Trim panel with a reinforced upper decorative element for a vehicle door
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023776417
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-09-02
- Filing Date
- 2023-07-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-09
AI Technical Summary
Vehicle trim panels, especially those in side doors, face issues where the upper ornamental piece can separate from the support when pulled, leading to repair needs and allow small objects to pass through, causing inconvenience and expense, particularly in lower segment vehicles without lighting.
A trim panel design featuring an interface device that couples the upper ornamental piece to the support, preventing separation and obstructing the passage between the ornamental piece and the upper strip trim, optionally including a photon source for lighting and specific coupling mechanisms.
Prevents the upper ornamental piece from separating and blocks objects from passing through, enhancing vehicle quality and reducing the need for costly repairs by ensuring secure attachment and obstructing the passage.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
DESCRIPTION TITLE: TRIM PANEL WITH REINFORCED HOLD UPPER ORNAMENT PIECE, FOR A VEHICLE DOOR Technical field of the invention
[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2208835 filed on September 2, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The invention relates to vehicles comprising at least one side door, and more specifically to the trim (or covering) panels intended to form part of such side doors. State of the art
[0002] Many vehicles, usually of the automobile type, include a passenger compartment that can be accessed through at least one side door (or door). Usually, each side door includes an external structural part (or metal panel) to which an internal trim panel (and therefore facing the passenger compartment) is fixedly attached.
[0003] Some trim panels include a support, an upper fascia trim secured to the support and defining a recess, and an upper trim piece having a lower portion secured to the support and installed almost entirely under the upper fascia trim.
[0004] Sometimes the upper ornamental piece has an upper edge which is separated from the upper fascia trim by a passage, so as to allow the passage of photons intended to illuminate the recess and generated by a photon source secured to a support piece installed behind the upper ornamental piece while being secured to the support.
[0005] When a vehicle user pulls on the upper trim piece to close the door, instead of pulling on the dedicated area on the door armrest, this can cause the upper trim piece to become detached because only its lower part is attached to the support. This detracts from the vehicle's quality impression and requires the driver of this vehicle to take it to a service center to have the side door repaired, which is time-consuming and expensive.
[0006] Furthermore, since recess lighting is generally reserved for vehicle versions in the so-called upper (or high-end) segment, in vehicle versions in the so-called lower segment, the trim panel does not include a photon source support part, and therefore the passage between the upper edge of the upper ornamental part and the upper fascia trim allows small objects to pass through and become lodged inside the trim panel. To recover an object, the vehicle user must take it to an after-sales service, which must then dismantle at least part of the trim panel, which is time-consuming and expensive.
[0007] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation. Presentation of the invention
[0008] For this purpose, it offers in particular a trim panel suitable for forming part of a side door of a vehicle and comprising:
[0009] - a support,
[0010] - an upper fascia trim secured to the support and defining a recess, and
[0011] - an upper decorative piece having a lower part secured to the support and having an upper edge separated from the upper fascia trim by a passage.
[0012] This trim panel is characterized by also comprising an interface device coupling an upper portion of the upper ornamental piece to the support to prevent widening of the passage, and arranged to obstruct this passage.
[0013] Thus, when a vehicle user pulls on the upper decorative part to close the side door, there is no longer any risk of causing the upper decorative part to become detached, and since the passage is permanently obstructed and cannot be widened, there is no longer any risk of an object being able to pass between the upper edge of the upper decorative part and the upper fascia trim.
[0014] The trim panel according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:
[0015] - its interface device may comprise, on the one hand, an interface part ensuring the coupling between the upper part of the upper ornamental part and the support, and, on the other hand, an obstruction part fixedly secured to this interface part and ensuring the obstruction of the passage;
[0016] - in the presence of the first option, the obstruction part can be made of a material transparent to photons;
[0017] - in the presence of the last sub-option, the interface device may comprise a photon source fixedly attached to an upper face of the interface part and capable of generating photons in the direction of the obstruction part so that they exit through the passage to illuminate the recess;
[0018] - also in the presence of the first option, the interface part may comprise at least one housing. In this case, the upper ornamental part may comprise an internal face provided with at least one first coupling tab housed in the corresponding housing;
[0019] - also in the presence of the first option, the interface part may comprise at least one first through hole. In this case, the upper ornamental part may comprise an internal face provided with at least one second coupling tab passing through the corresponding first through hole;
[0020] - in the presence of the last two sub-options, each housing of the interface part can be defined in an upper part of this interface part, and each first through hole of the interface part can be defined in a lower part of this interface part;
[0021] - also in the presence of the first option, the upper ornamental part may comprise an internal face provided with at least one support tab. In this case, the interface part may comprise at least one support tab resting on the corresponding support tab;
[0022] - also in the presence of the first option, its support may comprise at least one second through hole. In this case, the lower part of the upper ornamental part may comprise an internal face provided with at least one fixing lug passing through the corresponding second through hole, and the interface part may comprise at least one third coupling lug provided with a third through hole crossed by the corresponding fixing lug.
