LAYOUT FOR THE FRONT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH AN LAYOUT

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement (1) for the front end of a motor vehicle, said arrangement (1) comprising at least: – a shock absorption system (3); – a deflector (5) intended to be fixed under the body of a motor vehicle; characterized in that at least a portion (13) of the deflector (5) located opposite said absorption system (3) has variable mechanical resistance. [Fig. 1]

Description

Title of the invention: ARRANGEMENT FOR THE FRONT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles comprising an underbody structure under which at least one fairing element is mounted. The present invention relates more particularly to an arrangement for the front of a motor vehicle comprising a fairing element, such as a deflector, fixed under the front part of the body of a motor vehicle.

[0002] A motor vehicle commonly comprises an underbody structure under which components and equipment are fixed. Fairing elements are also fixed on or in the underbody structure, under the body of the vehicle, to cover said equipment and components.

[0003] Fairing elements, or deflectors, have several possible functions. The deflectors thus form protection for equipment mounted under the body, in particular against splashes of water and / or gravel, but also potentially against impacts with objects placed on the road. The deflectors generally have aerodynamic shapes, thus improving the stability of the vehicle in motion and / or reducing its drag. Finally, they can also be configured so as to channel the air flowing under the body in order, for example, to improve the vehicle's air penetration coefficient.

[0004] Concerning the deflectors fixed under the front part of the body of a vehicle, these are generally integrated into a front face arrangement of the vehicle, arrangement also comprising at least one shock absorption system. Such shock absorption systems are generally integrated into bumpers, front or rear, of the vehicle.

[0005] Said shock absorption system generally comprises a beam or a cross member fixed by means of fixing plates, as well as shock absorption boxes, to a vehicle structural element. At least a portion of the deflector is generally arranged in front of the beam of the shock absorption system and resting against it.

[0006] More particularly, the beam or crosspiece serves to communicate (and absorb) the kinetic energy, resulting from a collision with an obstacle, to the shock absorption boxes, said boxes allowing the conversion of the energy of the impact into deformation work (and thus minimizing damage to certain elements of the vehicle and / or to the passengers).

[0007] The absorption system beam is designed to be resistant and have impact characteristics, in order to meet national and international safety standards and regulations, such as EURO NCAP regulations, as well as insurance company requirements for private vehicles, such as GDV or Thatcham protocols.

[0008] In addition, to optimize energy dissipation, particularly during a “pedestrian leg” impact or a “repairability” impact, at least a portion of the deflector rests along the entire length of the beam of the shock absorption system.

[0009] By "reparability" impacts, we mean impacts for example at speeds of a few kilometers per hour, for example less than or equal to 10 km / h, between the front of the vehicle and an obstacle (also referred to as "parking impacts"), which can cause the breakage of elements located on the front, such as a camera, a sensor, an actuator, a heat exchanger, a bumper skin, the deflector, etc. While "pedestrian leg" impacts are collisions of the front of the vehicle with a pedestrian generally resulting in damage to the pedestrian's legs, damage which must obviously be minimized.

[0010] However, certain vehicle front end arrangements comprise a controlled air intake module, also designated by the acronym "MEAP" in French, intended to be mounted on the front ends of motor vehicles so that air enters the interior of the vehicle, for example into a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system and / or into the engine compartment of the vehicle.

[0011] In these cases, the controlled air inlet modules also come to bear on the beam of the shock absorption system (partially in place of the deflector) to prevent them from spilling during impacts, but this arrangement does not allow the deflector to be sufficiently supported on said beam, in particular along the vertical axis (or Z axis).

[0012] Said deflector is therefore no longer completely overlapping with the beam of the absorption system, which generates, during “pedestrian leg” or “repairability” impacts, poor energy dissipation and downward sliding of the deflector, as well as of the beam, preventing the shock absorption system from playing its role effectively or optimally.

[0013] The consequences of pedestrian leg impacts or repairability for such vehicle front face arrangements are therefore not acceptable for the user of the vehicle for reasons of after-sales costs (repair costs), as well as for safety reasons, whether for the user or a pedestrian.

[0014] The present invention thus proposes to remedy at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a new type of arrangement for the front face of a motor vehicle, said arrangement comprising at least: - a shock absorption system; - a deflector intended to be fixed under the underbody of a motor vehicle; characterized in that at least one portion of the deflector located opposite said absorption system has variable mechanical resistance.

[0015] Such an arrangement thus allows, during pedestrian leg impacts and repairable impacts, better dissipation of energy, as well as more predictable and stable mechanical (and kinematic) behavior of the deflector, while avoiding any spillage of the deflector and / or part of the shock absorption system.

