Electronic box support with frangible zones.

Abstract

The invention relates to a support (1) for an electronic box of a motor vehicle, the support (1) comprising a reception interface (7) designed to receive an electronic box (2) and to allow the box (2) to be fixed to the interface (7), the support (1) further comprising fixing means (10) designed to allow the support (1) to be fixed to a bodywork element (3) of the motor vehicle, the fixing means (10) comprising at least one fixing barrel (11) each making it possible to fix the support (1) to the bodywork element (3), each fixing barrel (11) having a frangible zone (12) designed to break and to separate the fixing barrel (11) from the support (1) when a force greater than a predetermined threshold is exerted on the reception interface (7) during an impact suffered by the vehicle. (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Electronic housing support with frangible zones.

[0001] The technical field concerns electronic box supports, vehicle bodies comprising at least one such support and vehicles having such a body.

[0002] In terms of road safety, automobile manufacturers must face several major concerns that define constraints to be taken into account when developing new vehicles. In particular, certain safety equipment must remain operational after a frontal collision. This is the case, for example, of systems that control the openings of the passenger compartment which must allow the vehicle to be evacuated after a frontal collision. Among these safety equipments, most are controlled using electronic boxes that are particularly fragile. Furthermore, electronic boxes are becoming more and more sophisticated and therefore tend to become more and more voluminous. On the contrary, the spaces dedicated to the locations of electronic boxes are becoming more and more cramped.

[0003] In this context, certain electronic boxes must be placed between the dashboard crossmember and the front apron. However, in the event of a frontal impact suffered by the vehicle, it will undergo deformations which will cause the apron to sink into the passenger compartment and move closer to the rigid dashboard crossmember. Also, the risks of breakage of the electronic boxes located in this space increase considerably, with consequences which can prove dramatic such as the sequestration of the vehicle's occupants after the impact.

[0004] Thus, there is a need for a solution to preserve the integrity of electronic boxes in the event of a frontal impact.

[0005] 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 electronic box support capable of preserving the integrity of the supported box in the event of a frontal impact.

[0006] To this end, the present invention relates to a support for an electronic box of a motor vehicle, the support comprising a reception interface designed to receive an electronic box and allow the box to be fixed to the interface, the support further comprising fixing means designed to allow the support to be fixed to a bodywork element of the motor vehicle, the fixing means comprising at least one fixing barrel each making it possible to fix the support to the bodywork element, each fixing barrel having a frangible zone designed to break and to detach the fixing barrel from the support when a force greater than a predetermined threshold is exerted on the reception interface during an impact suffered by the vehicle.

[0007] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle body comprising at least one bodywork element on which at least one electronic box support according to the invention is fixed by means of its fixing means, each reception interface accommodating an electronic box.

[0008] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having a body according to the invention.

[0009] Thus, the housing support according to the invention makes it possible to fix an electronic housing to a bodywork element of a vehicle according to the invention such as, for example, a front apron. In the event of a frontal impact, an impact on the electronic housing housed in the housing interface will cause a force on the housing interface greater than a predetermined threshold, chosen to preserve the electronic housing. This force will then cause the rupture of each frangible zone and separate the electronic housing, with the housing interface, from each fixing barrel and therefore from the bodywork element. The rupture of each frangible zone makes it possible to absorb part of the energy transmitted to the support and to the electronic housing and also allows the electronic housing to move to avoid crushing. Thus, the electronic housing support according to the invention makes it possible to limit, or even avoid, the breakage of the electronic housing that it supports.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the support according to the invention, each fixing barrel is shaped to allow, in the event of rupture of its frangible zone, a rapprochement between the reception interface and the bodywork element.

[0011] According to one possibility of the support, each frangible zone comprises at least one pre-cut and / or at least one thinning of thickness.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, each fixing barrel has a truncated or cylindrical wall projecting from the receiving interface and surrounding a decoupling stud, designed to allow the decoupling stud to be screwed onto the bodywork element, the frangible zone ensuring the connection between the wall and the decoupling stud.

[0013] According to one possibility, each fixing barrel has absorption means designed to absorb at least part of the vibrations transmitted by the bodywork element to the support.

[0014] Advantageously, the reception interface comprises at least one rim, each designed to at least partially surround the electronic box received in the reception interface.

[0015] Advantageously, the support is made of molded plastic material.

[0016] According to one possibility of the body, a body element is an apron.

[0017] The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawing in which:

[0018] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] represents a cross-sectional view of an automobile body according to the invention showing a support according to the invention assembled on a bodywork element.

[0019] A support 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figure, makes it possible to support an electronic box 2 of a motor vehicle and its attachment to a bodywork element 3 to form a vehicle body 4 according to the invention. In the example illustrated in the figure, the bodywork element 3 is, for example, an apron 5. The support 1 and the electronic box 2 are thus located, in the body 4, between the apron 5 and a dashboard crossmember 6.

[0020] The support 1 is, for example, made of molded plastic material.

[0021] The support 1 comprises a docking interface 7 designed to accommodate the box 2 electronics and allow the box 2 to be fixed to the interface 7. In the example illustrated in the figure, the reception interface 7 includes the electronic box 2.

