Reinforced sheet metal for body pillar.

Abstract

The invention relates to a reinforced sheet metal plate (1) designed to form, with a second sheet metal plate, a body pillar of a motor vehicle, the reinforced sheet metal plate (1) forming a hollow longitudinal body (2) intended to extend vertically over the motor vehicle, the reinforced sheet metal plate (1) having at least one rebate (8), each designed to allow the assembly of the reinforced sheet metal plate (1) with the second sheet metal plate, each rebate (8) extending at least partially along the longitudinal body (2) and forming at least part of the perimeter (9) of the reinforced sheet metal plate (1), the body (2) and each rebate (8) being separated by a fold line (10), the reinforced sheet metal plate (1) comprising at least one reinforcing stamping (11) forming a cavity (12) interrupting the fold line (10) and extending at least partially over the rebate (8) and the longitudinal body (2). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Reinforced sheet metal for body pillar.

[0001] The technical field concerns sheet metal forming body uprights, vehicle bodies and motor vehicles.

[0002] In terms of road safety, automobile manufacturers must take into account multiple concerns and regulations when developing new vehicles. Thus, automobile manufacturers must ensure the safety of vehicle passengers in the event of a collision. In order to ensure passenger safety, vehicles are subjected to various standardized procedures for simulating impacts against a rigid obstacle impacting the vehicle.

[0003] Standardized procedures are, for example, described by the international organization Euro NCAP.

[0004] The behavior of motor vehicles in these situations is regulated and tested and the requirements in terms of results in these tests are ever more numerous, more difficult to satisfy and oblige automobile manufacturers to constantly innovate. In this context, during a side impact suffered by the vehicle, the pillars are the first structural elements of the body to be stressed and their resistance at the start of the impact is essential to allow the various occupant protection devices present in the passenger compartment, such as air bags and systems linked to the seat belt, to be triggered.

[0005] In order to ensure acceptable strength of the pillars, the solutions usually implemented involve an increase in the thickness of the pillar and / or the addition of reinforcement plates fixed inside the pillar, to obtain an increase in their stiffness. However, conventional solutions result in an increase in mass and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, with a view to the electrification of vehicles, the mass of a vehicle becomes a determining parameter, and it is appropriate to reduce it as much as possible to increase its autonomy.

[0006] Thus, there is a need for a solution to guarantee the behavior of the body pillar in the event of a side impact, avoiding the addition of mass.

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a reinforced sheet metal making it possible to manufacture a body pillar having adequate resistance in the event of a side impact, avoiding the addition of mass.

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a reinforced sheet metal designed to form, with a second sheet metal, a body pillar of a motor vehicle, the reinforced sheet metal forming a hollow longitudinal body intended to extend vertically on the motor vehicle, the reinforced sheet metal comprising at least one rebate each designed to allow the assembly of the reinforced sheet with the second sheet, each rebate extending at least partly along the longitudinal body and forming at least part of the perimeter of the reinforced sheet, the body and each rebate being separated by a fold line, the reinforced sheet comprising at least one reinforcement stamping forming a cavity interrupting the fold line and extending at least partly over the rebate and the longitudinal body.

[0009] The invention also relates to a bodywork upright comprising a reinforced sheet metal according to the invention assembled to a second sheet metal to at least partially close the longitudinal body, the reinforced sheet metal and the second sheet metal being welded together by spot welds made on each rebate of the reinforced sheet metal.

[0010] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle body comprising at least one body pillar according to the invention.

[0011] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having a bodywork according to the invention.

[0012] Thus, the reinforced sheet according to the invention has a resistance to bending when a force is exerted on one of its faces thanks to the presence of the reinforcing stampings. Each stamping therefore makes it possible to reinforce the reinforced sheet and gives it resistance to deformation, in particular to bending. A reinforced sheet thus makes it possible to obtain an upright according to the invention which has adequate resistance in the event of a lateral impact, while avoiding the addition of mass, since each stamping replaces the devices usually used.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, each cavity of each reinforcement stamping has an elongated shape extending in the direction of the fold line.

[0014] According to one possibility, each fold line comprises a plurality of reinforcing stampings.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the reinforced sheet extends between an inner face, intended to be arranged opposite the second sheet, and an outer face opposite the inner face, the longitudinal body and each stamping each making the outer face convex.

[0016] According to one possibility of the bodywork upright, the second sheet metal is also a reinforced sheet metal according to the invention.

[0017] Advantageously, the bodywork upright according to the invention is designed to form a central bodywork upright.

[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. 1] represents a perspective view of the external face of a sheet metal reinforced according to the invention;

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a detailed view of the external face of the sheet metal reinforced in [Fig.l] showing a reinforcing stamping;

[0021] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] represents a detailed view of the inner face of the sheet metal reinforced in [Fig.l] showing the reinforcement stamping;

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

[0023] A reinforced sheet 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to form, with a second sheet (not illustrated), a body pillar according to the invention of a body, according to the invention, of a motor vehicle. Advantageously, the pillar according to the invention forms a central pillar of a body according to the invention.

[0024] Advantageously, the second sheet is also formed from a reinforced sheet according to the invention. In this case, the body pillar is formed from two reinforced sheets according to the invention, including the reinforced sheet 1, different and / or identical.

