FRONT PART OF A VEHICLE ADAPTED TO PROTECT A PART OF THE FRONT FACE IN CASE OF AN IMPACT ON SAID PART OF THE FRONT FACE
The vehicle front part design addresses aesthetic and cost issues by allowing the grille to recoil during low-speed impacts using strategically positioned elastic stops and springs, ensuring effective protection and reduced damage.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2022006917
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-06
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-07-06
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle front designs with elastic stops for cushioning small impacts face issues with aesthetics and cost due to requiring a single-piece front face, and the integration of expensive materials like transparent or carbon fiber elements makes them more fragile.
A vehicle front part design featuring a grille that recoils independently during low-speed impacts, using elastic stops positioned strategically to allow the grille to move relative to the rest of the front face, with a height equal to half the face, and supported by multiple elastic stops and springs, allowing for localized stress distribution.
The design effectively protects the grille from low-speed impacts while maintaining aesthetic integrity and reducing damage, ensuring the grille moves backward to absorb energy, thus preserving the vehicle's appearance and minimizing repair costs.
Smart Images
Figure 00000007_0000 
Figure 00000007_0001 
Figure 00000008_0000
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: FRONT PART OF A VEHICLE ADAPTED TO PROTECT A PART OF THE FRONT FACE IN CASE OF AN IMPACT ON THAT PART OF THE FRONT FACE
[0001] The present invention relates to a front part of a vehicle which comprises a front structure covered by a front face and comprising at least one elastic stop interposed between the front structure and a part of the front face, said front part being adapted to allow a recoil of at least the part of said front face during a very low speed impact on said part of the front face.
[0002] It is known from document CN209870314U that a front part of a vehicle has a front structure on which a front face is fixed by means of elastic stops to cushion small shocks on the front of the vehicle, in particular to avoid repairs on such small shocks and this in particular to improve the repairability score to lower insurance premiums.
[0003] Such protection is all the more interesting as more and more grilles use expensive-to-produce elements with transparent parts, chrome parts or even carbon fiber parts and with a size that is increasing more and more, making them more fragile in the event of a small impact on the front of the vehicle.
[0004] Having the entire front face mounted on elastic stops poses other problems, notably aesthetic with the junction with the rest of the bodywork and cost because it requires the entire front face to be a single piece, which changes the way the front of a vehicle is designed.
[0005] The device according to the invention makes it possible to remedy these drawbacks.
[0006] It comprises, in fact, according to the invention, a front part of a vehicle which includes a front structure covered by a front face and comprising at least one elastic stop interposed between the front structure and a part of the front face, the front part and said at least one elastic stop being adapted to allow a recoil of at least the part of said front face during a very low speed impact on said part of the front face, such that said part of the front face forms a grille which is adapted to recoil independently of the rest of the front face during said very low speed impact.
[0007] According to a first feature of the invention, the grille has a height at least equal to half the height of the front face.
[0008] According to a second feature of the invention, the front structure and the grille each comprise a support, said two supports being positioned opposite each other to secure at least one elastic stop.
[0009] According to a third feature of the invention, the front structure of the vehicle comprises at least four elastic stops positioned at least at four distal locations of the grille.
[0010] According to a fourth feature of the invention, said grille is extended on each side, in an upper part, by a front headlight, on the edge of each front headlight, being positioned a set of two elastic stops side by side.
[0011] According to a fifth feature of the invention, in a central part of an upper part of the grille is positioned at least one elastic stop and / or in that on each side of the grille, between said upper part and a lower part of the grille is positioned at least one elastic stop.
[0012] According to a sixth feature of the invention, at least one elastic stop comprises a first part which forms a central core, a second part formed by a spring which is positioned around said first part and a third part which extends one end of the first part by widening to form a support for the spring.
[0013] According to a seventh feature of the invention, the elastic stop comprises a fourth detachable part which is previously positioned in one of the supports of the grille and which is clipped to the free end of the first part of the at least one elastic stop during the assembly of the grille onto the front structure of the vehicle.
[0014] The present invention also relates to a vehicle which includes such a front part having at least one of the preceding characteristics.
[0015] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:
[0016] [Fig-1] represents a partial view of a front part of a vehicle.
[0017] [Fig.2] represents a detailed view of an elastic stop.
[0018] [Fig.3] represents a partial view of a front structure of the front part of the vehicle.
[0019] [Fig.4] represents a partial view of the interior of a grille of the front part of the vehicle.
[0020] With reference to these drawings, a front part 1 of a vehicle comprises a front structure 2 covered by a front face 3.
[0021] The front face 3 includes a bumper skin 31 and a grille 32.
[0022] The front structure 2 comprises a beam 21 which extends essentially under the skin bumper 31, an intermediate crossmember 22 which extends under the grille 32 and an upper cross member 23 which extends essentially below the top of the grille 32.
[0023] The front structure 2 also includes two uprights 24 behind the two sides of the grille 32.
[0024] Along the perimeter of the grille 32 are positioned elastic stops 4 which are fixed on the beam 21, along the two uprights 24 and the upper cross member 23.
[0025] The grille 32 is mounted floating in the front face 3, so that the elastic stops 4 allow the grille 32 to recoil during a very low speed impact on the grille 32.
