Motor vehicle front-end element with shared shock absorber

Abstract

The present invention relates to a motor vehicle front-end element (2), comprising: a lower grille (8) of a bumper (6); a shock absorber (4) which is intended to be arranged between the bumper and a bumper beam and is formed integrally with the lower grille; characterised in that the shock absorber is connected to the lower grille by at least one transverse wall (12) forming at least one elbow and having a decrease in thickness forming a hinge, so as to allow the shock absorber to deform by compression without deforming the lower grille.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TITLE: MOTOR VEHICLE FRONT ELEMENT WITH SHARED SHOCK ABSORBER

[0003] Technical field

[0004] The present invention claims priority from French application 2211291 filed on October 28, 2022, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, more particularly the field of motor vehicle bumpers.

[0006] Prior art

[0007] Among the various test protocols to which motor vehicles are subjected, there is the reparability test which makes it possible to estimate the cost of repairs on a tested vehicle, in particular when it hits a rigid obstacle at a low speed, for example less than 20 km / h, generally 16 km / h.

[0008] Indeed, the bumper is the part most often damaged in the event of an impact, and the cost of repairing it is not negligible, which is why a vehicle's responses to repairability tests are criteria increasingly taken into consideration by current car manufacturers.

[0009] In this regard, motor vehicles comprise, at their front end, an absorber arranged to rest on a transverse beam, and which is conventionally separated from the bumper skin in order to allow the establishment of different materials between said absorber and the bumper (for example, expanded polypropylene and polyethylene, respectively), thus making it possible to absorb the kinetic energy of a light impact and to improve the response of the vehicles to the reparability tests.

[0010] However, such a configuration is expensive because it involves different manufacturing processes and a high number of assembly operations on motor vehicles.

[0011] The published patent document FR 3 024 406 A1 discloses a motor vehicle front air guide comprising thin zones forming permanent deformation lines to prevent damage to the motor vehicle's cooling system in the event of a frontal impact.

[0012] However, the document's solution remains economically restrictive and does not allow for improving the response of motor vehicles during a repairable impact, because the areas of mechanical weakness of the air guide break, which implies its complete replacement.

[0013] Statement of the invention

[0014] The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the aforementioned state of the art. More particularly, the invention aims to propose a solution making it possible to effectively improve the response of motor vehicles to reparability tests, in a simple and economical manner.

[0015] To this end, the invention relates to a front face element of a motor vehicle, comprising:

[0016] - a lower bumper grille;

[0017] - a shock absorber intended to be arranged between the bumper and a bumper beam, formed in one piece with the lower grille; remarkable in that the shock absorber is connected to the lower grille by at least one transverse wall forming at least one elbow and having a reduction in thickness forming a hinge, so as to allow the shock absorber to deform in compression without deforming the lower grille.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the front face element is made of injected plastic material.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the shock absorber forms a transverse box with staggered openings on the front and rear faces of said transverse box.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the transverse box has a rectangular section.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the transverse wall is connected to, and projects from, a middle portion of a lower face of the transverse box.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the transverse wall forms, from the shock absorber towards the lower grid, a first bend describing a quarter turn towards the front followed by a second bend describing a half turn towards the rear, followed by a third bend describing a quarter turn towards the bottom, when said front face element is in the normal mounting position.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the reduction in thickness of the transverse wall is located between the at least one elbow and the lower grid.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the transverse wall has a nominal thickness of between 2 and 3 mm, and the reduction in thickness is between 0.5 and 1.5 mm.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the transverse wall has a thickness at the reduction in thickness of between 1 and 2 mm.

[0026] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising, at the front:

[0027] - a bumper beam;

[0028] - a bumper wall;

[0029] - a front face element comprising a lower bumper grille housed in an opening in the bumper wall and a shock absorber arranged between the bumper beam and the bumper wall; remarkable in that the front face element is according to the invention.

[0030] The measures of the invention are advantageous in that the motor vehicle front end element deforms in compression in order to absorb energy, during a low-speed frontal impact, elastically without deformation and / or breakage of the lower grille of the bumper, thus guaranteeing a good response of the motor vehicle to repairable impacts.

