Modular interior trim.

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle upholstery assembly (1), comprising a passenger compartment carpet (3) extending between an aspect face (4) and a reverse face (5), the carpet (3) comprising a lateral contour surface (6) joining said faces, the assembly (1) comprising a soundproofing element (7a), designed to occupy the space (8a) between a passenger compartment floor (9a) (2) of the vehicle and the reverse face (5) when the carpet (3) is installed in the vehicle, the assembly (1) comprising at least one upholstery element (13) designed to at least partially conceal a side member (10a) of the vehicle. The carpet (3) is designed to be positioned in the vehicle's passenger compartment (2) with its contour surface (6) positioned opposite at least a portion of the side member (10a), the trim element (13) being designed to conceal, when installed on the side member (10a), a portion of the visible face (4) of the carpet (3). (Figure 2)

Description

Title of the invention: Modular passenger compartment trim.

[0001] The technical field relates to trim assemblies for motor vehicle interiors. The invention also relates to kits for forming several assemblies according to the invention, each being adapted to a particular vehicle and finally the invention relates to vehicles equipped with such assemblies.

[0002] It is becoming increasingly common for a motor vehicle to be offered to customers in several engine versions such as thermal energy, hybrid energy or even electric energy. Each version of such a vehicle generally has its own particularities which imply structural differences between each version, in particular under the hood and in the passenger compartment. Thus, the floor of the passenger compartment is very often different from one version to another to accommodate, for example, batteries for an electric or hybrid version or to allow the passage of an exhaust pipe from a thermal engine. Thus, generally the passenger compartment of the vehicle has a different volume specific to each version of the vehicle.This diversity of interiors means that car manufacturers must design and produce several different versions of most of the trim elements that are installed in the different interiors of different versions of the vehicle. These trim elements, which come in several versions, generally include floor mats and side rail trim.

[0003] This diversity necessarily leads to an increase in development and production costs as well as a complication in the logistics of supplying assembly lines and assembling the different versions of the vehicle.

[0004] Thus, there is a need to reduce the diversity of trim elements that constitute the trim of the different versions of passenger compartments of the different versions of a vehicle.

[0005] 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 trim assembly for lining a vehicle passenger compartment which makes it possible to minimize the diversity of the trim elements used and which facilitates its assembly on the vehicle.

[0006] To this end, the present invention relates to a trim assembly, for lining a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, comprising a passenger compartment carpet extending between an appearance face and a reverse face, the carpet comprising a lateral contour surface joining said faces, the assembly further comprising a soundproofing element, designed to occupy at least part of the space between a passenger compartment floor of the vehicle and the reverse side when the carpet is installed in the vehicle, the assembly further comprising at least one trim element designed to at least partially mask a side member of the vehicle, the assembly being characterized in that the carpet is designed to be positioned in the passenger compartment of the vehicle with the contour surface positioned opposite at least a portion of the side member, the trim element being designed to mask, when installed on the side member, a portion of the appearance side of the carpet.

[0007] The invention also relates to a trim kit for a motor vehicle comprising an assembly according to the invention and further comprising at least one additional soundproofing element, each being designed to be interchangeable with the soundproofing element of the assembly and to occupy a different volume.

[0008] The invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with a trim assembly according to the invention.

[0009] Finally, the invention relates to a method of lining a motor vehicle according to the invention consisting of having a lining kit according to the invention and selecting one of the soundproofing elements of the kit to form an assembly according to the invention adapted to the floor of the vehicle.

[0010] Thus, the assembly according to the invention adapts to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, in particular to the floor to provide a single passenger compartment carpet for all versions of the vehicle, the adaptation being made possible thanks to the soundproofing element which can be chosen and adapted to fill at least in part the space between the passenger compartment floor and the reverse side of the carpet. A kit according to the invention is thus particularly useful insofar as the soundproofing element or each additional soundproofing element of the kit can be adapted to a particular version of the vehicle. Thanks to the kit according to the invention, the lining of the passenger compartment of a vehicle having several versions is obtained with a single passenger compartment carpet combined with a suitable soundproofing element, chosen from the kit according to the invention, as indicated in the method of the invention.The diversity of the elements is further increased thanks to the interface between the trim element and the passenger compartment carpet: in fact, the passenger compartment carpet, when installed, does not rise behind the side member trim element as is usually the case, since the lateral contour surface is positioned opposite at least a part of the side member. This makes it possible to offer a single interface for all versions of the vehicle. Finally, the trim element, which masks a part of the appearance face of the passenger compartment carpet, makes it possible to prevent the lateral contour surface from becoming visible to the user of the vehicle during its use. Thus, the attachment of the passenger compartment carpet is superfluous and the assembly according to the invention is less complex to assemble.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the assembly, the trim element has a heel projecting from the trim element and designed to mask and rest on the appearance face of the passenger compartment carpet. Such a heel increases the coverage of the carpet and thereby avoids visual quality defects caused when the lateral contour surface of the carpet becomes visible to the user.

