VEHICLE WHICH INCLUDES A LIGHTWEIGHT WEDGE FOR FIXING A BODYWORK PANEL TO A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle comprising a structural element, a body panel (21), a wedge (4) and bonding means, the wedge (4) being positioned between a first part of the structural element and a first part of the body panel (21) with two opposite faces of the wedge (4) which are adapted to form two supports for the bonding means, making it possible to secure a first part of the body panel (21) with a first part of the structural element, a zig-zag piece (5) being positioned between a second part of the body panel (21) and a second part of the structural element with the zig-zag piece (5) which is adapted to form a support for the bonding means for fixing the second part of the body panel (21) with the second part of the structural element. Figure for abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: VEHICLE WHICH INCLUDES A LIGHTENED WEDGE FOR FIXING A BODYWORK PANEL ON A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle which comprises a structural element, a body panel, a wedge and bonding means, the wedge being positioned between a first part of the structural element and a first part of the body panel with two opposite faces of the wedge which are adapted to form two supports for the bonding means, making it possible to secure a first part of the body panel with a first part of the structural element.

[0002] It is known to have such a lining which forms a support for bonding means between a structural element and a body panel, but such a support is a part which has a large volume with a large quantity of materials which makes the assembly heavier and has a high manufacturing cost.

[0003] The device according to the invention makes it possible to overcome this drawback.

[0004] It comprises in fact, according to the invention, a vehicle which comprises a structural element, a body panel, a wedge and bonding means, the wedge being positioned between a first part of the structural element and a first part of the body panel with two opposite faces of the wedge which are adapted to form two supports for the bonding means, making it possible to secure a first part of the body panel with a first part of the structural element, a zig-zag piece being positioned between a second part of the body panel and a second part of the structural element with the two long free edges of the zig-zag piece which are adapted to form two supports for the bonding means for fixing the second part of the body panel with the second part of the structural element.

[0005] According to a first characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the zig-zag shape of said part has a series of flat walls which intersect at regular intervals the main direction in which the zig-zag shape of said part extends, said flat walls being connected two by two by curvilinear walls.

[0006] According to a second characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the zigzag shape comprises at least ten flat walls connected two by two by curvilinear walls.

[0007] According to a third characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the bonding means are formed by a glue which has a viscosity high enough to remain in contact along the long free edges of said zig-zag part.

[0008] According to a fourth characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the bodywork panel is secured in a vertical position to the structural element.

[0009] According to a fifth characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the first part of the bodywork panel is positioned in the lower position of said panel once the latter is positioned on the structural element, the second part being positioned in the extension of the first part towards the top of said bodywork panel.

[0010] According to a sixth characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the wedge has a U shape open upwards once said wedge is positioned on the structural element of the vehicle, two zig-zag pieces being positioned vertically in the upper extension of each of the two branches of the U of said wedge.

[0011] According to a seventh characteristic of the vehicle according to the invention, the body panel is formed from a plastic material or a composite material, the structural element being formed from a metallic material.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the structural element is a structural part of a door, the body panel being the outer skin of said door.

[0013] According to a first characteristic of the invention,

[0014] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:

[0015] [Fig-1] represents a vehicle which comprises a metal structure on which is fixed a body made at least partly from a plastic material or from a composite material and which comprises in each post a U-shaped wedge which is extended upwards by two zig-zag pieces according to the invention.

[0016] [Fig.2] represents a partial view of the interior of one of the two doors where is more particularly visible is the zigzag shape of the said zigzag piece.

[0017] In [Fig.l] a vehicle 1 is shown which comprises a metal structure on which body panels 2 are fixed, at least one part 21 of these body panels 2 being made of a plastic material or a composite material.

[0018] In particular, each door 3 comprises a metal structure on which is fixed, by gluing, an assembly consisting of a wedge 4 and two zig-zag pieces 5 and on which is also fixed by gluing a bodywork panel 21 formed from a plastic material or from a composite material.

