Bumper structure and related end lateral portion mutually engaged with a lens of an optical unit associated with the bumper structure

Abstract

Motor-vehicle comprising: - a bumper structure (1 ) comprising a front main portion (3) and two end lateral portions (4), - 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) being spaced between one of said two end lateral portions (4) and said front 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), - wherein each lens along its lateral portion comprises a mounting groove (10) sized to receive said first side (4') of the end lateral portion (4), - said mounting groove (10) and said first side (4') comprising mutual engagement means including at least one pair of notches (11 ) connected by interference with respective ribs (12), - said first side (4') also being provided with a plurality of retention shims (13, 14) spaced along the extension of said first side (4'), configured to lock in position the first side (4') by interference with a relative abutment surface of the mounting groove (10).

Description

[0001] “Bumper structure and related end lateral portion mutually engaged with a lens 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 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 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 of the bumper structure,

[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 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. 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.

[0012] 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 vehicle from a central frontal position, the end lateral portion must not be visible to the eyes of the observer, as 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.

[0013] 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, in particular that a perfect mutual alignment is achieved between said first side of the end lateral portion of the bumper structure and the lens of the respective optical unit, thus ensuring that, when observing the vehicle from a central frontal position, the end lateral portion 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.

[0014] Object of the invention

[0015] The object of the invention is to solve the previously mentioned technical problems.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] Summary of the invention

[0020] In order to achieve one or more of said aims, the invention has as its object a motor-vehicle comprising:

[0021] - a body defining two vehicle sides,

[0022] - a bumper structure arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, comprising a front main portion and two end lateral portions,

[0023] - two optical units provided with 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 front main portion,

[0024] - 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,

[0025] - wherein each lens along its lateral portion comprises a mounting groove sized to receive said first side of the end lateral portion of the bumper structure, enabling the end lateral portion to be assembled along the vehicle side with the first side interfaced with the lens of the optical unit,

[0026] - said mounting groove and said first side comprising mutual engagement means including at least one pair of notches connected by interference with respective ribs,

[0027] - said first side also being provided with a plurality of retention shims spaced along the extension of said first side, configured to lock in position the first side by interference with a relative abutment surface of the mounting groove.

[0028] According to the following description and the attached claims, the invention is also directed to an assembly method for assembling a motorvehicle bumper structure in association with two optical units extending mainly along a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle.

[0029] Further preferred and advantageous features are indicated in the attached dependent claims. Brief description of the

[0030] 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:

[0031] - figure 1 is a perspective view of a front bumper structure of a motorvehicle and a related side part of the vehicle body,

[0032] - figure 2 is an enlarged scale view of an end lateral portion of the bumper structure including a reinforcement frame,

[0033] - figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating an assembling step of the end lateral portion relatively to the lens of an optical unit associated with the bumper structure,

[0034] - figure 4 is an enlarged scale view illustrating a preferred embodiment of retention shims formed on the end lateral portion and illustrated in the previous figure,

[0035] - figures 5, 6 are enlarged scale views which illustrate mutual engagement means provided along the end lateral portion of the bumper structure and the lens of the optical unit,

[0036] - figure 7 is a perspective view of the end lateral portion of the bumper structure comprising additional retention shims,

[0037] - figure 8 is an enlarged scale view illustrating a preferred embodiment of retention shims formed on the end lateral portion and illustrated in the previous figure, and

[0038] - figure 9 is an enlarged scale perspective view illustrating the end lateral portion of the bumper structure mutually engaged within a mounting groove of the lens of the optical unit.

[0039] Detailed of multiple embodiments

[0040] 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.

[0041] In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments. 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] The references illustrated here are for convenience only and therefore do not limit the extent of protection or the scope of the embodiments.

[0044] Figure 1 illustrates, purely by way of example, a front bumper structure 1 arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, associated with a front 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, perpendicular to the main portion 3 of the bumper structure 1 .

[0045] 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 .

[0046] 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.

[0047] According to a further feature illustrated in figure 1 , 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] According to a further feature illustrated in figure 2, the reinforcement frame 7 comprises a plurality of fastening means arranged for mutual fastening with respective counterparts formed on a bearing body 5’ of the optical unit 5 associated with the end lateral portion 4. More in particular, these fastening means comprise a plurality of hook elements 8 integrated in a single piece with the body of the reinforcement frame 7, mutually engaged with respective hooking seats 9 incorporated with the bearing body 5’ of the optical unit 5. Preferably, the fastening means are spaced along the vertical direction of the bearing body 5’ of the optical unit 5.

[0050] According to the invention, mounting features and a related assembly procedure for assembling the end lateral portion 4 of the bumper structure 1 relatively to the lens of the optical unit 5 associated with it are described below. The lenses of the optical units are made of a resistant material capable of allowing mutual contact with a plastic body, for example polycarbonate.

[0051] According to a first feature illustrated as a whole in figure 3, the lens of each optical unit 5 comprises laterally a mounting groove 10 sized to receive said first side 4’ of the end lateral portion 4 of the bumper structure 4, thus enabling the end lateral portion 4 to be assembled along the vehicle side with the first side 4’ interfaced with the lens of the optical unit 5. The mounting groove 10 extends along the entire vertical extension of the optical unit 5.

[0052] According to a further feature illustrated in particular in the enlarged scale views of figures 5, 6, the mounting groove 10 and the first side 4’ of the end lateral portion 4 comprise mutual engagement means including at least one pair of notches 11 connected by interference with respective ribs 12. According to the illustrated embodiment, the notches 11 are formed on the end lateral portion 4 along the first side 4’ (figure 5), and the ribs 12 are included within the lateral mounting groove 10. Again with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in these figures, the notches 11 are formed along an upper end portion of the first side 4’, vertically spaced from each other; therefore, the ribs 12 are arranged on the groove 10 at an upper end portion thereof, also vertically spaced from each other. Figure 9 is an enlarged scale view illustrating the notches 11 interfering with the ribs 12. Of course, additional pairs of notches and ribs may be provided along the vertical spacing of the mounting groove 10 and the first side 4’ of the portion end lateral 4.