[0016] According to a possible characteristic, said variable mechanical resistance of said at least one portion of the deflector is a variation in thickness of said deflector. The localized modification of the deflector thickness makes it possible to advantageously modify the mechanical resistance of the deflector while avoiding any costly modification to the tooling and / or design of the deflector, therefore at the same cost and size. The thickness of the deflector can also be easily adjusted according to regulatory constraints, the type of vehicle (for example its weight), and / or safety constraints (and their evolutions).

[0017] According to another possible characteristic, said absorption system comprises at least one beam, said at least one portion of variable thickness of said deflector being, in the mounted position, located opposite said beam. The deflector has one or more portions of variable thickness located opposite and / or advantageously resting against the beam of the shock absorption system.

[0018] According to another possible characteristic, said shock absorption system comprises at least one shock absorption box configured to connect said beam to a structural element of the vehicle, said at least one portion of said deflector having a variable thickness being, in the mounted position, located opposite said at least one shock absorption box. The beam more particularly has two opposite faces, such as longitudinal faces extending, in the mounted position, in a vertical plane, one in contact with said at least one portion having a variable thickness, while the other face is the face on which the shock absorption box is fixed.

[0019] According to another possible characteristic, said deflector is made of plastic material, such as polypropylene (or PP), polyphenylene ether (or PPE), etc. Said deflector is advantageously made of plastic, because it is easier and less expensive during its manufacture to modify it, to fit shapes or structures to it, and / or to vary the thickness of certain parts of said deflector.

[0020] According to another possible characteristic, said at least one portion of deflector having a variable thickness is formed of several walls, at least one of which rests (advantageously directly) on the beam of the shock absorption system.

[0021] According to another possible characteristic, the thickness of said at least one deflector portion increases in the direction of said shock absorption system. Thus, the thickness of the deflector portion increases from the front end of the deflector towards the absorption system, and preferentially towards the beam and the shock absorption box.

[0022] According to another possible characteristic, the variation in thickness of said deflector portion varies, in the mounted position, along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (the thickness increasing in the direction of said vehicle).

[0023] According to another possible characteristic, the thickness of said at least one deflector portion varies between 2 and 7 mm, and preferably between 3 and 5 mm.

[0024] According to another possible characteristic, the thickness of said at least one deflector portion varies discontinuously. By varying the thickness of said at least one portion of deflector in a discrete (and quantified) manner, it is easier to control the dissipation of mechanical energy of the deflector following impacts.

[0025] According to another possible characteristic, the thickness of said deflector portion varies between 0.2 and 0.4 mm in steps (or intervals) of between 5 and 15 mm, and preferably for a step (or interval) of between 8 and 12 mm. Thus, the arrangement of a portion of deflector with variable thickness, for example from 3 to 5 mm, increasing by 0.2 to 0.3 mm in thickness every 10 mm approximately, going towards the absorption system (in particular towards the beam and the shock absorption box), allows better energy dissipation and better kinematic stability of the lower track (i.e. to present kinematic behavior without tilting whatever the shock).

[0026] According to another possible characteristic, said arrangement comprises at least one controlled air inlet module. Thus, the controlled air intake modules are arranged in and / or on the front of the vehicle and make it possible to open or close the air access to an engine compartment (or to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system) via a set of shutters arranged on or in the front of the motor vehicle. In addition, such modules are sometimes designated by the acronym "AGS" coming from the English expression "Active Grille Shutter" (active grille shutter). A controlled air intake module generally comprises an actuator (also called an actuator) controlling flaps allowing the air intake to be opened or closed.

[0027] The invention further relates to a deflector, characterized in that said deflector is configured to be mounted in an arrangement as defined above.

[0028] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle, for example thermal, electric or hybrid, characterized in that said vehicle comprises an arrangement as defined above.

[0029] The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given solely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - [Fig.l] illustrates a schematic, partial and perspective view from above of an arrangement according to the invention intended to be mounted in a motor vehicle; - [Fig.2] is a schematic, partial and perspective view of the arrangement of [Fig.l].

[0030] In the following description, the term "comprise" is synonymous with "include" and is not limiting in that it allows the presence of other elements in the vehicle, or the structure to which it relates. It is understood that the term "comprise" includes the terms "consist of". Similarly, the terms "lower", "upper", "front", "rear", "longitudinal" and "transverse" will be understood in relation to the general orientation of the motor vehicle, whether it is thermal, hybrid or electric.