[0031] In addition, the element according to the invention can be obtained from a single tool, which represents a considerable economic gain. At the same time, the front face element, being a single piece, allows for time savings during the assembly of the motor vehicle.

[0032] Brief description of the drawings

[0033] [Fig 1] represents a perspective view of a front face element of a motor vehicle, according to the invention;

[0034] [Fig 2] represents a perspective and sectional view along the AA axis of the front face element of figure 1; [Fig 3] represents a perspective and sectional view along the BB axis of the front face element of figure 1;

[0035] [Fig 4] represents a sectional view schematically illustrating the deformation of the element of figure 1 due to a frontal impact during a repairability test.

[0036] Detailed description

[0037] Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an element 2 of the front face of a motor vehicle, according to the invention.

[0038] The front face element 2 comprises an absorber 4 intended to be arranged between a bumper 6 and a bumper beam (not shown here) extending transversely to the motor vehicle.

[0039] The bumper 6 can correspond to a bumper wall or skin, a grille or a grille reinforcement.

[0040] The element 2 also comprises a lower grid 8, the absorber 4 is connected to said lower grid 8 by at least one transverse wall 12, which will be detailed later in this description.

[0041] Preferably, the element 2 further comprises a lower bumper blade 10 extending transversely to the vehicle.

[0042] Advantageously, the element 2 is formed in one piece with the lower grid 8. More preferably, the element 2 is made of injected plastic material, said plastic preferably corresponding to TD10 polyethylene.

[0043] In this configuration, the absorber 4, the lower grid 8 and the lower blade 10 are made in one piece. Thus, the element 2 can be obtained from a single tool, resulting in considerable savings in manufacturing costs.

[0044] Figure 2 represents a perspective and sectional view along the axis AA of the front face element 2 being in a normal mounting position on the motor vehicle 1.

[0045] We can see the bumper beam 14, also designated by: "absorption system", on which the absorber 4 is in direct contact. Indeed, the absorber comprises a rear face 4.1 contacting the beam 14, and a front face 4.2 contacting the bumper 6, in particular in the event of a frontal impact of the motor vehicle 1.

[0046] The absorber 4 comprises a lower face 4.3 and an upper face 4.4. Preferably, each of said faces 4.3 and 4.4 has a substantially triangular section so as to facilitate longitudinal crushing (along the X axis) in the event of an impact.

[0047] The transverse wall 12, connecting the absorber 4 to the grid 8, is connected to, and preferably projects from, a middle portion of the lower face 4.3.

[0048] Preferably, the element 2 comprises a single transverse wall 12 extending transversely along a total transverse extent of the absorber 4.

[0049] Alternatively, the element 2 may comprise a plurality of transverse walls 12, for example three walls 12 which may be separated transversely by openings.

[0050] Preferably, the transverse wall 12 forms, from the absorber 4 towards the lower grid 8, a first bend 12.1 describing a quarter turn forwards followed by a second bend 12.2 describing a half turn rearwards, followed by a third bend 12.3 describing a quarter turn downwards.

[0051] Preferably, at least one of the elbows 12.1, 12.2, 12.3 has a reduction in thickness 13 forming a hinge between the absorber 4 and the lower grid 8. More preferably, the reduction in thickness 13 is arranged in line with the third elbow 12.3, and has a thickness that is thinned compared to a nominal thickness of the transverse wall 12, the reduction in thickness 13 being between 1 and 2 mm, and preferably equal to 1.5 mm.

[0052] In this regard, the nominal thickness of the transverse wall 12 is between 2 and 4 mm, preferably between 2 and 3 mm, and more preferably equal to 2.5 mm. Thus, the reduction in thickness corresponds to at least 0.5 and at most 2.5 mm.

[0053] In this configuration, the transverse wall 12 is advantageously capable of deforming elastically in the event of compression in the longitudinal direction, and this, without any rupture.

