Rear bumper structure of a motor-vehicle and related end lateral portions provided with a respective reinforcement frame connected to a bearing body of an optical unit associated with the bumper structure
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- STELLANTIS EUROPE SPA
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing solutions for fastening the end lateral portions of a motor-vehicle's rear bumper structure to the vehicle body are inadequate, as they cannot ensure perfect mutual alignment with the optical units without direct connection, which is not feasible due to the fragile nature of the optical unit lenses.
The implementation of a reinforcement frame with integrated hook elements and flanges within the end lateral portions of the bumper structure, which connects with the bearing body of the optical units via hooking seats, allowing for perfect alignment without a direct connection to the lens.
This solution ensures a robust and gap-free assembly of the end lateral portions with the optical units, maintaining the structural integrity and aesthetic requirements of the rear bumper, while avoiding potential damage to the fragile lenses.
Smart Images
Figure IB2024057017_06022025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Rear bumper structure of a motor-vehicle and related end lateral portions provided with a respective reinforcement frame connected to a bearing body of an optical unit associated with the bumper structure
[0002] TEXT OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Field of the invention
[0004] This invention relates to a motor-vehicle comprising:
[0005] - a body defining two vehicle sides,
[0006] - a rear bumper structure arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, comprising a main portion and two end lateral portions,
[0007] - two optical units provided with a respective bearing body welded to a respective lens, associated with the bumper structure and extending mainly along a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle, each optical unit being spaced between one of said two end lateral portions and said main portion,
[0008] - wherein each end lateral portion has a panel-like body which extends substantially along an end part of the vehicle side, comprising a first side adjacent to a respective optical unit and a second side shaped with a curvilinear profile corresponding to the curvature of a vehicle wheel arch body.
[0009] Prior art
[0010] To date, the solutions used by manufacturers to fasten the bumper to the vehicle body can vary depending on the vehicle model, and more particularly depending on the mutual integration of the body and frame components, taking into account relevant factors such as available space, style, positioning and mutual compatibility of installed components.
[0011] According to a technique known per se, the rear bumper comprises a main portion and two end lateral portions, wherein each end lateral portion has a panel-like body which extends substantially along an end part of the vehicle side, comprising a first side adjacent to a respective optical unit and a second side shaped with a curvilinear profile corresponding to the curvature of a vehicle wheel arch body. Two optical units are associated with the bumper structure and mainly extend along a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle. Each optical unit is spaced between one of said two end lateral portions and said main portion of the bumper structure.
[0012] With reference to the end lateral portions of the bumper structure, as indicated above, there are various solutions for achieving an assembly on the vehicle body compatibly with the presence of a vertical optical unit spaced adjacent to one side of a respective end lateral portion of the structure bumper.
[0013] With a view to satisfying various functional and aesthetic requirements, the border area between said first side of the end lateral portion of the bumper structure and the lens of the respective optical unit must be free of gaps, thus guaranteeing perfect mutual alignment. Furthermore, when observing the assembled rear bumper from a central front position, the end lateral portion of each vehicle side must not be visible to the observer’s eyes, as the terminal lateral edges of the front band of the rear bumper are constituted precisely by terminal edge of the respective lens of the vertical optical units.
[0014] This invention therefore starts from the desire to find a particularly effective solution for fastening the end lateral portions of the bumper structure, so that said requirements are perfectly respected, without however being able to directly connect the end lateral portion of the bumper to the lens of the optical unit as the latter may be made of a particularly fragile material, and consequently not suitable for direct connection with metal or plastic parts.
[0015] Object of the invention
[0016] The object of the invention is to solve the previously mentioned technical problems.
[0017] In particular, the object of the invention is to provide an effective solution for assembling the end lateral portions of the bumper structure, in association with the lenses of the vertical optical units.
[0018] A further object of the invention is to provide a sufficiently robust solution, which is not affected by structural defects during the life cycle of the vehicle.
[0019] A further object of the invention is to provide a bumper structure solution with relative assembling means which are relatively simple, intuitive for the operator and low cost.