[0031] It will be noted that in the different figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements. In addition, we define an orthogonal reference XYZ in relation to the vehicle, namely: - an X axis, defining a longitudinal and horizontal direction of the vehicle, - a Y axis, defining a transverse and horizontal direction, which with the X axis defines a horizontal XY plane, - a Z axis, defining a vertical direction, orthogonal to the horizontal XY plane, the Z axis with the X axis defining a vertical XZ plane and with the Y axis defining another vertical plane orthogonal to the XZ plane.

[0032] In the present application, it will be noted that "substantially parallel" means a direction deviating by at most 20°, or even by at most 10° or by at most 5° from a parallel direction. It will also be noted that "substantially orthogonal" means a direction deviating by at most 20°, or even by at most 10° or by at most 5° from an angle of a value of 90°.

[0033] [Fig.l] thus illustrates a schematic, partial and perspective view from above of an arrangement 1 according to the invention intended to be mounted at the front face of a motor vehicle (or even to be a constituent element thereof).

[0034] Said arrangement 1 for the front face of a motor vehicle thus comprises: - a 3-part shock absorption system configured to absorb and dissipate energy during shocks; - a deflector 5 intended to be fixed under the underbody of the motor vehicle; - one or more controlled air inlet modules 15, more particularly visible in [Fig.2], arranged, in the mounted position, above the deflector 5 and opposite the shock absorption system 3.

[0035] Said shock absorption system 3 is for example intended to be mounted between a structural element of the vehicle, such as a stretcher (not shown) and a bumper skin (not shown). The system 3 finds advantageous use in the lower part of motor vehicles, for example by being integrated (or included) in lower, front and / or rear bumpers of a motor vehicle.

[0036] The shock absorption system 1 thus comprises: - at least one hollow beam 7 forming an absorber; - at least one fixing plate 9 on the one hand, connected to said beam 7, and on the other hand, configured to allow the securing of said absorption system 1 to a structural element of a motor vehicle, such as a stretcher (not shown) of a motor vehicle; - at least one shock absorption box 11 fixed, on the one hand, to said plate 9, and on the other hand, to said beam 7 (box 11 also referred to in English as a “crashbox”).

[0037] It will be noted that the number of beams 7, plates 9 and boxes 11 can be variable, and that the number of plates 9 and boxes 11 is for example a function of the length of the beam 7 and / or its weight.

[0038] Said beam 7 generally has an elongated shape and is formed from a metal plate folded on itself to have a closed S-shaped section. Said metal plate forming the beam 7 is advantageously made of steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

[0039] Said deflector 5 generally has an elongated shape, for example substantially a plate shape, and is intended to extend for example from one lateral end to the other of the vehicle, and along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The deflector 5 extends, in the mounted position, in a substantially horizontal plane (XY plane), and therefore at least partly along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (or X axis).

[0040] Said deflector 5 is a single-piece or unitary part, that is to say that the deflector 5 is a single piece. In addition, said deflector 5 is generally made of plastic material, such as polypropylene (or PP), polyamide, polyethylene, polyphenylene ether (or PPE), etc., by injection or molding.

[0041] Said deflector 5 has at its front end 5a (in the mounted position, end oriented towards the outside of the vehicle, and facing the road) a structure substantially crenellated, that is to say that there is alternation of protruding (and recessed) shapes and / or structures, said shapes or structures being formed of walls (directly arranged or shaped in the deflector 5) having substantially rectangular shapes. These alternating structures are also referred to as “deformation boxes” and are structures configured to dissipate the energy of an impact, for example by deforming.

[0042] Thus, certain portions 13 of the deflector comprise at least four walls, a transverse wall 13a and three longitudinal walls 13b and 13c, which delimit an open volume which is advantageously oriented, in the mounted position, towards the ground.

[0043] The transverse wall 13a of the deflector portion 13 advantageously bears against the beam 7 of the absorption system 3. The transverse wall 13a is therefore, in the mounted position, situated substantially in a transverse vertical plane (or YZ plane), while the other longitudinal walls 13b and 13c of said portion 13 are situated respectively in longitudinal vertical planes (or XZ planes for two lateral walls referenced 13b) and in a longitudinal horizontal plane (or XY plane for the wall referenced 13c).

[0044] The beam 7 more particularly has two opposite faces, such as longitudinal faces extending, in the mounted position, in a transverse vertical plane (or XY plane), one in contact with the wall 13a, while the other face is the face on which the shock absorption box 11 is fixed.

