Complete shutter and frame assembly for motor vehicles and vehicles including such an assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a shutter-frame assembly (20) for a motor vehicle, said assembly (20) comprising at least one shutter (3), a bodywork element (5) forming a frame, and a sealing gasket (22), said shutter (3) being configured to be movably mounted on the motor vehicle and to cooperate with said frame, said shutter (3) comprising a structural element (7), an outer skin (9) covering said structural element (7), said gasket (22) extending between the shutter (3) and said at least one bodywork element (5);characterized in that said sealing gasket (22) comprises at least three portions (25, 27, 29): a fixing portion (25) configured to fix said gasket (22) to the flap (3), a contact portion (27) configured to be in contact with said bodywork element (5), a connecting portion (29) connecting the fixing portion (25) to the contact portion (27), the contact portions (27) and connecting portion (29) extending in planes substantially orthogonal to each other. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: [Fig. 4];

Description

Title of the invention: ASSEMBLY OF THE SHUTTER-FRAME FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE AND A VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH AN ASSEMBLY

[0001] The present invention relates to the general field of motor vehicle bodywork elements, and more particularly to bodywork elements associated with a flap and which thus form a flap-frame assembly for a motor vehicle.

[0002] Indeed, a motor vehicle generally includes several openings, flaps, or doors, mounted movable by means of hinges, allowing openings in the vehicle to be closed or not. For example, for a vehicle's trunk, the rear flap or tailgate is a hinged or sliding door that provides access to the trunk.

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic, partial, cross-sectional view of a flap-frame assembly 1, more particularly a rear flap or tailgate 3 in the closed position, and a roof 5 forming a frame. The flap 3 also includes a structural element 7 and an outer skin 9 covering said structural element 7.

[0004] The flap 3 is therefore movablely mounted on a body panel of the vehicle and must, in the closed position, be positioned within the frame formed by the roof 5. As is particularly visible in [Fig. 1], the rear flap 3 and the roof 5 have clearances, or gaps. These clearances correspond, in the mounted position, to a clearance along the vertical axis (or Z-axis), and to a clearance along a horizontal axis, here an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (or X-axis). Thus, the gap between the flap 3 and the pavilion 5 is drawn at the nominal 5 mm with a position tolerance in X of + / - 1.5 mm, gap referenced b, and in Z of -1.5 mm + / -1.5 mm, gap referenced a (approximately the distance between the upper faces of the flap 3 and the pavilion 5).

[0005] Unfortunately, as illustrated in [Fig.2], when the vehicle on which the flap 3 and the roof 5 are mounted, air F rushes into the space between the flap 3 and the roof 5 and circulates between these elements (air circulation represented by arrows F), and generates noise, noise also referred to as "flap top noise".

[0006] For reasons of comfort and perceived quality, such noise from the top of the flap is not acceptable for the vehicle user, and one of the means to eliminate this defect is to close or seal the space between the flap 3 and the roof 5, for example over the entire width of the flap 3 (i.e. along the transverse axis of the vehicle or Y axis).

[0007] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic, partial, cross-sectional view of a prior art shutter-frame assembly 10 designed to solve the problem of top shutter noise. The assembly 10 comprises a rear shutter or tailgate 3 in the closed position, a roof 5 forming a frame, and a seal 11 fixed to the shutter 3.

[0008] Said seal 11 includes a flexible lip 13 which extends between the flap 3 and the roof 5 (therefore at the level of the gap between these parts), one end of the lip 13 coming into contact with the flap 3, while the other end (free) is located opposite the roof 5 (therefore extending along the X or longitudinal axis of the vehicle), but without being in contact with the roof 5, because this can cause wear of the paint on the roof 5, therefore the lip seal 11 is drawn nominally with a slight gap (for example between 0.1 to 0.3 mm).

[0009] Unfortunately, the dimensional dispersions can be very significant on the flap 3 and the pavilion 5, especially along the X axis, which limits, or even cancels, the effectiveness of the seal 11, and therefore does not prevent the appearance of a noise of the type "top of flap noise", while allowing the friction of the seal 11 against the pavilion 5, and therefore the wear of the paint of the pavilion 5 by said seal 11.