[0054] Advantageously, the reduction in thickness 13 provides greater flexibility to the transverse wall 12 in order to allow a spring effect of said transverse wall 12 during its compression and thus to avoid the rupture of the lower grid 8 and the absorber 4.

[0055] Figure 3 represents a perspective and sectional view along the axis BB of the front face element 2 of figure 1.

[0056] It can be seen that the absorber 4 forms a transverse box having a rectangular section and comprising openings 5 ​​arranged transversely in a staggered pattern on the front 4.2 and rear 4.1 faces of the absorber 4.

[0057] In this configuration, the compression of the absorber 4 is advantageously facilitated, so in the event of a frontal impact, the transverse box of the absorber 4 is sufficiently flexible to compress elastically with a bringing together of the staggered faces 4.1 and 4.2.

[0058] Advantageously, the demolding of the element 2 can be carried out easily in a direction perpendicular to the faces 4.1, 4.2, and this, in part thanks to the absorber comprising the staggered openings 5.

[0059] Figure 4 represents a sectional view schematically illustrating the deformation of element 2 due to a frontal impact C during a repairability test.

[0060] Frontal impact C preferably corresponds to an “ECE 42” impact commonly referred to as: “parking impact”.

[0061] Following the frontal impact C, the absorber 2' can be seen illustrated in dotted lines in the compressed state, this having a longitudinally elongated transverse wall 12' and an absorber 4' crushed against the beam 14. Such crushing corresponds to an elastic deformation provided at least in part by the reduction in thickness 13 forming a hinge between the absorber 4 and the lower part of the element 2.

[0062] Thus, the element 2 returns to its initial position after the impact C. In this configuration, the grille and the lower bumper blade remain intact, and the transverse wall 12 does not undergo any rupture.

[0063] Advantageously, the kinetic energy of the frontal impact C is completely absorbed by the absorber 4 and the transverse wall 12 of the front face element 2. Thus, the performance of the motor vehicle 1 in the repairability tests is improved.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. Front face element (2) of a motor vehicle (1), comprising: - a lower grille (8) of bumper (6); - a shock absorber (4) intended to be arranged between the bumper (6) and a bumper beam (14), formed in one piece with the lower grille (8); characterized in that the shock absorber (4) is connected to the lower grille (8) by at least one transverse wall (12) forming at least one elbow (12.1, 12.2, 12.3) and having a reduction in thickness (13) forming a hinge, so as to allow the shock absorber (4) to deform in compression without deforming the lower grille (8).

2. Front face element (2) according to claim 1, wherein said front face element (2) is made of injected plastic material.

3. Front face element (2) according to one of claims 1 and 2, in which the shock absorber (4) forms a transverse box with staggered openings (5) on the front (4.2) and rear (4.1) faces of said transverse box.

4. Front face element (2) according to claim 3, in which the transverse box has a rectangular section.

5. Front face element (2) according to one of claims 3 and 4, in which the transverse wall (12) is connected to, and projects from, a middle portion of a lower face (4.3) of the transverse box.

6. Front face element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the transverse wall (12) forms, from the shock absorber (4) towards the lower grille (8), a first bend (12.1) describing a quarter turn towards the front followed by a second bend (12.2) describing a half turn towards the rear, followed by a third bend (12.3) describing a quarter turn towards the bottom, when said front face element (2) is in the normal mounting position.

7. Front face element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which the reduction in thickness (13) of the transverse wall (12) is located between the at least one elbow (12.1, 12.2, 12.3) and the lower grid (8).

8. Front face element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the transverse wall (12) has a nominal thickness of between 2 and 3 mm, and the reduction in thickness (13) is between 0.5 and 1.5 mm.

9. Front face element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the transverse wall (12) has a thickness at the reduction in thickness (13) of between 1 and 2 mm.

10. Motor vehicle (1) comprising, at the front: - a bumper beam (14); - a bumper wall (6); - a front face element (2) comprising a lower bumper grille (8) housed in an opening in the bumper wall (6) and a shock absorber (4) arranged between the bumper beam (14) and the bumper wall (6); characterized in that the front face element (2) is according to one of claims 1 to 9.

Images