[0019] The assembly consisting of a wedge 4 and two zigzag pieces 5 is shown transparently, in dotted lines, through the bodywork panel 21 of the door 3.

[0020] The assembly consisting of a wedge 4 and two zigzag pieces 5 makes it possible to delimit an interior volume 31 of the door 3 and forms a lateral closure for this interior volume 31 of the door 3.

[0021] Door 3, whose wedge 4 has a U shape, is open towards the top of the door 3 and comprises, in the upward extension of the two free ends of the wedge 4, the two zigzag pieces 5.

[0022] In [Fig. 2] is more particularly represented the zig-zag shape of the part 5 which has a series of flat walls 51 which follow one another at regular intervals following the vertical direction in which the zig-zag part 5 extends, the flat walls 51 of the zig-zag part 5 being connected two by two by curvilinear walls 52.

[0023] In this [Fig.2] the body panel 21 of the door 3 is not shown, revealing a metal structure 32 of the door 3, which is normally hidden by the body panel 21.

[0024] Depending on the height of the top of the door 3 and depending on the viscosity of an adhesive 6 used, the zigzag part 5 comprises at least ten to fifteen flat walls 51.

[0025] The height of the flat walls 51 and the curved walls 52 of the zigzag part 5 is dependent on the height of the space to be filled between the metal structure 32 and the body panel 21 of the door 3 and therefore adapts to the shape of the door 3.

[0026] Such a zig-zag part 5 is simple to manufacture, using little material, reducing the weight and the price of the assembly consisting of a shim 4 and two zig-zag parts 5 by making it possible to reduce the size of the shim 4.

[0027] The wedge 4 is an expensive part to produce which contains a lot of material and which, due to its size, poses logistical problems before its positioning in each door 3, replacing part of the wedge 4 with non-zig-zag parts 5 reduces the price of the wedge 4 and its size.

Claims

Claims

1. Vehicle (1) comprising a structural element (32), a body panel (21), a wedge (4) and bonding means (6), the wedge (4) being positioned between a first part of the structural element (32) and a first part of the body panel (21) with two opposite faces of the wedge (4) which are adapted to form two supports for the bonding means (6), making it possible to secure a first part of the body panel (21) with a first part of the structural element (32), characterized in that a zig-zag piece (5) is positioned between a second part of the body panel (21) and a second part of the structural element (32) with the two long free edges of the zig-zag piece (5) which are adapted to form two supports for the bonding means (6) for fixing the second part of the body panel (21) with the second part of the structural element (32).

2. Vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the zig-zag shape of said part (5) has a series of flat walls (51) which intersect at regular intervals the main direction in which the zig-zag shape of said part (5) extends, said flat walls (51) being connected two by two by curvilinear walls (52).

3. Vehicle (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the zigzag shape comprises at least ten flat walls (51) connected two by two by curvilinear walls (52).

4. Vehicle (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the bonding means (6) are formed by a glue which has a viscosity high enough to remain in support along the long free edges of said zig-zag part (5).

5. Vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the body panel (21) is secured in a vertical position to the structural element (32).

6. Vehicle (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first part of the body panel (21) is positioned in the lower position of said body panel (21) once the latter is positioned on the structural element (32), the second part being positioned in the extension of the first part, towards the top of said body panel (21).

7. Vehicle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the wedge (4) has a U shape open upwards once said wedge (4) is positioned on the structural element (32) of the vehicle, two zig-zag pieces (5) being positioned vertically in the upper extension of each of the two branches of the U of said wedge (4).

8. Vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding characteristics, characterized in that the body panel (21) is formed from a plastic material or a composite material.

9. Vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding characteristics, characterized in that the structural element (32) is formed from a metallic material.

10. Vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding characteristics, characterized in that the structural element (32) is a structural part of a door (3), the body panel (21) being the outer skin of said door (3).

Images