Adjustable Aerothermal Front Panel for Motor Vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to an aerothermal front panel for a motor vehicle comprising a frame (1) with mounting plates (11) for attaching it to the front frame members (13) of a motor vehicle, each mounting plate being associated with a front end of the front frame member; the front panel being notable in that the mounting plates (11) of the frame (1) each comprise an interface for positioning and / or retaining a spacer (15), said interface being configured to position said spacer (15), when present, between the mounting plate (11) and the associated front end of the front frame member (13). Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Adjustable aerothermal facade for motor vehicles

[0001] The invention relates to the automotive field and deals with cooling panels for motor vehicles. In particular, the invention relates to the cooling of a vehicle, for example, an electric vehicle.

[0002] In the context of an electric vehicle, the invention relates to the cooling of the expansion tank or reservoir used for filling the coolant. Several types of expansion tanks exist, and consequently, they can have different dimensions. In some cases, due to their lack of compactness, their installation on electric vehicles with a short front overhang is compromised. Since changing the expansion tank model or modifying the vehicle's overhang is not a satisfactory solution, a further solution must be found to resolve this problem or at least improve the situation.

[0003] Document EP1413467 describes a front-mounted heat exchange module for vehicles, comprising a radiator, a condenser, and an air carrier supported by a support structure, and means for connecting the radiator, condenser, and air carrier to the support structure. The radiator, condenser, and air carrier are provided with vertically oriented mounting studs that engage in respective holes in mounting plates. Each mounting plate is provided with a calibrated, breakable mounting stud that engages in a respective hole in a transverse support element forming a base or in an upper transverse support element. The proposed solution allows the air carrier's attachments to break in the event of a collision, enabling it to move backward and thus minimizing potential damage caused by said collision.

[0004] The invention aims to address at least one of the problems encountered in the prior art and in particular to propose an aerothermal facade for motor vehicles that is adaptable to different geometries of on-board cooling equipment.

[0005] To this end, and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to an aerothermal facade for a motor vehicle comprising a frame with mounting plates for its attachment to the front frame members of a motor vehicle, each mounting plate being associated with a front end of the front frame member; the facade being remarkable in that the frame mounting plates each comprise an interface for positioning and / or retaining a spacer, said interface being configured to position said spacer between the mounting plate and the front end of the associated front stretcher.

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one positioning and / or holding interface includes a recess for receiving a spacer and / or at least one means selected from a slide, a positioning pin, an orifice or clipping means for retaining the spacer in position in said interface.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment, the facade further comprises at least one pair of spacers arranged in the positioning and / or holding interfaces of said frame.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the spacers are multilayered and comprise at least one layer of an elastomeric material; preferably, the elastomeric material is selected from an ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a latex; and / or the layer of elastomeric material is a layer sandwiched between two layers of a more rigid material or is arranged to be placed in contact with a front stretcher end when the front is fixed to said front stretchers.

[0009] Advantageously, each spacer has at least one through-hole for a fixing screw. The fixing hole(s) are arranged to pass through the spacers along their thickness, i.e., along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the front panel is mounted on the vehicle.

[0010] For example, each spacer includes at least three non-aligned through fixing holes arranged to form a pattern serving as a keying device capable of giving an orientation to said pattern.

[0011] For example, each pattern serving as a keying device comprises at least one lower orifice and at least one upper orifice, each spacer has at least two patterns serving as keying devices, and each pattern is arranged so that its lower orifice(s) are at a given height H from an edge of the spacer associated with said pattern, said height H being different from one pattern to another; preferably at least one slice of the spacer shows a means of identifying one of said patterns and / or each pattern is associated with one of the edges of the spacer so that the different patterns are associated with different edges of the spacer.

[0012] For example, each spacer has at least two opposite square faces and in this at least one through-fixing hole opens onto said square faces.

