Set of interior elements to be assembled and method of adjusting the elements of the set.

The described set of motor vehicle interior parts with adjustment ribs and support facilitates clearance-free flush assemblies by precise adjustment and welding, addressing industrial challenges and improving aesthetic quality.

FR3153589B1Active Publication Date: 2025-08-29STELLANTIS AUTO SAS
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Patent Information

Application Number
FR2023010535
Authority / Receiving Office
FR · FR
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-10-03
Publication Date
2025-08-29
Estimated Expiration
2043-10-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies face difficulties in implementing clearance-free assemblies between two parts of a passenger compartment, particularly when achieving flush fittings, which are aesthetically desirable but industrially challenging.

Method used

A set of motor vehicle interior parts with adjustment ribs and a support having inclined wall portions and a bottom wall with fixing holes, allowing for precise adjustment and welding of fixing rods to achieve flush assemblies without play.

Benefits of technology

The method simplifies the assembly process by reducing adjustment rib lengths, enabling flush, play-free joints between interior elements and the support, enhancing the aesthetic quality of passenger compartments.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention relates to a set (1) of parts comprising at least one passenger compartment element (2), each having an adjustment rib (6) and, on the other hand, a support (3) delimiting a housing (9) sized to accommodate each element (2), the housing (9) being delimited by two wall portions (10) facing each other, inclined and each designed to receive an element (2) in support, and by a bottom wall (11) having a support zone (12) designed to allow an adjustment rib (6) to come to bear on the bottom wall (11) which has a fixing orifice (13), one of the elements (2) having a fixing rod (8) designed to be inserted into an orifice (13) when the element (2) is in support on the bottom wall (11), each adjustment rib (6) having dimensions preventing the support of its element (2) with the wall portions (10). (Figure 1)
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Description

Title of the invention: Set of passenger compartment elements to be assembled and method of adjusting the elements of the set.

[0001] The technical field concerns the sets of passenger compartment elements to be assembled, the methods of adjusting the passenger compartment elements to be assembled, the assemblies obtained by implementing the method and the vehicles having such an assembly.

[0002] For car manufacturers, the quality of the finish of their vehicles and their aesthetic aspects are essential to stand out from other brands.

[0003] For this reason, manufacturers are making a lot of efforts to constantly improve these areas. Customers are particularly attentive to the quality of the fittings and flushness of the various elements of a passenger compartment and it is therefore appropriate to offer flushnesses free from visual defects.

[0004] In this context, assemblies with clearance-free adjustments between two parts are particularly appreciated by designers responsible for developing new passenger compartments. However, such assemblies are particularly difficult to implement on an industrial scale. The difficulties are even greater when two flush-fittings of the same assembly must be clearance-free. Given these difficulties, automobile manufacturers most often prefer to avoid such assemblies and resort to other solutions, to the detriment of the final aesthetic appearance.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution that makes it possible to minimize or eliminate the difficulties of developing an assembly of two parts of a passenger compartment having flush joints without play.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide an assembly of at least one passenger compartment element and a support allowing the implementation of a simple adjustment method to obtain an assembly without play at the level of the flushes between the passenger compartment element(s) and the support.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a set of motor vehicle interior parts, the set comprising, on the one hand, at least one interior element to be assembled, each element having at least one adjustment rib and, on the other hand, a support delimiting a housing sized to accommodate each interior element to be assembled, the housing being delimited, on the one hand, by at least two portions of walls facing each other, inclined relative to each other and each designed to receive at least one interior element in support and, on the other hand, by a bottom wall having at least one support zone, each support zone being designed to allow an adjustment rib to come to bear on the bottom wall, the bottom wall further having at least one fixing hole, at least one of the passenger compartment elements having at least one fixing rod designed to be inserted into a fixing hole when the element is bearing on the bottom wall by means of an adjustment rib, each adjustment rib having dimensions preventing the support of its element with the wall portions.

[0008] The invention also relates to a method for adjusting the docking between the support and the passenger compartment elements to be assembled in an assembly according to the invention, the method comprising a first step consisting of adjusting by cutting at least one dimension of each adjustment rib in order to allow the assembly of each passenger compartment element so that at least one passenger compartment element is supported by each wall portion, each fixing rod being inserted into a fixing orifice.

