a free end of the tongue 14. The tongue 14 forms a first non-zero angle with the plate 12 and also a second non-zero angle with the first indexing interface 6. A reinforcing rib 16 extends, for example, partly into the plate 12 and the tongue 14 in order to reinforce the first angle.

[0036] As illustrated in Figure 2, the reinforcement piece 2 is formed from a stamped sheet metal and comprises, for example, openings 17 making it possible to lighten the reinforcement piece 2.

[0037] Thus, the indexing part 1 makes it possible to produce a motor vehicle according to the invention in which a wing, in particular a front wing, and a bumper are indexed respectively on the second 7 and third 8 indexing interfaces while the support is also indexed on the body 4 thanks to the first indexing interface 6. Thus, the indexing part 1 guarantees correct flushness and clearances between the wing and the bumper. The resistance during a repairable impact is then ensured thanks to the fixing of the reinforcement part 2 on the indexing part 1.

[0038] The invention is not limited to the embodiments of an indexing part and / or a reinforcement part described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the framework and scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 . Indexing part (1) for a support (3) for a motor vehicle, the indexing part (1) making it possible to index at least one wing of the vehicle on a body (4) of the vehicle, the indexing part (1) comprising a first indexing interface (6) making it possible to index the indexing part (1) on the body (4), the indexing part (1) further comprising a second indexing interface (7) making it possible to index the wing on the indexing part (1), the indexing part (1) being unsuitable for ensuring alone, in the event of a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle, the maintenance of the geometry of the indexing part (1), the indexing part (1) being designed to be reinforced by a reinforcing part (2) by fixing on the indexing part (1) in order to form a wing support (3) capable of resisting deformation during a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle.

2. Indexing part (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a third indexing interface (8) making it possible to index a bumper of the vehicle on the indexing part (1).

3. Indexing part (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the first (6), second (7) and / or third (8) indexing interfaces comprises at least one indexing orifice (9) and / or at least one screw nut (10) fixed on the indexing part (1).

4. Indexing part (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is formed by a stamped sheet metal (5).

5. Reinforcing piece (2) shaped to at least partially match the shape of an indexing piece (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, the reinforcing piece (2) being designed to be fixed to the indexing piece (1) to form a wing support (3) and to allow the support (3) to resist deformation in the event of a repairable impact suffered by the vehicle.

6. Reinforcing piece (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (2) connects at least two (6, 7) of the first (6), second (7) and third (8) indexing interfaces.

7. Wing support (3) comprising at least one indexing part (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 on which is fixed a reinforcing part (2) according to claim 5 or 6.

8. Wing support (3) according to claim 7, characterized in that the reinforcing part (2) is fixed by welding to the indexing part (1).

9. Motor vehicle comprising at least one wing support (3) according to claim 7 or 8 on which at least one wing is indexed on the second indexing interface (7).

10. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that the support (3) comprises an indexing part (1) according to claim 2, a bumper being indexed on the third indexing interface (8).

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