[0013] For example, the positioning and / or holding interface(s) include clipping means and the spacer elements include openings for cooperating with the clipping elements for securing the spacer elements in said interfaces, said openings being arranged to open onto the edges of said spacer elements or on the face of said spacer elements intended to be placed opposite the fixing interface.

[0014] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle remarkable in that it comprises an aerothermal facade according to the first aspect; preferably, the vehicle is an electrically powered vehicle.

[0015] According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a method of assembling a motor vehicle according to the second notable aspect, which includes supplying an aerothermal facade according to the first aspect comprising a frame and at least one pair of spacers arranged in the positioning and / or holding interfaces of said frame, and its attachment to the front shafts of a motor vehicle so that the spacers are placed between the fixing interfaces of the frame and the front shafts.

[0016] As will be understood from reading the definition just given, the invention is remarkable in that it offers a simple and inexpensive way of adapting the cooling front of a motor vehicle by allowing the aerothermal front frame to be positioned in a rearward position or one or more forward positions by inserting, as needed and depending on the dimensions of the on-board cooling equipment, spacers at the interfaces for fixing the frame to the vehicle structure.

[0017] The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will become clear upon reading the following description given with reference to the attached figures listed below.

[0018] [Fig-1] Fig. 1 illustrates a front structure of a motor vehicle comprising an aerothermal facade according to the invention.

[0019] [Fig.2] Fig.2 represents an example of the realization of a frame for an aerothermal facade according to the invention.

[0020] [Fig.3] Fig.3 illustrates the rearward position and an advanced position of a frame of an aerothermal facade according to the invention.

[0021] [Fig.4] Fig.4 illustrates an example of the realization of a spacer according to the invention.

[0022] [Fig.5] The [Fig.5] is another example of the realization of a spacer according to the invention.

[0023] In the following description, the term "include" is synonymous with "include" and is not limiting in that it permits the presence of other elements in the motor vehicle or other steps in the process to which it relates. It is understood that the term "include" includes the terms "consist of".

[0024] The terms "longitudinal", "longitudinally", "transverse", and "transversely" are used with respect to the vehicle's frame of reference. In the mounting configuration, the term "longitudinal" refers to the vehicle's main direction of travel. The term "transverse" refers to a direction perpendicular to the vehicle's main direction of travel. The term "front" refers to the vehicle's main direction of travel. The term "rear" refers to the opposite of the front of the vehicle.

[0025] The ranges of values ​​include the bounds that delimit them. Throughout the description, the different figures use the same reference symbols to designate identical or similar entities.

[0026] The invention relates to an aerothermal facade frame for a motor vehicle, an aerothermal facade comprising such a frame and at least one pair of spacers, a motor vehicle comprising such a frame or such an aerothermal facade or a method of assembling such a motor vehicle.

[0027] In particular, the invention relates to an aerothermal front panel frame for a motor vehicle comprising mounting plates for attaching it to the front frame members of a motor vehicle, each mounting plate being associated with a front end of the front frame member. Each mounting plate includes an interface for positioning and / or retaining a spacer, said interface being configured to position said spacer between the mounting plate and the associated front end of the front frame member. Reference will first be made to [Fig. 1] illustrating a front structure of a motor vehicle comprising an aerothermal front panel frame 1.

[0028] More specifically, the invention relates to an aerothermal front panel for a motor vehicle comprising a frame 1 with fixing plates 11 for its attachment to the front frame members 13 of a motor vehicle, each fixing plate being associated with a front end of the front frame member; the front panel being remarkable in that the fixing plates 11 of the frame 1 each comprise an interface 17 for positioning and / or retaining a spacer 15, said interface 17 being configured to position said spacer 15, when present, between the fixing plate 11 and the associated front end of the front frame member 13.

[0029] The frame 1 can be made of a metallic material or of a plastic material selected from the group comprising polypropylene, polyamide, polyphthalamide, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide-imide, polyetherimide, polyarylamide, polyepoxide, unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester, or polyester-vinylester resins. Optionally, the frame 1 is made of a composite material comprising a matrix of a plastic material as described above with reinforcement. For example, the reinforcement comprises glass or carbon fibers.