[0020] Summary of the invention
[0021] In order to achieve one or more of said aims, the invention has as its object a motor-vehicle comprising:
[0022] - a body defining two vehicle sides,
[0023] - a rear bumper structure arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, comprising a main portion and two end lateral portions,
[0024] - two optical units provided with a respective bearing body welded to a respective lens, associated with the bumper structure and extending mainly along a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle, each optical unit being spaced between one of said two end lateral portions and said main portion,
[0025] - wherein each end lateral portion has a panel-like body which extends substantially along an end part of the vehicle side, comprising a first side adjacent to a respective optical unit and a second side shaped with a curvilinear profile corresponding to the curvature of a vehicle wheel arch body,
[0026] - wherein each end lateral portion comprises a reinforcement frame applied along an internal surface of the end lateral portion opposite to an outer surface for contact with a foreign body in case of a vehicle collision,
[0027] - wherein the reinforcement frame comprises a plurality of fastening means arranged for mutual connection with respective counterparts formed on said bearing body of the optical unit,
[0028] - wherein said fastening means comprise a plurality of hook elements integrated in a single piece with the body of the reinforcement frame, mutually engaged with respective hooking seats incorporated with the bearing body,
[0029] - in such a way as to obtain a perfect mutual alignment of the lens of the optical unit and the end lateral portion along its side, without providing a direct connection between the lateral portion and the lens.
[0030] Further preferred and advantageous features are indicated in the attached dependent claims. Brief description of the figures
[0031] Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:
[0032] - figure 1 is a perspective view of a rear bumper structure of a motorvehicle and a related end side part of the vehicle body,
[0033] - figure 2 is an enlarged scale view of an end lateral portion of the bumper structure incorporating a reinforcement frame interfaced with a bearing body of an optical unit of the vehicle,
[0034] - figure 3 is a further perspective view which illustrates some details of the reinforcement frame illustrated in the previous figure, without illustrating the bearing body of the optical unit
[0035] - figure 4 is an enlarged scale view illustrating further features of the bearing body of the optical unit illustrated in figure 2, and
[0036] - figure 5 illustrates an enlarged scale perspective view of fastening means integrated with the reinforcement frame and the bearing body of the optical unit, to provide a mutual connection.
[0037] Detailed description of multiple embodiments
[0038] The following description illustrates various specific details aimed at an in-depth understanding of examples of one or more embodiments. The embodiments can be achieved without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc.
[0039] In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments.
[0040] The reference to “an / one embodiment” in this description is to indicate that a particular configuration, structure or feature described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as “in an / one embodiment”, possibly present in different places in this description, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
[0041] Furthermore, particular conformations, structures or characteristics can be combined appropriately in one or more embodiments and / or associated with the embodiments in a different way from as illustrated here, so for example a feature exemplified here in relation to a figure it may be applied to one or more embodiments exemplified in a different figure.
[0042] The references illustrated here are for convenience only and therefore do not limit the extent of protection or the scope of the embodiments.
[0043] Figure 1 illustrates, purely by way of example, a rear bumper structure 1 arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, associated with a rear side part 2 of the vehicle body. The bumper structure 1 comprises a front main portion 3 and two end lateral portions 4, each end lateral portion 4 comprising a panel-like body which extends substantially along an end part of the vehicle side, substantially perpendicular to the main portion 3 of the bumper structure 1 .
[0044] The motor-vehicle illustrated in figure 1 also comprises two optical units 5 provided with a respective lens, associated with the bumper structure 1 and extending mainly along a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle. Each optical unit 5 is spaced between one of said two end lateral portions 4 and the terminal end of the main portion 3 of the bumper structure 1 .
[0045] Again with reference to the perspective view of figure 1 , note that each end lateral portion 4 of the bumper structure 1 comprises an overall body having a first side 4’ adjacent to one of the two optical units 5 indicated above and a second side 4” shaped with a curvilinear profile corresponding to the curvature of a vehicle wheel arch body 6.
[0046] According to a further feature illustrated in figure 2, each end lateral portion 4 of the bumper structure 1 comprises a reinforcement frame 7 applied along an internal surface of the end lateral portion 4. The term “internal surface” refers to the surface of the end lateral portion 4 intended to be hidden from view in the final assembled configuration, as it faces towards the body of the vehicle.
[0047] The reinforcement frame 7 can be rigidly connected to the related end lateral portion 4 according to different types of connection means, such as for example screws, rivets or welding points. The reinforcement frame 7 advantageously comprises a plurality of connection elements 7’ configured for mutual connection with respective fastening areas formed along the wheel arch body 6.
[0048] According to a further feature illustrated in figure 2, each optical unit 5 comprises a bearing body 5’ welded to the lens, having a conformation substantially extended along a vertical direction of the vehicle. In order to connect the assembly lateral portion 4-frame 7 to the optical unit 5, the reinforcement frame 7 comprises a plurality of fastening means arranged for mutual fastening with respective counterparts formed on the bearing body 5’ of the optical unit 5 associated with the end lateral portion 4.