[0010] The present invention thus proposes to remedy at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a new type of shutter-frame assembly for motor vehicles, said assembly comprising at least one shutter, a bodywork element forming a frame, and a sealing gasket mounted on said shutter, said shutter being configured to be movably mounted on the motor vehicle and to cooperate with said frame, said shutter comprising a structural element, an external skin covering said structural element, said gasket extending between the shutter and said at least one bodywork element; characterized in that said sealing joint comprises at least three portions: - a fixing portion configured to fix said joint to the shutter; - a contact portion configured to be in contact with said bodywork element; - a connecting portion linking the fixing portion to the contact portion; the contact and connecting portions extending in planes substantially orthogonal to each other.

[0011] This shutter-frame assembly according to the invention, and the associated sealing joint structure, makes it possible to compensate and adapt to the dimensional dispersions of the shutter relative to the roof, while limiting, or even preventing, the entry of air between the shutter and the bodywork element, thus avoiding the appearance of unpleasant noises for the vehicle user. Furthermore, such an assembly ensures contact between the sealing gasket and the bodywork element, which prevents wear to the bodywork paint, in particular because the gasket is in continuous contact with the bodywork element, therefore without moving and rubbing against it.

[0012] According to one possible feature, the contact portion or the connecting portion is configured to deform in two distinct directions, or that either of said portions has two degrees of freedom (this depending on the dispersion of the parts and the directions of dispersion).

[0013] Advantageously, the contact portion or the connecting portion can deform along a vertical axis and along a horizontal axis, in order to compensate for the gaps between the flap and the bodywork element.

[0014] According to one possible feature, at least one of the contact portion and the connecting portion is rigid, while the other portion is flexible. The assembly according to the invention advantageously comprises a sealing gasket in which the connecting portion is flexible, while the contact portion is rigid, or alternatively the connecting portion is flexible, while the contact portion is rigid. This allows the gasket, in particular, to deform and adapt to variations in the dimensions of the flap and / or said bodywork element.

[0015] According to another possible feature, in the mounted position, the contact portion extends in a substantially horizontal plane towards the body panel. The contact portion thus has an elongated shape extending towards the body panel until it makes contact with said body panel, thereby ensuring a seal between the flap and the body panel. Furthermore, the fact that the contact portion extends substantially horizontally allows for compensation of certain dimensional variations (particularly along the X-axis) of the flap and / or the body panel.

[0016] According to another possible feature, in the mounted position, at least a part of the connecting portion extends in a substantially vertical plane. At least part of the sealing joint's connecting portion extends, in the mounted position, substantially vertically, in order to compensate for certain dimensional variations (particularly along the Z axis) of the flap and / or the bodywork element.

[0017] According to another possible feature, the contact portion includes a sole in contact with said bodywork element, as well as a connecting segment extending said sole and connected to the connecting portion.

[0018] According to another possible feature, a part of the connecting portion is in contact with the flap. This contact between the connecting portion of the sealing gasket and a part of the flap optimizes the sealing provided by said gasket between the flap and the bodywork element. as well as facilitating the positioning of the sealing gasket between the flap and the bodywork element.

[0019] According to another possible feature, the sealing gasket is a single piece. The fact that the sealing gasket is a single piece or unit reduces production costs, facilitates its manufacture, as well as its assembly on the flap, and also its positioning between the flap and the bodywork element.

[0020] According to another possible characteristic, the sealing gasket is made of plastic or rubber. The sealing gasket is advantageously made of plastic or rubber, for example in a material with a hardness between 50 and 90 Shore A, in order to allow the rigidity (or flexibility) of each of the parts of said gasket to be adapted (flexibility can also be a function of the thickness of the parts of said gasket).

[0021] According to another possible feature, said flap is a tailgate, and said at least one bodywork element is a roof. The assembly according to the invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the context of a rear flap, or tailgate, which closes the access opening to the trunk of a motor vehicle.

[0022] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle, for example thermal, hybrid or electric, characterized in that said vehicle comprises a flap-frame assembly as defined above.

[0023] The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, features and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given solely by way of illustration and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate schematic, partial, and longitudinal section views of a shutter-frame assembly from the prior art; - the [[Fig.3]] illustrates a schematic, partial, and longitudinal cross-sectional view of another shutter-frame assembly from the earlier art; - the [[Fig.4]] illustrates a schematic, partial, and longitudinal sectional view of a shutter-frame assembly according to a variant embodiment of the invention; - Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic, partial, longitudinal section view of a shutter-frame assembly according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0024] 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 vehicle, or the structure to which it relates. It is understood that the term "include" includes the terms "consist of". Furthermore, it should be noted that in the various figures, the same reference numerals designate identical or similar elements.