[0009] The invention also relates to an assembly formed by implementing the method according to the invention on an assembly according to the invention.

[0010] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one assembly according to the invention.

[0011] Thus, the assembly according to the invention allows the implementation of the adjustment method according to the invention. Experience shows that the implementation of the method for reducing the length of the adjustment ribs by cutting is simple and makes it possible to obtain assemblies according to the invention without play between the passenger compartment element(s) and the support at the level of the supports on the wall portions. Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible to simplify the development of the passenger compartment element(s) and the support in comparison with what is usually necessary to carry out. The method according to the invention is thus applicable to numerous assemblies whose support has two wall portions arranged opposite one another and inclined relative to one another.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least two passenger compartment elements are designed to overlap when assembled in the housing, such that removal from the housing of one of the two elements requires prior removal of the other element from the housing, the passenger compartment element whose prior removal is required having at least one fixing rod.

[0013] According to one possibility of the assembly, the wall portions extend, along a cross-section of the support, along a portion of V. In particular, the two wall portions and the bottom wall have a U-shaped cross-section.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the support is a trim, a passenger compartment element is an upper ventilation rail and another passenger compartment element is a lower ventilation rail.

[0015] According to one possibility of implementing the method, the first step is followed by a second step consisting of applying pressure to at least one passenger compartment element having a fixing rod and welding said fixing rod to the support while the pressure is applied.

[0016] 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:

[0017] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] represents a schematic view of an assembly according to the invention;

[0018] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a schematic view of an assembly according to the invention made from the whole of [Fig.l];

[0019] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] represents a sectional view of an assembly according to the particular invention.

[0020] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0021] A set 1 of motor vehicle interior parts according to the invention is illustrated in the figures. The set 1 comprises, on the one hand, at least one interior element 2 to be assembled and a support 3.

[0022] In the example illustrated in [Fig. 3], a passenger compartment element 2 is, for example, an upper ventilation rail 4 and another passenger compartment element 2 is a lower ventilation rail 5. The support 3 forms a part of a dashboard of a passenger compartment.

[0023] Each element 2 has at least one adjustment rib 6 projecting from a face 7 of the element 2 designed to be invisible from the passenger compartment once the element is assembled in the support 3. At least one element 2 of the assembly 1 also has a fixing rod 8 projecting from the same face 7.

[0024] The support 3 delimits a housing 9 sized to accommodate each passenger compartment element 2 to be assembled. The housing 9 is delimited, on the one hand, by at least two wall portions 10 facing each other, inclined relative to each other and each designed to receive at least one passenger compartment element 2 in support. In the example illustrated in the figures, the wall portions 10 extend, along a cross-section of the support, along a portion of V.

[0025] The housing 2 is delimited, on the other hand, by a bottom wall 11. The face 7 is designed to be arranged opposite the bottom wall 11 when the element 2 is arranged in the housing 9.

[0026] The bottom wall 11 has at least one bearing zone 12, each designed to allow an adjustment rib 6 to come to bear on the bottom wall 11. The bottom wall 11 also has at least one fixing orifice 13 to allow the introduction of a fixing rod 8 when the passenger compartment element 2 is bearing on the bottom wall 11 by means of an adjustment rib 6. In the assembly 1 according to the invention, each adjustment rib 6 has dimensions preventing the support of its element 2 with the wall portions 10. Thus, the elements 2 are at a distance from the wall portions 10.

[0027] In the example illustrated in [Fig. 3], at least two passenger compartment elements 2 are designed to overlap when assembled in the housing 9, so that the removal from the housing 9 of one of the two elements 2, in this case the upper rail 4, requires the prior removal of the other element 2, in this case the lower rail 5, from the housing 9, the passenger compartment element 2 whose prior removal is required having at least one fixing rod 8.