[0023] The invention also proposes a side door suitable for equipping a vehicle and comprising a structural part having an internal face to which is secured a trim panel of the type presented above,
[0024] For example, this side door may be part of a car-type vehicle. Brief description of the figures
[0025] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawings (obtained in CAD / CAM (“Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Drawing”)), in which:
[0026] [Fig. 1] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the inside face side, a part of an example of a vehicle side door comprising an example of an embodiment of a trim panel according to the invention,
[0027] [Fig. 2] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the inside face, the side door portion of Figure 1 with its trim panel devoid of its upper ornamental piece in order to reveal the interface device,
[0028] [Fig. 3] schematically illustrates, in a sectional view in a first transverse plane, the trim panel of Figure 1,
[0029] [Fig. 4] schematically illustrates, in a sectional view in a second transverse plane, a portion of the trim panel of Figure 1,
[0030] [Fig. 5] schematically illustrates, in a sectional view in a third transverse plane, a portion of the trim panel of Figure 1,
[0031] [Fig. 6] schematically illustrates, in a sectional view in a horizontal plane, a portion of the trim panel of Figure 1,
[0032] [Fig. 7] schematically illustrates, in a first perspective view from the outer face side, the interface device of Figure 2,
[0033] [Fig. 8] schematically illustrates, in a second perspective view from the inner face side, the interface device of Figure 2, and
[0034] [Fig. 9] schematically illustrates, in a front view from the inner face side, the upper ornamental piece of the trim panel of Figure 1. Detailed description of the invention
[0035] The invention aims in particular to propose a trim panel PG intended to form part of a side door PV of a vehicle and comprising an upper decorative part POS with reinforced hold.
[0036] In the following, it is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the vehicle is of the automobile type. This is for example a car. But the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. It concerns in fact any vehicle comprising at least one side door allowing access to a passenger compartment which it comprises.
[0037] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate part of an example of a side door PV intended to equip a vehicle and comprising an external structural part (or metal panel) PST and an example of an embodiment of a trim panel PG according to the invention, fixedly secured to this structural part PST and intended to be oriented towards a passenger compartment of this vehicle.
[0038] As illustrated at least partially in Figures 1 to 3, a trim panel PG, according to the invention, comprises at least one support SP, an upper fascia trim EBS, an upper ornamental part POS and an interface device DI. It will be noted that in the illustrated example the trim panel PG also comprises an upper fascia BAS fixedly secured to the support SP.
[0039] The SP support is fixedly attached to the PST structural part, and can be made of rigid plastic or metal.
[0040] The EBS upper fascia trim is firmly attached to the SP support (see figure 3), as well as here to the BAS upper fascia which is placed above it (see figure 3). We will return to the first attachment later.
[0041] Additionally, this EBS upper fascia trim defines a RE recess (or concave housing).
[0042] The upper decorative part POS has a lower part which is secured to the support SP (see figure 6), and includes an upper edge BS which is separated (and therefore distant) from the upper fascia trim EBS by a passage PL (see figures 1 to 5). We will come back to this securing later.
[0043] The interface device DI couples an upper portion of the upper ornamental part POS to the support SP to prevent widening of the passage PL (see figure 3).
[0044] Furthermore, this DI interface device is arranged to obstruct the PL passage (see figure 3).
[0045] Thanks to the invention, when a vehicle user pulls on the upper decorative part POS to close the side door PV, instead of pulling on the area dedicated to this purpose on the door armrest, there is no longer any risk of causing the upper decorative part POS to become detached because its lower and upper parts are now coupled to the support SP (in particular via the interface device DI). Consequently, there is no longer any risk that the method of installing the upper decorative part POS could degrade the impression of quality of the vehicle.