[0025] In this application, it should be noted that "substantially parallel" means a direction deviating by no more than 20°, or even by no more than 10° or 5°, from a parallel direction. It should also be noted that "substantially orthogonal" means a direction deviating by no more than 20°, or even by no more than 10° or 5°, from an angle of 90°.

[0026] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate schematic, partial, longitudinal sectional views (i.e., along an XZ plane) of a shutter-frame assembly 20, 20' intended to be mounted or integrated into a motor vehicle, for example, an electric, internal combustion, or hybrid vehicle. Each of Figures 4 and 5 thus illustrates distinct embodiments, which will be described together below for their common and / or similar parts.

[0027] Said assembly 20, 20' thus comprises at least one flap 3, one or more bodywork elements 5 forming a frame (very partially illustrated), as well as a sealing gasket 22, 22' mounted on the flap 3, said frame 20, 20' being configured to accommodate, in the closed position, the flap 3, and for example at least one edge of said flap 3. It should also be noted that the sealing gasket 22, 22' extends also along the Y axis (or along a transverse axis) over the entire length of the tailgate 3 and the bodywork element 5.

[0028] Regardless of the embodiment described herein, the flap 3 or opening is a motor vehicle tailgate, i.e. a rear flap allowing access to the trunk (not shown) of said vehicle, but the flap 3 according to the invention can be any opening of a motor vehicle, such as a side door.

[0029] Said flap or tailgate 3 is thus configured to be mounted movably on a motor vehicle, in particular on the bodywork element(s) 5, such as a roof, rear pillars, etc., and to cooperate with the frame delimited by at least one bodywork element 5, here a roof.

[0030] The tailgate 3 can therefore take two extreme positions: an open position in which the frame delimits an access opening to the trunk of the vehicle and a closed position in which the tailgate 3 comes to rest against the frame and closes said access opening to the trunk.

[0031] Said flap or tailgate 3 comprises, among other things: - a structural element 7 also referred to as a structural lining, an element which can also contribute to the aesthetic appearance of the tailgate 3; - an outer skin 9 which at least partially covers said structural element 7 and which is, in closed position, (at least in part) the visible outer face, from outside the vehicle, of the tailgate 3.

[0032] Said tailgate 3 may also include an interior trim (not shown), which at least partially covers said structural element 7 and which is intended to be defined, in the raised position and when the tailgate 3 is in the closed position, at least partially with the face facing the interior of the vehicle. The interior trim generally contains all the technical elements necessary for the operation of the flap 3.

[0033] The outer skin 9 is, for example, a stamped metal sheet and / or a plastic plate. The inner lining, on the other hand, is generally a single piece made of textile fibers and / or plastic. The inner lining is an element that contributes, among other things, to the rigidity of the flap 3, to the sound insulation of the vehicle, and also to the perceived quality of the vehicle by the user.

[0034] As can be seen in [Fig.4] or [Fig.5], said sealing gasket 22, 22' extends between the flap 3 and said pavilion 5 and comprises at least three portions: - a fixing portion 25 configured to fix said gasket 22 or 22' on the flap 3; - a contact portion 27, 27' configured to be in contact with the pavilion 5; - a connecting portion 29, 29' linking the fixing portion 25 to the contact portion 27, 27'.

[0035] Said seal 22, 22' is advantageously one-piece or unitary, and is, for example, made of plastic or rubber. Said seal 22, 22' can also be made of several types of plastic, exhibiting different flexibilities (or rigidities), and / or, for example, made of a material having a hardness between 50 and 90 Shore A.

[0036] The fastening portion 25 here substantially has the shape of a sleeve configured to be fitted or threaded onto a free end of the structural element 7, the free end of said element 7 being located opposite the pavilion 5 (in particular a face of the pavilion which extends substantially in a vertical plane or YZ plane).

[0037] The contact portion 27, 27' has a free end which is configured to bear against one of the faces of the bell 5 (in particular the face of the bell which extends substantially in a transverse vertical plane or YZ plane).

[0038] Said contact portion 27, 27' further comprises: - a contact sole 27a, 27'a whose free end is, in the mounted position, in contact with the pavilion 5; - a connecting segment 27b, 27'b extending said sole 27a, 27'a, for example on the opposite side to the free end of the sole 27a, 27'a, and connected to the connecting portion 29, 29'.