[0012] According to one possibility, the soundproofing element has at least one cavity receiving a shim designed to limit the compressibility of the soundproofing element. The soundproofing element according to the invention is made of a porous and / or flexible material capable of absorbing at least part of the sound waves passing through it. Also, when the thickness of the required soundproofing element is significant, a shim makes it possible to limit the use of such a material, in particular its thickness. Indeed, without such a shim, the soundproofing element would risk being too flexible, which could cause poor support of the carpet under the effect of stress by the user.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the kit according to the invention, each soundproofing element has a different thickness. The thickness of each soundproofing element is adapted to a version of the vehicle.

[0014] The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0015] [Fig.l] [Fig.l] represents a perspective view of an assembly according to the invention mounted on a chassis of a vehicle according to the invention partially represented;

[0016] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a cross-sectional view along the axis AA of [Fig.l] of a first version of the vehicle of [Fig.l], showing the floor of the vehicle and the assembly according to the invention;

[0017] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] represents a cross-sectional view along the axis AA of the [Fig.l] of a second version of the vehicle of [Fig.l], showing the floor of the vehicle and the assembly according to the invention.

[0018] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0019] A trim assembly 1, illustrated in the figures, is used to trim a passenger compartment 2 of a motor vehicle having several versions linked, for example, to various energy sources. The assembly 1 comprises a passenger compartment carpet 3 which extends between an aspect face 4 and a reverse face 5, illustrated in the figures. The aspect face 4 and the reverse face 5 are joined by a contour surface 6. The aspect face 4 is for example provided with carpeting and / or any other intended ornament. The aspect face 4 constitutes the face of the passenger compartment carpet 3 which is visible at least in part by the user of the vehicle installed in the passenger compartment 2.

[0020] The assembly further comprises a soundproofing element 7 designed to occupy at least a part, preferably all, of the space 8 between a floor 9 of the passenger compartment 2 and the reverse face 5 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The soundproofing element 7 is made of porous or flexible material, for example a polymer foam, capable of absorbing at least in part a sound wave which passes through it. The soundproofing element 7 is obviously adapted to the space 8 which is specific to the version of the vehicle. In other words, for each version of the vehicle, the soundproofing element 7 has a shape adapted to the space 8 and has a specific volume. [Fig.2] illustrates a first version of assembly 1 adapted to a first version of passenger compartment 2, while [Fig.3] illustrates a second version of assembly 1 adapted to a second version of passenger compartment 2.The two versions of passenger compartment 2 illustrated respectively in figures 2 and 3 differ mainly by the shape of a side member 10a, 10b and by their floor 9a, 9b. In particular, the floor 9a of the first version, illustrated in [Fig.2], differs from the floor 9b of the second version, illustrated in [Fig.3], by their respective shapes and their positions relative to a reference mark R0 of the side member 10a, 10b of the passenger compartment 2 of the vehicle.

[0021] The passenger compartment carpet 3 implemented for the two versions illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 is the same. Similarly, in the two versions illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the contour surface 6 of the carpet 3 is positioned opposite at least a portion of the side member 10a, 10b, more precisely opposite the reference mark R0. Thus, a user successively using the two versions of passenger compartment 2 will note that the carpet 3 is positioned in the same place relative to the side member 10. The same user will not notice that one of the floors 9a is positioned at a different height from the floor 9b of the other version.

[0022] To obtain this result, that is to say the same positioning of the carpet 3 relative to the reference mark R0, the soundproofing element 7a of the first version has a thickness less than the thickness of the soundproofing element 7b of the second version, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0023] In order to limit the thickness of the material of the soundproofing element 7b, a cavity 11 is provided in the soundproofing element 7b to accommodate a shim 12, made of rigid material, designed to limit the compression of the soundproofing element 7b when stressed by a user.