[0053] According to a further feature illustrated in figures 3, 4, 7, 8, the first side 4’ of the end lateral portion 4 comprises a plurality of retention shims 13, 14 spaced along the entire extension of the first side 4’, configured to lock in position the first side 4’ by interference with a relative abutment surface of the mounting groove 10. In one or more embodiments, the end lateral portion 4 comprises a first set of retention shims 13 formed along the first side 4’ at an outer surface 13’ thereof (figures 3, 4) and a second set of retention shims 14 formed along the first side 4’ at an internal surface 14’ thereof opposite to the outer surface 13’ (figures 7, 8). The retention shims 13, 14 of each set are vertically distanced from each other, along the vertical extension of the first side 4’. According to a further feature illustrated in these figures, the mutual spacing of the retention shims of the first set 13 differs from that of the retention shims of the second set 14. In other words, the first set of retention shims 13 comprises mutually spaced elements with a first mutual spacing, while the second set of retention shims 14 comprises mutually spaced elements with a second mutual spacing different from that of the shims of the first set 13.

[0054] Furthermore, as illustrated in the enlarged scale views of figures 4, 8, the retention shims of the first set 13 and the retention shims of the second set 14 can include substantially prismatic elements with different size and shape, so as to create a respective retention effect due to interference with a respective abutment surface of the mounting groove 10.

[0055] This invention also relates to a method for assembling the end lateral portion 4 of the bumper structure 1 relatively to the lens 5’ of a respective optical unit 5 associated with the bumper structure 1 and mainly extended in a vertical direction of the motor-vehicle, wherein the optical unit 5 is spaced between an end lateral portion 4 and the main portion 3 of the bumper structure 1 . The assembling method comprises the following steps:

[0056] - bring the end lateral portion 4 closer to the respective mounting groove 10 integrated into the lens of the respective optical unit 5, with the reinforcement frame 7 applied on the internal surface of the end lateral portion 4,

[0057] - connecting the hook elements 8 of the reinforcement frame 7 with the respective hooking seats 9 incorporated with the bearing body 5’ of the optical unit 5,

[0058] - positioning the first side 4’ of the end lateral portion within the mounting groove 10 and achieve the mutual engagement of the ribs 12 with the respective notches 11 .

[0059] 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 vehicle 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.

[0060] Of course, the construction details and the forms of execution 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 bumper structure (1 ) arranged for absorbing damages caused by a vehicle collision, comprising a front main portion (3) and two end lateral portions (4),- 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) being spaced between one of said two end lateral portions (4) and said front 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 lens along its lateral portion comprises a mounting groove (10) sized to receive said first side (4’) of the end lateral portion (4) of the bumper structure (1 ), enabling the end lateral portion (4) to be assembled along the vehicle side with the first side (4’) interfaced with the lens of the optical unit (5),- said mounting groove (10) and said first side (4’) comprising mutual engagement means including at least one pair of notches (11 ) connected by interference with respective ribs (12),- said first side (4’) also being provided with a plurality of retention shims (13,14) spaced along the extension of said first side (4’), configured to lock in position the first side (4’) by interference with a relative abutment surface of the mounting groove (10).

2. Motor-vehicle according to claim 1 , 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.

3. Motor-vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcement frame (7) comprises a plurality of fastening means arranged for mutual fastening with respective counterparts formed on a bearing body (5’) of theoptical unit (5).

4. Motor-vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said fastening means comprise a plurality of hook elements (8) integrated in a single piece with the body of the reinforcement frame (7), mutually engaged with respective hooking seats (9) incorporated with the bearing body (5’) of the optical unit (5) and spaced along the vertical direction of the bearing body (5’).

5. Motor-vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the notches (11 ) are formed along an upper end portion of the first side (4’) of the lateral portion (4), vertically spaced from each other, and the ribs (12) are located on the mounting groove (10) at an upper end portion thereof, vertically spaced from each other.

6. Motor-vehicle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the end lateral portion (4) comprises a first set of retention shims (13) formed along the first side (4’) at an outer surface (13’) thereof, and a second set of retention shims (14) formed along the first side (4’) at an internal surface (14’) thereof opposite to the outer surface (13’).

7. Motor-vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the retention shims (13,14) of each set are vertically distanced from each other, along the vertical extension of the first side (4’).

8. Motor-vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the mutual spacing of the retention shims of the first set (13) differs from that of the retention shims of the second set (14).

9. Motor-vehicle according to any of claims 6-8, wherein the retention shims of the first set (13) and the retention shims of the second set (14) respectively comprise prismatic elements of different shape and size, so as to create a respective retention effect by interference with a respective abutment surface of the mounting groove (10).

10. Method for assembling an end lateral portion (4) of a motorvehicle bumper structure (1 ), relatively to a lens (5’) of a respective optical unit (5) associated with the end lateral portion (4), comprising the following steps:- preparing a motor-vehicle according to claim (1 ),- applying a reinforcement frame (7) 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, said reinforcement frame (7) comprisinga plurality of fastening means arranged for mutual fastening with respective counterparts formed on a bearing body (5’) of the optical unit (5),- connecting the fastening means of the reinforcement frame (7) with the counterparts of the bearing body (5’) of the optical unit (5), - positioning the first side (4’) of the end lateral portion within the mounting groove (10),- connecting the ribs (12) with the respective notches (11 ).

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