Vehicle apron with reversible plate.

Abstract

The invention relates to a reversible plate (1) designed to cover an opening in a firewall panel of a motor vehicle, the plate (1) extending between a first face (7) and a second face (8), the plate (1) having a plurality of through holes (9), each designed to allow the passage of a specific component through the plate (1), the plate (1) being shaped to form a firewall adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face (7) is fixed to the firewall panel, the second face (8) allowing the formation of a firewall adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with a firewall panel. The invention also relates to a firewall panel further having at least one cutout allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle. (Figure 3)

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle apron with reversible plate.

[0001] The technical field relates to reversible plates for completing an apron sheet, aprons formed from such a plate with such an apron sheet and motor vehicles comprising such an apron.

[0002] It is common for a family of vehicles, sharing the same silhouette, to have different levels of finishes and equipment. Each difference in equipment or finish often requires specific parts, thus multiplying the references used for the production of the vehicles in the family. The diversity of the references has repercussions on many aspects ranging from supply, to the storage of the references or even their production. For example, it often happens that a part has at least two distinct shapes and therefore two references; in order to produce the two references, it is then possible to use a single tool capable of producing the two references in successive production campaigns or to use two different tools.While the first solution complicates production due to the need to manage deferred production and supply flows, the second solution generates additional costs and / or greater investments.

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

[0004] The additional costs and complexity are all the more significant as the dimensions of the parts with several versions are large, because the costs of the molds or stamping dies increase with the dimensions.

[0005] In this context, the apron of a vehicle which separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment of the vehicle is a part particularly affected by diversity, since each version of the apron must generally be adapted either for a right-hand drive vehicle or for a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the apron is a part whose dimensions are particularly large, further increasing the additional costs linked to this diversity.

[0006] Thus, there is a need for a solution to reduce the additional costs associated with the diversity of a vehicle apron.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a reversible plate and a deck sheet which can be assembled to form a deck, while reducing the diversity of parts necessary to assemble all versions of the aprons of a family of vehicles.

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a reversible plate designed to cover an opening made in a bulkhead sheet of a motor vehicle, the plate extending between a first face and a second face, the plate having a plurality of through holes, each designed to allow the passage through the plate of a specific component, the plate being shaped to form a bulkhead adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face is fixed to the bulkhead sheet, the second face making it possible to form a bulkhead adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with a bulkhead sheet.

[0009] The invention also relates to an apron sheet designed to form, with a plate according to the invention, a motor vehicle apron, the apron sheet extending between a face A and a face B, the apron sheet having at least one opening designed to be covered by the plate, the apron sheet having at least one cutout allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle, the apron sheet allowing the fixing of the first face of the plate on its face A to form an apron adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle, the fixing of the second face of the plate on face B making it possible to form an apron adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle.

[0010] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle apron making it possible to separate an engine compartment from a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the apron comprising an apron sheet according to the invention and a plate according to the invention fixed to the apron sheet in order to cover the opening of the apron sheet, the apron being suitable for a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face is fixed to face A and suitable for a right-hand drive vehicle when the second face is fixed to face B.

[0011] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle comprising an apron according to the invention.

[0012] Thus, a reversible plate according to the invention, of reduced dimensions compared to an apron, makes it possible to carry all or part of the specificities of the apron of a given version of a vehicle, thanks to the plurality of orifices and in particular to their shapes and arrangements on the plate. The plate being reversible, it thus makes it possible to obtain versions for left-hand drive or right-hand drive depending on whether the first or second face is applied to the apron sheet. Furthermore, the apron sheet according to the invention is advantageously reversible in order to further reduce the diversity of elements necessary to form all the aprons of the same family of vehicles. The reversible plate thus makes it possible to manage the diversity of the different components passing through the apron and simplifies the stamping operations, given its reduced dimensions compared to those of the apron.With a plate according to the invention, two aprons can be obtained, one intended for a right-hand drive vehicle and . the other for a left-hand drive vehicle.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the plate, the plurality of orifices allows the passage through the bulkhead of a braking system, an air conditioning system and / or an electrical harness.

[0014] According to one possibility, the plate is formed from a stamped sheet metal.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the plate has a rectangular outline.

[0016] According to one possibility of the apron sheet, the faces A and B are designed to be fixed to a cross member of the vehicle apron.

[0017] Advantageously, the plate is fixed to the deck sheet by a plurality of welding points.

[0018] 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:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] represents a schematic view of an apron according to the invention adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle and implementing a plate according to the invention;

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a schematic view of an apron according to the invention adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle and implementing a plate according to the invention;

[0021] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] represents a schematic view of a reversible plate according to the invention used to produce the aprons illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

[0022] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0023] A reversible plate 1 according to the invention, illustrated in [Fig. 3], is designed to form aprons 2a, 2b for a motor vehicle, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, using an apron sheet 3, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The aprons 2a, 2b make it possible to separate an engine compartment from a passenger compartment of the vehicle. One 2a of the aprons 2a, 2b is adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle while the other apron 2b is adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle.