[0030] The frame 1 includes a border 3 showing two vertical uprights 5 and two transverse edges 7. The border surrounds a grid 9. Two mounting plates 11 are connected to the vertical uprights 5. Preferably, the edge 3 and the mounting plates 11 are made of material. The frame 1 is fixed to the front ends of the front stretchers 13 of the vehicle by screwing. The screwing is done at the level of the mounting plates 11. [Fig. 3] comprises an upper part a. showing a rearward position of the aerothermal front frame; and a lower part b. showing the forward position of the aerothermal front frame. The invention is remarkable in that it proposes placing spacers 15 (visible in the lower part b. of [Fig. 3]) between the mounting plates 11 of the frame 1 and the front ends (or end caps) of the front stretchers. For this purpose, the mounting plates 11 each comprise a positioning and / or retaining interface 17 (visible in [Fig. 3].2]) of a spacer 15, said interface 17 being configured to position the spacer 15 between said mounting plate 11 and the front end of the associated front stretcher. Advantageously, at least one positioning and / or retaining interface 17 comprises a recess for receiving a spacer and / or at least one means selected from a slide, a positioning pin, an opening, or clipping means for retaining the spacer in position within said interface. The recess may, for example, be formed by edges extending towards the front stretchers 13, i.e., from the rear of the vehicle.

[0031] Thus, according to the invention, the frame 1 of the aerodynamic facade can be fixed to the front struts 13 by means of screws 27 either directly (in the absence of spacers), thereby defining a rearward position of the frame illustrated in the upper part a of [Fig. 3]; or indirectly through spacers 15 arranged between the mounting plates 11 and the front struts 13, thus defining a forward position of the frame illustrated in the lower part b of [Fig. 3]. The presence of spacers 15 makes it possible to move the frame 1 of the aerodynamic facade away from the front ends of the front struts 13 and therefore to place devices behind said frame 1 of the aerodynamic facade that are larger, in particular thicker, than those that can be placed in the absence of said spacers.

[0032] The spacing E between the rearward position and the forward position corresponds to the thickness of the spacers, and is preferably between 1 and 75 mm; preferably between 5 and 60 mm; more preferably between 10 and 50 mm.

[0033] The invention therefore also relates to an assembly 19 (illustrated in lower part b of [Fig.3]) comprising an aerothermal facade frame and a pair of spacers 15 (only one shown) arranged in the positioning and / or holding interfaces 17 (only one shown) of said frame 1.

[0034] According to the invention, the mounting plates 11 each comprise an interface 17 for positioning and / or retaining a spacer. The presence of such a positioning interface is illustrated in [Fig. 2]. It comprises, for example, a or several edges 25 allowing to define a housing in which all or part of the spacer will be placed.

[0035] This interface 17 may advantageously include any known means of positioning a spacer; for example, the interface 17 may include ridges 21 intended to cooperate with complementary ridges 23 shown by the spacer 15 (as illustrated in [Fig. 4]). For example, the mounting plates may include at least two edges 25 extending towards the front shafts, and one or more ridges 21 (such as ribs and / or grooves) are disposed on said edges 25 and cooperate with complementary ridges 23 (such as grooves and / or ribs, respectively) shown by the edge of the spacers 15. The ridges 21 presented by the positioning and / or retaining interfaces 17, and appearing in the form of ribs and / or grooves, advantageously form guides for positioning the spacers in the interfaces.In an embodiment not shown, at least one positioning interface includes positioning pins and / or holes intended to cooperate with positioning holes and / or pins shown by the spacers. To ensure better retention of the spacer on the mounting plate, those skilled in the art may equip the assembly with clipping means configured to clip the spacer onto the mounting plate.