[0039] The connecting portion 29, 29', for its part, therefore connects the connecting segment 27b, 27'b of the contact portion 27, 27' to the fixing portion 25. Said connecting portion 29, 29' has in cross-section substantially an inverted n or U shape, each end of the U being connected respectively to the contact portion 27, 27' and to the fixing portion 25. The apex (or center) of the U of the connecting portion 29, 29' is, in the mounted position, in contact with the outer skin 9 of the tailgate 3.

[0040] In the mounted position, the contact portion 27 and the connecting portion 29 extend in planes that are substantially orthogonal to each other. Indeed, the contact portion 27 extends, in the mounted position, in a substantially horizontal plane (or XY plane), while at least a part of the connecting portion 29 extends in a substantially vertical plane (or YZ plane).

[0041] Regardless of the embodiment variant of the assembly 20, 20', the joint 22, 22' has, among the contact portion 27, 27' and the connecting portion 29, 29', a rigid portion and the other portion is flexible.

[0042] It should be noted that here by rigid or flexible means the fact that one of the portions (of contact or connection) is more flexible (or rigid) than the other of joint 22, 22', and can therefore deform in two directions of space, direction advantageously corresponding to the vertical and horizontal axes (or even axes Z and X), and to the directions in which the tailgate 3 and the roof 5 can exhibit dimensional variations and therefore variable clearances.

[0043] Thus, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in [Fig.4], the connecting portion 29 is more flexible than the contact portion 27 (advantageously rigid portion), connecting portion 29 which can therefore deform substantially along the vertical axis (Z axis) and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (X axis), this to facilitate the positioning of the seal 22 between the tailgate 3 and the roof 5, but also its maintenance in position over time and to guarantee good sealing between tailgate 3 and roof 5.

[0044] Whereas in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in [Fig.5], it is the contact portion 27' which is more flexible than the connecting portion 29', and advantageously the connecting segment 27'b which can therefore deform substantially along the vertical axis (Z axis) and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (X axis), this to facilitate the positioning of the seal 22' between the tailgate 3 and the roof 5, but also its maintenance in position over time and to guarantee good sealing between tailgate 3 and roof 5.

[0045] Examples of variation in position of the connecting portions 29 and contact portion 27' are more particularly illustrated in dotted lines in [Fig.4] and [Fig.5], showing possible displacements of said portions 27' or 29 as a function of the clearances between the tailgate 3 and the roof 5.

Claims

Demands

1. Assembly (20; 20') flap-frame for motor vehicle, said assembly (20; 20') comprising at least one flap (3), a bodywork element (5) forming a frame, and a sealing gasket (22; 22'), said flap (3) being configured to be movably mounted on the motor vehicle and to cooperate with said frame, said flap (3) comprising a structural element (7), an outer skin (9) covering said structural element (7), said gasket (22; 22') extending between the flap (3) and said at least one bodywork element (5); characterized in that said sealing gasket (22; 22') comprises at least three portions (25, 27; 27', 29; 29'): - a fixing portion (25) configured to fix said gasket (22; 22') to the flap (3); - a contact portion (27; 27') configured to be in contact with said bodywork element (5); - a connecting portion (29; 29') linking the fixing portion (25) to the contact portion (27; 27');the contact portions (27; 27') and connecting portion (29; 29') extending in planes substantially orthogonal to each other, said contact portion (27; 27') comprising a base in contact (27a; 27'a) with said bodywork element (5), as well as a connecting segment (27b; 27'b) extending said base (27a; 27'a) and connected to the connecting portion (29; 29').

2. Assembly (20; 20') according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the contact portion (27; 27') or the bonding portion (29; 29') is configured to deform in two distinct directions.

3. Assembly (20; 20') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in mounted position, the contact portion (27; 27') extends, in the direction of the bodywork element (5), in a substantially horizontal plane.

4. Assembly (20; 20') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the mounted position, at least a part of the connecting portion (29; 29') extends in a substantially vertical plane.

5. Assembly (20; 20') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a part of the connecting portion (29; 29') is in contact with the flap (3).

6. Assembly (20; 20') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing gasket (22; 22') is monobloc.

7. Assembly (20; 20') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing gasket (22; 22') is made of plastic or rubber.

8. Assembly (20; 20') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flap (3) is a tailgate, and said at least one body element (5) is a roof.

9. Motor vehicle, characterized in that said vehicle comprises a flap-frame assembly (20; 20') according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images