[0024] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the apron sheet 3 extends between a face A (visible in [Fig.l]) and a face B (visible in [Fig.2]). The apron sheet 3 has at least one cutout 4 allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle, not illustrated. The faces A and B of the apron sheet 3 are designed to be fixed to a crossmember 5 of the vehicle apron.

[0025] The plate 1 is designed to cover an opening 6 made in the deck plate 3. The opening 6 has, for example, a rectangular shape. The opening 6 is made in an area of ​​the deck 2a, 2b which accommodates the passages of the components through the deck 2a, 2b.

[0026] For this purpose, the plate 1 extends between a first face 7 and a second face 8. The plate 1 is, for example, formed from a stamped sheet metal. As illustrated in [Fig. 3], the plate 1 has a rectangular outline. For example, the plate 1 has a rectangular outline. The plate 1 is, for example, formed from a stamped sheet metal.

[0027] As illustrated in the figures, the plate 1 has a plurality of through-orifices 9, each designed to allow the passage through the plate 1 of a specific component, not illustrated. As examples of specific components, the plurality of orifices 9 allows the passage through the bulkhead 2a, 2b of a braking system, an air conditioning system and / or an electrical harness. The components pass through the bulkhead 2a, 2b thanks to at least one orifice 9 whose shape is adapted to the contour of the component, advantageously ensuring an airtight seal around the component. According to one possibility, the component has at least two parts each fixed to the plate 1 thanks to fixing holes 10 arranged around the orifice 9. Thus, two parts are connected to each other at an orifice 9, on each of the two faces A and B of the bulkhead sheet 3.

[0028] The plate 1 is shaped to form an apron 2a suitable for a left-hand drive vehicle, when the first face 7 is fixed to the apron sheet 3, as illustrated in [Fig.l], (in this case on its face A). The second face 8 makes it possible, for its part, to form an apron 2b (illustrated in [Fig.2]) suitable for a right-hand drive vehicle with the same apron sheet 3. In this case, in the apron 2b, the plate 1 is fixed to the face B of the apron sheet 3.

[0029] Thus, in the apron 2a, 2b, the plate 1 is fixed to the apron sheet 3 in order to cover the opening 6 of the apron sheet 3. The apron 2a, adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle, is obtained by fixing the first face 7 of the plate 1 to the face A. The apron 2b is adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle and is obtained by fixing the second face 8 to the face B. Advantageously, the plate 1 is fixed to the apron sheet 3 by a plurality of weld points 11, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0030] Thus, the plate 1, thanks to the plurality of orifices 9, allows simple adaptation to the diversity of components passing through the apron 2a, 2b, in particular the diversity of braking and / or air conditioning systems or even the electrical harness. The orifices 9 are in fact easily obtained by stamping and the plate 1 is of smaller dimensions than those of the apron 2a, 2b. The plate 1 being reversible, the same plate 1 therefore makes it possible to obtain two different aprons 2a, 2b.

[0031] The invention is not limited to the embodiments of the reversible plate and / or the deck sheet described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the framework and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Reversible plate (1) designed to cover an opening (6) made in an apron sheet (3) of a motor vehicle, the plate (1) extending between a first face (7) and a second face (8), the plate (1) having a plurality of through-orifices (9), each designed to allow the passage through the plate (1) of a specific component, the plate (1) being shaped to form an apron (2a, 2b) adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face (7) is fixed on the apron sheet (3), the second face (8) making it possible to form an apron (2a, 2b) adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with an apron sheet (3).

2. Plate (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of orifices (9) allows the passage through the apron (2a, 2b) of a braking system, an air conditioning system and / or an electrical harness.

3. Plate (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is formed from a stamped sheet metal.

4. Plate (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plate (1) has a rectangular outline.

5. Apron sheet (3) designed to form with a plate (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 an apron (2a, 2b) of a motor vehicle, the apron sheet (3) extending between a face A and a face B, the apron sheet (3) having at least one opening (6) designed to be covered by the plate (1), the apron sheet (3) having at least one cutout (4) allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle, the apron sheet (3) allowing the fixing of the first face (7) of the plate (1) on its face A to form an apron (2a) adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle, the fixing of the second face (8) of the plate (1) on face B making it possible to form an apron (2b) adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle.

6. Apron sheet (3) according to claim 5, characterized in that the faces A and B are designed to be fixed to an apron crossmember of the vehicle.

7. Motor vehicle apron (2a, 2b) for separating an engine compartment from a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the apron (2a, 2b) comprising an apron sheet metal (3) according to claim 5 or 6 and a plate (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 fixed to the apron sheet metal

8.

9. (3) in order to cover the opening (6) of the apron sheet (3), the apron (2a, 2b) being adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face (7) is fixed on face A and adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle when the second face (8) is fixed on face B. Apron (2a, 2b) according to claim 7, characterized in that the plate (1) is fixed to the apron sheet (3) by a plurality of welding points (11). Motor vehicle comprising an apron (2a, 2b) according to one of claims 7 or 8.

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