[0026] Such a grille 32 has a large dimension, in particular a large height which is at least equal to half the height of the front face 3 and a finish which can increase the price of such a grille, making the elastic stops 4 by allowing a recoil of the grille 32, protect it during a very low speed impact.
[0027] As particularly visible in [Fig. 2], the elastic stop 4 comprises a first part 41 which forms a central core generally made of plastic and a second part 42 formed by a spring positioned around the first part 4L
[0028] A third part 43 of the elastic stops extends the first part 41 by forming a shoulder to form a bearing surface at a first end of the spring 42.
[0029] The third part 43 is adapted to fit into supports 25 secured along the beam 21, the two uprights 24 and the upper cross member 23 of the front structure 2.
[0030] The grille 32 has supports 33 for fixing a fourth part 44 of the elastic stops 4, the fourth part 44 being detachable to be positioned first in the supports 33 before being clipped to the free end of the first part 41 of one of the elastic stops 4.
[0031] The fourth part 44 of the elastic stops 4 has a central opening in which the free end of the first part 41 of one of the elastic stops 4 is clipped, said first part 41 being able to slide along the central opening of the fourth part 44, the peripheral part of the fourth part 44 of the elastic stop 4 forming a bearing surface for the spring 42.
[0032] A plastic film can be overmolded around the spring 42 and the third part 43 of the elastic stops 4 to prevent the spring 42 from falling out before final assembly; the plastic film can also be easily colored to prevent the elastic stops 4 from being visible through the grille 32.
[0033] Depending on the area of the edge of the grille 32, the density of elastic stops 4 can vary according to local holding constraints, in particular at the junction with the front headlights 7 where two elastic stops 4 are installed side by side.
[0034] In the embodiment shown, the grille 32 is held by twelve elastic pads 4, allowing good distribution of stresses in case of very low speed impact so as not to damage the grille 32.
[0035] The front structure 2 also includes, in the central part of the beam 21, a deformable zone 5 which is covered by a license plate 8.
[0036] The deformable zone 5 has cells which extend from the beam 21 towards the license plate 8.
[0037] The front structure 2 finally includes, hidden by the upper half of the grille 32, the intermediate cross member 22 which makes it possible to reinforce the front structure 2 while having the ability to deform easily in the event of a front impact with a pedestrian.
[0038] To do this, the intermediate cross member 22 has a curved shape, with the apex of the arc oriented towards the top of the front structure 2, the two ends being connected to each of the two uprights 24.
[0039] The intermediate cross member 22 has a blade profile, with a low vertical thickness and, following the normal direction of movement of the vehicle, a depth at least four times greater than said low thickness.
[0040] The grille 32, mounted on the front structure 2 by means of the elastic stops 4, can move backward during a very low speed impact.
[0041] During a low-speed impact, for example a pedestrian-type impact, the license plate 8 can deform due to the deformable zone 5 which serves as its support, limiting the stresses on the lower legs of the pedestrian and the intermediate cross member 22 tilts 90 degrees and ends up with the depth of the blade profile facing the pedestrian during the impact.
[0042] During the impact, intermediate cross member 22 presents the depth of the blade profile which is facing the pedestrian which, combined with the low thickness, allows the intermediate cross member 22 to easily deform and limit the stresses on the upper legs of the pedestrian.
Claims
Demands
1. Front part (1) of a vehicle, comprising a front structure (2) covered by a front face (3) and comprising at least one elastic stop (4) interposed between the front structure (2) and a portion (32) of the front face (3), the front part (1) and the at least one elastic stop (4) being adapted to allow recoil of at least the portion (32) of said front face (3) during a very low speed impact on said portion (32) of the front face (3), said portion (32) of the front face (3) forming a grille that is adapted to recoil independently of the rest of the front face (3) during said very low speed impact, characterized in that the at least one elastic stop (4) comprises a first portion (41) which forms a central core,a second part (42) formed by a spring which is positioned around said first part (41) and a third part (43) which extends one end of the first part (41) by widening to form a support for the spring (42) and in that the elastic stop (4) comprises a fourth detachable part (44) which is previously positioned in one of the supports (33) of the grille (32) and which is clipped to the free end of the first part (41) of the at least one elastic stop (4) during the assembly of the grille (32) onto the front structure (2) of the vehicle.
2. Front part (1) of a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the grille (32) has a height at least equal to half the height of the front face (2).
3. Front part (1) of a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front structure (2) and the grille (32) each comprise a support (25, 33), said two supports being positioned opposite each other to secure at least one elastic stop (4).
4. Front part (1) of a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front structure (2) of the vehicle comprises at least four elastic stops (4) positioned at least at four distal locations of the grille (32).
5. Front part (1) of a vehicle according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said grille (32) is extended by each side, in the upper part, by a front light (7), on the edge of each front light (7), being positioned a set of two elastic stops (4) side by side.
6. Front part (1) of a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in a central part of an upper part of the grille (32) at least one elastic stop (4) is positioned.
7. Front part (1) of a vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on each side of the grille (32), between an upper part and a lower part of the grille (32) is positioned at least one elastic stop (4).
8. Vehicle comprising a front part (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.