[0025] The reinforced sheet 1 forms a hollow longitudinal body 2 intended to extend vertically on the motor vehicle. The longitudinal body 2 has a lateral surface 3, extended by two flanks 4 forming an angle with the lateral surface 3. The flanks 4 extend substantially at a right angle to the lateral surface 3. The lateral surface 3 advantageously comprises a reinforcing rib 5 making it possible to reinforce the lateral surface 3 in the event of an impact suffered by the lateral surface 3.

[0026] The reinforced sheet 1 extends between, on the one hand, an inner face 6, illustrated in [Fig. 3] and intended to be arranged opposite the second sheet, and on the other hand an outer face 7, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, opposite the inner face 6. In the example illustrated in the figures, the longitudinal body 2 is shaped so that it makes the outer face 7 convex.

[0027] The reinforced sheet 1 further comprises at least one rebate 8, in this case two rebates 8, each designed to allow the reinforced sheet 1 to be assembled with the second sheet. Each rebate 8 extends a flank 4 and extends at least partly along the longitudinal body 2. Each rebate 8 forms an angle, for example a right angle, with each flank 4. Each rebate 8 forms at least part of the periphery 9 of the reinforced sheet 1.

[0028] The body 2, in this case each flank 4, and each rebate 6 are separated by a fold line 10. The reinforced sheet 1 therefore has two fold lines 10 extending longitudinally over all or part of the reinforced sheet 1. Each fold line 10 forms, for example, a salient angle or has a strictly positive radius of curvature.

[0029] The reinforced sheet 1 comprises at least one reinforcement stamping 11 forming a cavity 12 interrupting the fold line 10 and extending at least partly over the rebate 8 and the longitudinal body 2. For example, each cavity 12 has a hemispherical or semi-oval shape. In the example illustrated in the figures, each cavity 12 of each reinforcement stamping 11 has an elongated shape extending in the direction of the fold line 10. In this case, each cavity 12 has an elongated shape extending along a vertical axis when the reinforced sheet 1 is mounted on the body of the vehicle.

[0030] For example, each reinforcement stamping 11 has a height H, illustrated in [Fig. 2] and measured along the direction of the fold line 10, preferably between 50 mm and 80 mm. The height H measures the distance between two ends 13 of the cavity 12 on the fold line 10. Also by way of example, each reinforcement stamping 11 has a width 1, illustrated in [Fig. 3], preferably between 20 mm and 30 mm.

[0031] Advantageously, each cavity 12 makes the outer face 7 convex.

[0032] As illustrated in [Fig.l], the reinforced sheet 1 has, on each fold line 10, a plurality of reinforcement stampings 11.

[0033] A body pillar according to the invention therefore comprises a reinforced sheet 1 assembled to a second sheet to at least partially close the longitudinal body 2, the reinforced sheet 1 and the second sheet being welded together by welding points 14, illustrated in [Fig.l], made on each rebate 8 of the reinforced sheet 1. The welding points 14 are arranged along a line of welds 15, shown diagrammatically in [Fig.2] by a broken line, arranged at the edge of each rebate 8. Thus, each stamped part 11 is formed between the sides 4 and a line of welds 15.

[0034] Thus, the reinforced sheet 1 according to the invention has a resistance to bending when a force representative of a lateral impact is exerted on its outer face 7 thanks to the presence of the reinforcing stampings 11. Each stamping 11 therefore makes it possible to reinforce the reinforced sheet 1 and gives it resistance to deformation. A reinforced sheet 1 thus makes it possible to obtain an upright according to the invention which has adequate resistance in the event of a lateral impact, while avoiding the addition of mass, each stamping 11 replacing the devices usually used.

[0035] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the reinforcement piece 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. Reinforced sheet metal (1) designed to form, with a second sheet metal, a body pillar of a motor vehicle, the reinforced sheet metal (1) forming a hollow longitudinal body (2) intended to extend vertically on the motor vehicle, the reinforced sheet metal (1) comprising at least one rebate (8) each designed to allow the assembly of the reinforced sheet metal (1) with the second sheet metal, each rebate (8) extending at least partly along the longitudinal body (2) and forming at least part of the periphery (9) of the reinforced sheet metal (1), the body (2) and each rebate (8) being separated by a fold line (10), the reinforced sheet metal (1) comprising at least one reinforcement stamping (11) forming a cavity (12) interrupting the fold line (10) and extending at least partly over the rebate (8) and the longitudinal body (2).

2. Reinforced sheet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each cavity (12) of each reinforcement stamping (11) has an elongated shape extending in the direction of the fold line (10).

3. Reinforced sheet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each fold line (10) comprises a plurality of reinforcing stampings (11).

4. Reinforced sheet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it extends between an inner face (6), intended to be arranged opposite the second sheet, and an outer face (7) opposite the inner face (6), the longitudinal body (2) and each stamped part (11) each making the outer face (7) convex.

5. Bodywork upright comprising a reinforced sheet metal (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 assembled to a second sheet metal to at least partially close the longitudinal body (2), the reinforced sheet metal (1) and the second sheet metal being welded together by welding spots (14) made on each rebate (8) of the reinforced sheet metal (1).

6. Body upright according to claim 5, characterized in that the second sheet is also a reinforced sheet (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4.

7. Body pillar according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it is designed to form a central body pillar.

8. Motor vehicle body comprising at least one upright

9. Bodywork according to one of claims 5 to 7. Motor vehicle having a bodywork according to claim 8.

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