[0045] Said at least one portion 13 of the deflector is thus located opposite said absorption system 3 and is configured to have a variable mechanical resistance, advantageously by means of a variation in thickness of said portion 13 of the deflector 5. Said portion 13 of the deflector 5 is for example located opposite and / or in the axis of the absorption box 11 of said absorption system 3, and therefore of the part or zone on the beam 7 where said box 11 is fixed on the beam 7.

[0046] There is therefore a localized variation in the thickness of the deflector at the level of the portion 13, for example at the level of the thicknesses of the walls 13a, 13b and 13c forming at least in part said portion 13 (and also here at least partially a deformation box of the deflector 5).

[0047] Thus, the thickness of said at least one portion 13 of deflector 5 increases in the direction of said shock absorption system 3, and therefore of the beam 7. That is to say that the thickness of the walls 13a to 13c increases from the front end 5a of the deflector 5 to the transverse wall 13a of the portion 13 in contact with the beam 7. There is therefore, in the mounted position, a variation in thickness of said portion 13 of deflector 5, for example of the walls 13a to 13c, along the longitudinal axis (axis X) of the vehicle.

[0048] The thickness of said at least one portion 13 of deflector 5 varies between 2 and 7 mm, and preferably between 3 and 5 mm, this variation is advantageously discontinuous; the increase in the thickness of the portion 13, for example between 0.2 and 0.4 mm, being done in steps, or intervals, generally between 5 and 15 mm, and preferably for a step (or interval) between 8 and 12 mm. Thus, the thickness of the walls 13a to 13c of the portion 13 increases for example by 0.2 mm every 10 mm in the direction of the beam 7.

[0049] As is more particularly visible in [Fig. 2], the controlled air intake module(s) 15 are arranged in and / or on the front face of the vehicle, for example at least partly opposite the shock absorption system 3, such as the beam 7. The modules 15 make it possible to open or close the air access to an engine compartment (or to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning system) via a set of shutters arranged on or in the front face of the motor vehicle. Such modules are sometimes designated by the acronym “AGS” coming from the English expression “Active Grille Shutter” (or active grille shutter).

[0050] The controlled air inlet module(s) 15 generally comprise an actuator (also called actuator, not shown) controlling flaps allowing the air inlet to be opened or closed.

[0051] Thus, the controlled air inlet modules 15 are configured so that: - in the open position, air can circulate through the air intake and contribute to cooling the motor vehicle engine; - in the closed position, air cannot enter via the grille, shield or bumper skin (not shown), from the front face, thus reducing the drag coefficient and thus reducing the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of the motor vehicle.

[0052] However, in alternative embodiments not shown, said module 15 is fixed to other elements of the bumper (and not to the bumper skin), such as a bumper skin reinforcement.

[0053] Furthermore, the controlled air inlet module(s) 15 are advantageously made of plastic material, such as polypropylene (or PP), for example loaded with talc or fibers (plant or glass).

[0054] In another variant not shown of the arrangement 1 according to the invention, the variable mechanical resistance of the portion 13 of the deflector 5 is achieved by the use of different plastic materials having variable mechanical resistances, this in combination or not with a variation in the thickness of these plastic materials.

Claims

Claims

1. Arrangement (1) for the front of a motor vehicle, said arrangement (1) comprising at least: - a shock absorption system (3); - a deflector (5) intended to be fixed under the underbody of a motor vehicle; characterized in that at least one portion (13) of the deflector (5) located opposite said absorption system (3) has a variable mechanical resistance.

2. Arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said variable mechanical resistance of said at least one portion (13) of the deflector (5) is a variation in thickness of said deflector (5).

3. Arrangement (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said absorption system (3) comprises at least one beam (7), said at least one portion (13) of variable thickness of said deflector (5) being, in the mounted position, located opposite said beam (7).

4. Arrangement (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said shock absorption system (3) comprises at least one shock absorption box (1) configured to connect said beam (7) to a structural element of the vehicle, said at least one portion (13) of said deflector (5) having a variable thickness being, in the mounted position, located opposite said at least one shock absorption box (11).

5. Arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of said at least one portion (13) of deflector increases in the direction of said shock absorption system (3).

6. Arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of said at least one portion (13) of deflector varies between 2 and 7 mm.

7. Arrangement (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of said at least one portion (13) of deflector (5) varies discontinuously.

8. Arrangement (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the thickness of said portion (13) of deflector (5) varies between 0.2 and 0.4 mm in steps of between 5 and 15 mm.

9. Deflector (5) for a motor vehicle, characterized in that said deflector (5) is configured to be mounted in an arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Motor vehicle, characterized in that said vehicle comprises an arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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