[0028] The assembly 1 according to the invention makes it possible to implement the adjustment method according to the invention to form an assembly 14 according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The adjustment method consists of carrying out the docking between the support 3 and the passenger compartment elements 2 to be assembled of the assembly 1. For this purpose, the method comprises a first step consisting of adjusting by cutting at least one dimension of each adjustment rib 6 in order to allow the assembly of each passenger compartment element 2 so that at least one passenger compartment element 2 is supported by each wall portion 10, each fixing rod 8 being inserted into a fixing orifice 13. In the example described, the length L, illustrated in [Fig.l], of each adjustment rib 6, measured from the face 7 and perpendicular thereto, is reduced in order to bring an edge 15 of each passenger compartment element 2 into abutment with the wall portions 10, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 at the triangular marks 16. The reduction of the length L is carried out in one reduction and / or in several reductions. When each adjustment rib 6 has been reduced to the length adapted to bring the edges 15 into abutment with the wall portions 10, the fits between the passenger compartment elements 2 and the support 3 form fits with zero play, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

[0029] The first step of the method according to the invention is followed by a second step consisting of applying pressure to at least one passenger compartment element 2, in this case the lower rail 5, having a fixing rod 8 and forming a weld 17, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, to weld said fixing rod 8 to the support 3 while the pressure is applied. In the example illustrated in the figures, the weld 17 is made on the bottom wall 11 so as to immobilize the passenger compartment element 2 relative to the support 3. In the assembly 14, the length of each adjustment rib 6 is considered adequate, after application of the method according to the invention, when the clearance between each bearing zone 12 and each adjustment rib 6 is of the order of 0.1 mm, while the elements 2 are supported on the wall portions 10 at the triangular marks 16.It should be noted that such a game, if it were zero, would risk causing hyperstatism and / or . deform the support 3.

[0030] Thus, the assembly 1 according to the invention allows the implementation of the adjustment method according to the invention. Experience shows that the implementation of the method for reducing by cutting the length L of the adjustment ribs 6 is simple and makes it possible to obtain an assembly 14 without play between the passenger compartment elements 2 and the support 3, at the level of the triangular marks 16, on the wall portions 10.

[0031] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the assembly described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Set (1) of motor vehicle interior parts, the set (1) comprising, on the one hand, at least one interior element (2) to be assembled, each element (2) having at least one adjustment rib (6) and, on the other hand, a support (3) delimiting a housing (9) sized to accommodate each interior element (2) to be assembled, the housing (9) being delimited, on the one hand, by at least two wall portions (10) facing each other, inclined relative to each other and each designed to receive at least one interior element (2) in support and, on the other hand, by a bottom wall (11) having at least one support zone (12), each support zone (12) being designed to allow an adjustment rib (6) to come to bear on the bottom wall (11), the bottom wall (11) having furthermore at least one fixing orifice (13),at least one of the passenger compartment elements (2) having at least one fixing rod (8) designed to be inserted into a fixing orifice (13) when the element (2) is resting on the bottom wall (11) by means of an adjustment rib (6), each adjustment rib (6) having dimensions preventing the support of its element (2) with the wall portions (10).,

2. Assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two cabin elements (2) are designed to overlap when assembled in the housing (9), so that the removal from the housing (9) of one of the two elements (2) requires the prior removal of the other element (2) from the housing (9), the cabin element (2) whose prior removal is required having at least one fixing rod (8).

3. Assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wall portions (10) extend, along a cross section of the support, along a portion of V.

4. Assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support (3) is a trim, a passenger compartment element (2) is an upper ventilation rail (4) and another passenger compartment element (2) is a lower ventilation rail (5).

5. Method for adjusting the docking between the support and the elements (2) of the passenger compartment to be assembled of an assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, the method comprising a first step consisting of adjusting by cutting at least one dimension of each adjustment rib (6) in order to allow the assembly of each element (2) of passenger compartment so that at least one passenger compartment element (2) is supported by each portion of wall (10), each fixing rod (8) being inserted into a fixing orifice (13).

6. Adjustment method according to claim 5, characterized in that the first step is followed by a second step consisting of applying pressure to at least one passenger compartment element (2) having a fixing rod (8) and welding said fixing rod (8) to the support while the pressure is applied.

7. Assembly (14) formed by implementing the method according to claim 5 or 6 on an assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 n / 1

8. a 4. Motor vehicle having at least one assembly (14) according to claim 7.