[0049] According to a further feature, these fastening means comprise a plurality of flanges 8 integrated with the body of the reinforcement frame 7, each having a fastening area to be mutually fastened to the bearing body 5’ by means of respective fastening screws 8’. According to the embodiment illustrated in figure 2, the flanges 8 are spaced apart from each other, along the vertical extension of the reinforcement frame 7 in association with the bearing body 5’.
[0050] According to a relevant feature illustrated in figures 2-5, the fastening means also include a plurality of hook elements 9 integrated in a single piece with the body of the reinforcement frame 7 (figure 3), mutually engaged with respective hooking seats 10 incorporated with the bearing body 5’ of the optical unit 5 (figure 4).
[0051] The respective pairs of hook element 9-hooking seat 10 are distributed along the vertical extension of the bearing body 5’ at its side interfaced with the reinforcement frame 7.
[0052] Each pair is vertically spaced from each other, so as to create a mutual connection of the frame 7 and the bearing body 5’ along their entire extension.
[0053] Figure 5 is an enlarged scale view which illustrates the coupled condition of a hooking seat 10 of the bearing body 5’ with a respective hook element of the reinforcement frame 7.
[0054] On the basis of the features described previously, the fastening means as described above incorporated on the reinforcement frame 7, allow to obtain a perfect mutual alignment of the lens of the optical unit 5 and of the end lateral portion 4 along its side 4’, without providing a direct connection between the lateral portion 4 and the lens.
[0055] Therefore, the lens of the optical unit 5, made for example of methacrylate, is without mutual engagement means along the lens body for the connection with the end lateral portion 4, thus avoiding the formation of any cracks on the lens due to contact with metal or plastic parts engaged directly on the lens.
[0056] Thanks to the features described previously, a perfect mutual alignment is achieved between the first side 4’ of the end lateral portion 4 of the bumper structure 1 and the lens of the respective optical unit 5, thus ensuring that, when observing the rear bumper 1 from a central front position, the end lateral portion 4 is perfectly adherent to the vehicle side and not visible to the eyes of the observer, since the terminal lateral edges of the front of the vehicle are constituted precisely by the terminal edge of the respective lens of the vertical optical units 5.
[0057] Of course, notwithstanding the principle of the invention the construction details and the embodiments may be widely varied with respect to what has been described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of this invention as defined by the attached claims.
Claims
CLAIMS1. Motor-vehicle comprising:- a body (2) defining two vehicle sides,- a rear bumper structure (1 ) arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, comprising a main portion (3) and two end lateral portions (4),- two optical units (5) provided with a respective bearing body (5’) welded to a respective lens, associated with the bumper structure (1 ) and extending mainly along a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle, each optical unit (5) being spaced between one of said two end lateral portions (4) and said main portion (3),- wherein each end lateral portion (4) has a panel-like body which extends substantially along an end part of the vehicle side, comprising a first side (4’) adjacent to a respective optical unit (5) and a second side (4”) shaped with a curvilinear profile corresponding to the curvature of a vehicle wheel arch body (6),- wherein each end lateral portion (4) comprises a reinforcement frame (7) applied along an internal surface of the end lateral portion (4) opposite to an outer surface for contact with a foreign body in case of a vehicle collision,- wherein the reinforcement frame (7) comprises a plurality of fastening means arranged for mutual connection with respective counterparts formed on said bearing body (5’) of the optical unit (5),- wherein said fastening means comprise a plurality of hook elements (9) integrated in a single piece with the body of the reinforcement frame (7), mutually engaged with respective hooking seats (10) incorporated with the bearing body (5’),- in such a way as to obtain a perfect mutual alignment of the lens of the optical unit (5) and the end lateral portion (4) along its side (4’), without providing a direct connection between the lateral portion (4) and the lens.
2. Motor-vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said fastening means comprise a plurality of flanges (8) integrated with the body of the reinforcement frame (7), each carrying a fastening area mutually fastened with the bearing body (5’) by means of respective fastened screws (8’).
3. Motor-vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the flanges (8) are spaced apart from each other, along the vertical extension of the reinforcement frame (7) in association with the bearing body (5’).
4. Motor-vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pairs of hook element (9) and hooking seat (10) are vertically spaced from each other along the vertical extension of the bearing body (5’) at its side interfaced with the reinforcement frame (7).