[0024] The assembly 1 according to the invention also comprises a trim element 13 for the spar 10 which is designed to mask, at least partially, the spar 10. The trim element 13 is designed and dimensioned to mask, when it is installed on the spar 10, a part of the aspect face 4 of the carpet 3. In particular, the trim element 13 has at its end arranged opposite the face of aspect 4 a heel 14 making it possible to increase the coverage of the carpet 3. Thus, the heel 14 makes it possible to increase the coverage of the carpet 3 without increasing the thickness of the trim element 13 of the side member 10 to preserve the aesthetic appearance of the passenger compartment 2. The trim element 13 is held in position on the side member 10 by a trim support 15, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, fixed in the side member 10. The shape of the trim support 14 is adapted to take into account possible variations in the shape of the side member 10, from one version of passenger compartment 2 to another version, so that a trim element 13 common to all versions can be used. This is also made possible by the interface between the mat 3 and the trim element 13. Indeed, the mat 3 is not attached to the spar 10 or to the trim element 13.

[0025] A kit according to the invention comprises the carpet 13, the trim element 13 as well as, for example, the two soundproofing elements 7a, 7b. Thus, depending on the version of the vehicle to be trimmed, the method according to the invention consists of selecting from the kit the soundproofing element 7a, 7b adapted to the version of the vehicle.

[0026] Thus, the assembly 1 according to the invention makes it possible to limit the diversity of parts necessary to furnish two versions of a passenger compartment 2 since only the soundproofing element 7a, 7b must be developed and produced in as many versions as there are versions of the vehicle according to the invention. The absence of fixing the carpet 3 on the trim element 13 also makes it possible to simplify the implementation of the method according to the invention for furnishing the vehicle according to the invention.

[0027] The invention is not limited to the embodiments of the packing assembly 1 described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. A trim kit for a motor vehicle comprising a trim assembly (1) for trimming a passenger compartment (2) of a motor vehicle, comprising a passenger compartment carpet (3) extending between an appearance face (4) and a reverse face (5), the carpet (3) comprising a lateral contour surface (6) joining said faces (4, 5), the assembly (1) further comprising a soundproofing element (7, 7a, 7b), designed to occupy at least part of the space (8, 8a, 8b) between a passenger compartment floor (9, 9a, 9b) of the vehicle and the reverse face (5) when the carpet (3) is installed in the vehicle, the assembly (1) further comprising at least one trim element (13) designed to at least partially mask a side member (10, 10a, 10b) of the vehicle, the assembly (1) being the carpet (3) being designed to be positioned in the passenger compartment (2) of the vehicle with the contour surface (6) positioned opposite at least a portion of the side member (10, 10a, 10b),the trim element (13) being designed to mask, when installed on the spar (10, 10a, 10b), a part of the appearance face (4) of the carpet (3), the kit being characterized in that it further comprises at least one additional soundproofing element (7, 7a, 7b), each being designed to be interchangeable with the soundproofing element (7, 7a, 7b) of the assembly (1) and to occupy a different volume.,

2. Kit according to claim 1, characterized in that the trim element (13) has a heel (14) projecting from the trim element (13) and designed to mask and rest on the appearance face (4) of the carpet (3).

3. Kit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the soundproofing element (7b) has at least one cavity (11) receiving a shim (12) designed to limit the compressibility of the soundproofing element (7b).

4. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each soundproofing element (7, 7a, 7b) has a different thickness.

5. Method of lining a motor vehicle equipped with a lining assembly (1), for lining a passenger compartment (2) of a motor vehicle, comprising a passenger compartment carpet (3) extending between a facing face (4) and a reverse face (5), the carpet (3) comprising a lateral contour surface (6) joining said faces (4, 5), the assembly (1) further comprising a soundproofing element (7, 7a, 7b), designed to occupy at least part of the space (8, 8a, 8b) between a floor (9, 9a, 9b) of the passenger compartment of the vehicle and the reverse face (5) when the carpet (3) is installed in the vehicle, the assembly (1) further comprising at least one trim element (13) designed to at least partially mask a side member (10, 10a, 10b) of the vehicle, the carpet (3) being designed to be positioned in the passenger compartment (2) of the vehicle with the contour surface (6) positioned opposite at least part of the side member (10, 10a, 10b), the trim element (13) being designed to mask, when it is installed on the spar (10, 10a, 10b), a part of the appearance face (4) of the carpet (3), the method consisting of having a trim kit according to one of claims 1 to 4 and selecting one of the soundproofing elements (7,7a, 7b) of the kit to form a set (1) of trim adapted to the floor (9, 9a, 9b) of the vehicle.,

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