[0036] Thus, preferably, at least one positioning and / or holding interface includes at least one slide, a positioning pin, an orifice or clipping means.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment, at least one positioning interface includes an orifice for cooperating with a fastening clip carried by the spacer. According to another embodiment (not shown), the positioning and / or holding interface(s) include clipping means, and the spacer elements include orifices for cooperating with the clipping elements for fastening the spacer elements in said interfaces, said orifices being arranged to open onto the edges of said spacer elements or onto the face of said spacer elements intended to be positioned opposite the fastening interface.

[0038] As will be understood, the use of spacers will allow the frame position to be adjusted along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The adjustment of the frame's positioning along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle can be further improved by using multi-layered spacers comprising at least one layer 31 made of a compressible elastomeric material, as illustrated in [Fig. 4]. The layers (29, 31), for example two in number, are arranged according to the thickness of the spacer 15, so that when screwing the frame in place, the operator can precisely adjust the frame's position. and thus avoid dispersions due to more or less pronounced compression of the elastomeric material layer. According to the invention, the elastomeric material layer 31 is therefore associated with a layer 29 made of a more rigid material; for example, a layer made of a metallic material or a layer made of a plastic material selected from the group comprising polypropylene, polyamide, polyphthalamide, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide-imide, polyetherimide, polyarylamide, polyepoxide, unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester, or polyester-vinylester resins.

[0039] In one embodiment, the elastomeric material layer is a layer sandwiched between two layers of a more rigid material or is arranged to be in contact with the end of a front stretcher. Thus, the more rigid material layer 29 is the layer in contact with the mounting plate 11 of the frame 1.

[0040] For example, the elastomeric material is chosen from a propylene ethylene terpolymer and a diene (EPDM) or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a latex.

[0041] It will be understood that the frame 1, on which the spacers 15 are mounted, is fixed by screwing onto the ends of the front shafts 13. The fixing is made through the spacers 15. To this end, and as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the spacers 15 have at least one through hole 33 along their thickness, intended for the passage of a fixing screw. The thickness is measured along the smallest dimension of the spacer 15. A spacer generally has a plate shape. It has a right hexahedral shape. Preferably, each spacer 15 includes a series of holes 33 comprising at least two through holes for the passage of fixing screws, for example, a series of three holes and preferably a series of four holes. A spacer 15 having such a series of holes 33 forming a pattern 35 is illustrated in [Fig. 4]. In [Fig.[4] It should be noted that the series of holes has a keying feature to allow the spacer to be positioned on the mounting plate. This keying feature is useful for ensuring correct positioning of the spacer on the plate, particularly when the spacer 15 is multilayered and must be placed in a predefined orientation. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 4], the spacer is rectangular and has four mounting holes 33, namely two lower holes and two upper holes. The spacing between the two lower holes is different from the spacing between the upper holes, thus creating a pattern 35 that forms a keying feature. Advantageously, each spacer 15 can include at least three non-aligned holes 33 to form a pattern 35 that serves as a keying feature. The fact that motif 35 is a keying feature allows it to provide an orientation for said motif 35 and therefore for the spacer 15 which features it.

[0042] The use of a keying device is also useful when the spacer includes at least two sets of fixing holes 33, that is to say two motifs 35 arranged in such a way to allow adjustment of the frame position along the vertical direction as illustrated in [Fig.5].

[0043] Indeed, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spacers also allow adjustment of the position of the aerodynamic facade frame in the vertical direction. To this end, the spacers 15 advantageously have at least two sets of through-holes 33 for fixing, i.e., two motifs 35, and preferably two motifs 35 serving as keying features. For example, as illustrated in [Fig. 5] in relation to a rectangular spacer, it is possible to place two keying features on it. Each motif has four fixing holes (as illustrated in [Fig. 4]), i.e., two lower holes and two upper holes. The lower holes of the first motif are positioned at a height H1 from the edge of the associated spacer (in [Fig. 5] this is the edge positioned to be lower). The second set of holes shows the same pattern of four fixing holes but rotated 180°.The two motifs are intertwined. The lower openings of the second motif are associated with another edge of the spacer (in [Fig. 5] this is the edge positioned to be upper) and separated from said edge by a height H2, different from HL. In the illustrated embodiment, the height H1 is less than the height H2. It is clear how the placement of the spacer 15 on the positioning and / or holding interface, for example in the footprint, in one direction or the other, will allow the height at which the aerodynamic front frame will be fixed to the ends of the front stretcher to be defined.