[0046] Furthermore, since the DI interface device now obstructs the PL passage, both when the vehicle version belongs to the higher segment and when the vehicle version belongs to the lower segment, and since the PL passage cannot be widened, there is no longer any risk that an object could pass between the upper edge BS of the upper decorative part POS and the upper fascia trim EBS.
[0047] For example, and as illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 2 to 5, 7 and 8, the interface device DI may comprise an interface part PI and an obstruction part PO. The interface part PI ensures the coupling between the upper part of the upper ornamental part POS and the support SP (see Figure 3). The obstruction part PO is fixedly attached to the interface part PI and ensures obstruction of the passage PL (see figure 3).
[0048] It is important to note that in an alternative embodiment the DI interface device could comprise only one part providing both interfacing and obstruction.
[0049] It will also be noted that the obstruction part PO can be made of a material which is transparent to photons. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the interface device DI also comprises, as illustrated non-limitingly in FIGS. 3 to 5, a photon source SOP fixedly secured to the upper face of its interface part PI and therefore inside the internal housing which is defined by its interface part PI and obstruction part PO.
[0050] It will be understood that the photon source SOP is arranged so as to generate photons in the direction of the obstruction part PO so that they exit through the passage PL to illuminate the recess RE. For example, this photon source SOP may comprise at least one light-emitting diode (or LED) or a laser diode, with its control and power supply means.
[0051] When the illumination function of the recess RE is not provided (lower segment), the interface device DI does not include the photon source SOP. In this case, and as mentioned above, the interface device DI may only include one part providing both interfacing and obstruction.
[0052] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 4, 7 and 9, the interface part PI may comprise at least one housing LP, and the upper ornamental part POS may comprise an internal face F1 which is provided with at least one first coupling tab PC1 housed in the corresponding housing LP. This makes it possible to ensure at least part of the coupling between the interface part PI and the upper ornamental part POS. Preferably, and as illustrated, this coupling takes place in the upper PSP part of the PI interface part and in the upper part of the upper POS ornament part. But this is not mandatory.
[0053] It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in figures 7 and 9, the number of housings LP (and therefore also the number of first coupling legs PC1) is equal to six. But this number can take any value greater than or equal to one.
[0054] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 3, 7 and 9, the interface part PI may comprise at least one first through hole TT1, and the internal face F1 of the upper ornamental part POS may be provided with at least one second coupling tab PC2 which passes through the corresponding first through hole TT1. This makes it possible to ensure at least part of the coupling between the interface part PI and the upper ornamental part POS. Preferably, and as illustrated, this coupling takes place in the lower part PIP of the interface part PI and in an intermediate part of the upper ornamental part POS. But this is not obligatory.
[0055] It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in figures 7 and 9, the number of first through holes TT1 (and therefore also the number of second coupling legs PC2) is equal to two. But this number can take any value greater than or equal to one.
[0056] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 5 and 9, the internal face F1 of the upper ornamental part POS may be provided with at least one support tab PTS, and the interface part PI may comprise at least one support tab PAP which bears on the corresponding support tab PTS. This makes it possible to increase the number of support points of the interface device DI on the upper ornamental part POS. Preferably, and as illustrated, this support takes place in the intermediate part of the upper ornamental part POS, and each tab PAP support project downwards from an intermediate part of the PI interface part. But this is not mandatory.
[0057] It should be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 9, the number of PTS support legs (and therefore also the number of PAP support legs) is equal to two. But this number can take any value greater than or equal to one.
[0058] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 2 and 6 to 9, the support SP may comprise at least one second through hole TT2, and the internal face F1 of the upper ornamental part POS may be provided in a lower part with at least one fixing lug PF which passes through the corresponding second through hole TT2. In this case, the interface part PI may also comprise in its lower part PIP at least one third coupling lug PC3 which is provided with a third through hole TT3 crossed by the corresponding fixing lug PF.It will be understood, as illustrated, that each third coupling leg PC3 projects downwards from the lower part PIP of the interface piece PL. This makes it possible to ensure the coupling between the lower part of the upper ornamental piece POS and the support SP and the lower part PIP of the interface piece PI, while providing at least one support point for the interface device DI.
[0059] It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in figures 2 and 7 to 9, the number of fixing lugs PF (and therefore also the number of second through holes TT2 and the number of third coupling lugs PC3) is equal to four. But this number can take any value greater than or equal to one.