[0022] As illustrated in the figure, the reception interface 7 has a plate 8 shaped to support the housing 2. The plate 8 comprises at least one rim 9, each designed to at least partially surround the electronic housing 2 received in the interface 7.

[0023] The support 1 further comprises fixing means 10 designed to allow the support 1 to be fixed to the bodywork element 3 of the motor vehicle. The fixing means 10 comprise at least one fixing barrel 11, each allowing the support 1 to be fixed to the bodywork element 3.

[0024] As illustrated in the figure, each fixing barrel 11 has a frangible zone 12 designed to break and to separate the fixing barrel 11 from the support 1 when a force greater than a predetermined threshold is exerted on the receiving interface 7 during a frontal impact suffered by the vehicle. Advantageously, each fixing barrel 11 is further shaped to allow, in the event of rupture of its frangible zone 12, a rapprochement between the receiving interface 7 and the bodywork element 3. In the example illustrated in the figure, the receiving interface 7 is able to move closer to the apron 5 by a distance D.

[0025] Each frangible zone 12 is, for example, produced using at least one pre-cut and / or at least one thinning of thickness.

[0026] In the example illustrated in the figure, each fixing barrel 11 has a truncated or cylindrical wall 13 projecting from the receiving interface 7 and surrounding a decoupling stud 14, designed to allow the decoupling stud 14 to be screwed onto the bodywork element 3. In this case, the decoupling stud 14 is arranged at the end of the truncated wall 13. Advantageously, the fixing of the support 1 on the bodywork element 3 is ensured by means of a stud 15 welded onto the bodywork element 3 and introduced into a screwing hole provided in the decoupling stud 14, a nut 16 being screwed onto the stud 15.

[0027] The frangible zone 12 ensures the connection between the truncated wall 13 and the decoupling pad 14.

[0028] Advantageously and as illustrated in the figure, each fixing barrel 11 has absorption means 17 designed to absorb at least part of the vibrations transmitted by the bodywork element 3 to the support 1. Such absorption means 17 comprise, for example, an elastomer ring.

[0029] In the body 4, a layer of soundproofing material 18 is further arranged partly between the apron 5 and the reception interface 7.

[0030] In the event of an impact suffered by the vehicle, the dashboard crossmember 6 and the bulkhead 5 are likely to move closer together locally and the dashboard crossmember 6 is likely to impact the electronic box 2. In the event of impact of the electronic box 2 by the dashboard crossmember 6, a sufficient force, i.e. greater than the predetermined threshold force, is generated on the receiving interface 7 to cause the rupture of each frangible zone 12. After the rupture of each frangible zone 12, the receiving interface 7 is free to move closer to the bulkhead 5 and to sink, if necessary, into the layer of soundproofing material 18, to absorb part of the energy of the impact transmitted to the interface 7 and to the electronic box 2, in order to protect the latter from damage.

[0031] Thus, the housing support 1 according to the invention makes it possible to fix the electronic housing 2 to the bodywork element 3, in this case the apron 5. In the event of a frontal impact, an impact on the electronic housing 2 housed in the housing interface 7 will cause a force on the housing interface 7 of an intensity greater than a predetermined threshold, chosen to preserve the electronic housing 2, which will then cause the rupture of each frangible zone 12 and separate the electronic housing 2 and the housing interface 7 from each fixing barrel 11 and therefore from the bodywork element 3. The rupture of each frangible zone 12 makes it possible to absorb part of the energy transmitted to the support 1 and to the electronic housing 2 and also allows the electronic housing 2 to move to avoid crushing by the dashboard crossmember 6.

[0032] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the electronic box support 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. Support (1) for an electronic box of a motor vehicle, the support (1) comprising a reception interface (7) designed to receive an electronic box (2) and allow the box (2) to be fixed to the interface (7), the support (1) further comprising fixing means (10) designed to allow the support (1) to be fixed to a bodywork element (3) of the motor vehicle, the fixing means (10) comprising at least one fixing barrel (11) each making it possible to fix the support (1) to the bodywork element (3), each fixing barrel (11) having a frangible zone (12) designed to break and to separate the fixing barrel (11) from the support (1) when a force greater than a predetermined threshold is exerted on the reception interface (7) during an impact suffered by the vehicle.

2. Support (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each frangible zone (12) comprises at least one pre-cut and / or at least one thinning in thickness.

3. Support (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each fixing barrel (11) has a truncated or cylindrical wall (13) projecting from the receiving interface (7) and surrounding a decoupling stud (14), designed to allow the screwing of the decoupling stud (14) onto the bodywork element (3), the frangible zone (12) ensuring the connection between the wall (13) and the decoupling stud (14).

4. Support according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each fixing barrel (11) has absorption means (17) designed to absorb at least part of the vibrations transmitted by the bodywork element (3) to the support (1).

5. Support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reception interface (7) comprises at least one rim (9), each designed to at least partially surround the electronic box (2) received in the reception interface (7).

6. Support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support (1) is made of molded plastic material.

7. Motor vehicle body (4) comprising at least one bodywork element (3) on which is fixed at least one electronic box support (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6 by means of its fixing means (10), each reception interface (7) accommodating an electronic box (2).

8.

9. Vehicle body (4) according to claim 7, characterized in that a bodywork element (3) is an apron (5). Motor vehicle having a body (4) according to claim 7 or 8.

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