[0044] Advantageously, according to an embodiment not shown, the spacers have a square shape which allows them to be placed in four different orientations on the positioning and / or holding interfaces and thus to offer up to four positions of the frame depending on the height, two successive series of patterns being turned 90° relative to each other and associated with different edges.

[0045] It will be understood that the mounting plate 11 is configured to have as many mounting holes as possible positions. The use of alignment features in the form of misaligned holes will allow the mounting plate to conceal certain holes and will enable the operator to select the correct set of holes on the mounting plate for fixing to the ends of the front stretchers.

[0046] Advantageously for mounting the spacers on the fixing plates, a person skilled in the art may position means of identification of the different series, for example by applying a different color to each of the edges of a spacer.

[0047] The invention also relates to a method for assembling a motor vehicle according to the third notable aspect, which includes supplying a front panel comprising a frame and at least one pair of spacers and fixing it to the front shafts of a motor vehicle so that the spacers are placed between the frame mounting interfaces and the front shafts.

Claims

Demands

1. A motor vehicle air-heating front panel comprising a frame (1) with mounting plates (11) for attaching it to the front frame members (13) of a motor vehicle, each mounting plate being associated with a front end of the front frame member; the mounting plates (11) of the frame (1) each comprising an interface (17) for positioning and / or retaining a spacer (15), said interface (17) being configured to position said spacer (15) between the mounting plate (11) and the associated front end of the front frame member (13), each spacer having at least one through-hole (33) for a fixing screw, each spacer (15) also comprising at least three non-aligned through-holes (33) arranged to form a pattern (35) serving as a keying feature to orient said pattern (35),characterized in that each motif (35) serving as a keying device comprises at least one lower orifice and at least one upper orifice, in that each spacer (15) has at least two motifs (35) serving as keying devices, and in that each motif (35) is arranged so that its lower orifice(s) are at a given height H from an edge of the spacer (15) associated with said motif, said height H being different from one motif (35) to another; preferably, at least one slice of the spacer (35) shows a means of identifying one of said motifs (35) and / or each motif (35) is associated with one of the edges of the spacer (15) so that the different motifs (35) are associated with different edges of the spacer (15).

2. Facade according to claim 1 characterized in that at least one positioning and / or holding interface (17) comprises a recess for receiving a spacer and / or at least one means selected from a slide, a positioning pin, an orifice or clipping means for retaining the spacer in position in said interface.

3. Facade according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises at least one pair of spacers arranged in the positioning and / or holding interfaces of said frame (1).

4. Facade according to claim 3, characterized in that the spacers are multilayered and comprise at least one layer in a elastomeric material; preferably, the elastomeric material is selected from an ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a latex; and / or the layer of elastomeric material is an interleaved layer between two layers of a more rigid material or is arranged to be placed in contact with a front stretcher end when the front panel is fixed to said front stretchers.

5. Facade according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each spacer (15) has at least two opposite square faces and in that at least one through fixing hole (33) opens onto said square faces.

6. Motor vehicle characterized in that it comprises an aerothermal front according to any one of claims 1 to 5; preferably, the vehicle is an electrically powered vehicle.

7. Method of assembling a motor vehicle according to the preceding claim characterized in that it comprises supplying an aerothermal front panel according to any one of claims 3 to 5 comprising a frame (1) and at least one pair of spacers (15) disposed in the positioning and / or retaining interfaces of said frame, and its attachment to the front shafts (13) of a motor vehicle such that the spacers (15) are placed between the fixing interfaces of the frame (1) and the front shafts (13).

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