[0060] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 6, that the free end of each fixing lug PF, located behind a second through hole TT2, may possibly be riveted. But this is not obligatory. Indeed, each fixing lug PF could be a clipping lug.
[0061] Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 3 and 8, the support SP may comprise at least a fourth through hole TT4, and the interface part PI may also comprise in its lower part PIP at least a fourth coupling tab PC4 which passes through the corresponding fourth through hole TT4. This makes it possible to ensure the coupling between the support SP and the interface part PI, and thus to allow the interface device DI to ensure the coupling between the upper part of the upper ornamental part POS and the support SP.
[0062] It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly in figure 8, the number of fourth coupling legs PC4 (and therefore also the number of fourth through holes TT4) is equal to seven. But this number can take any value greater than or equal to one.
[0063] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figure 3, that the lower end of the upper fascia trim EBS may also comprise at least one fifth through hole TT5 which is crossed by the corresponding fourth coupling tab PC4. Each fifth through hole TT5 may optionally be defined in a coupling tab of the upper fascia trim EBS. This ensures the coupling between the lower part of the upper fascia trim EBS and the support SP, while reinforcing the overall strength of the trim panel PG. It will also be noted that the number of fifth through holes TT5 may be equal to the number of fourth coupling tabs PC4. But this number may take any value less than or equal to the number of fourth coupling tabs PC4.
[0064] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 3 and 8, that the free end of at least one of the fourth coupling legs PC4, located behind a fourth through hole TT4, may possibly be riveted. But this is not obligatory. Indeed, each fourth coupling leg PC4 could be a clipping leg.
Claims
CLAIMS
1. Trim panel (PG) suitable for forming part of a side door (PV) of a vehicle and comprising i) a support (SP), ii) an upper fascia trim (EBS) secured to said support (SP) and defining a recess (RE), and ii) an upper ornamental piece (POS) having a lower portion secured to said support (SP) and having an upper edge (BS) separated from said upper fascia trim (EBS) by a passage (PL), characterized in that it further comprises an interface device (DI) coupling an upper portion of said upper ornamental piece (POS) to said support (SP) to prevent a widening of said passage (PL), and arranged so as to obstruct said passage (PL).
2. Trim panel according to claim 1, characterized in that said interface device (DI) comprises i) an interface part (PI) ensuring said coupling between said upper part of the upper ornamental part (POS) and said support (SP), and ii) an obstruction part (PO) fixedly secured to said interface part (PI) and ensuring said obstruction of the passage (PL).
3. Trim panel according to claim 2, characterized in that said obstruction part (PO) is made of a material transparent to photons.
4. Trim panel according to claim 3, characterized in that said interface device (DI) comprises a photon source (SOP) fixedly secured to an upper face of said interface part (PI) and capable of generating photons in the direction of said obstruction part (PO) so that they exit through said passage (PL) to illuminate said recess (RE).
5. Trim panel according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that said interface part (PI) comprises at least one housing (LP), and in that said upper ornamental part (POS) comprises an internal face (Fl) provided with at least one first coupling tab (PC1) housed in said corresponding housing (LP).
6. Trim panel according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that said interface piece (PI) comprises at least one first through hole (TT1), and in that said upper ornamental piece (POS) comprises an internal face (Fl) provided with at least one second coupling tab (PC2) passing through said corresponding first through hole (TT1).
7. Trim panel according to the combination of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that each housing (LP) is defined in an upper part (PSP) of said interface piece (PI), and each first through hole (TT1) is defined in a lower part (PIP) of said interface piece (PI).
8. Trim panel according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that said upper ornamental part (POS) comprises an internal face (Fl) provided with at least one support tab (PTS), and in that said interface part (PI) comprises at least one support tab (PAP) resting on said corresponding support tab (PTS).
9. Trim panel according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that said support (SP) comprises at least one second through hole (TT2), and in that said lower part of the upper ornamental part (POS) comprises an internal face (Fl) provided with at least one fixing lug (PF) passing through said corresponding second through hole (TT2), and in that said interface part (PI) comprises in a lower part (PIP) at least one third coupling lug (PC3) provided with a third through hole (TT3) crossed by said corresponding fixing lug (PF).
10. Side door (PV) suitable for equipping a vehicle and comprising a structural part (PST), characterized in that it further comprises a trim panel (PG) according to one of the preceding claims, secured to an internal face of said structural part (PST).