Arrangement of a dashboard of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Arrangement of a dashboard comprising an airbag safety system (5), comprising a structural body (2) comprising a wall having a front part (21), an open area (20) and / or a frangible area capable of opening into said wall of the structural body, and at least one housing (41) which houses said safety system with a flap (410) at least partially closing said open area (20) and / or located under said frangible area, and a decorative assembly (1) arranged on said wall so that an area of ​​the decorative assembly covers the deployment channel (4) of the safety system, and secured to said wall by retaining means releasable under the thrust of the flap when the safety system is triggered,and the front end of said decorative assembly (1) being held to the front wall portion of said structural body by at least one hinge connection (3) allowing the decorative assembly to tilt from the rear to the front under the thrust of the flap, holding it to the front portion of said structural body. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 1A,

Description

Title of the invention: Arrangement of a dashboard of a motor vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement of a dashboard of a motor vehicle passenger compartment comprising an airbag safety system.

[0002] In the field of motor vehicles, dashboards are installed, supported by a structural crossmember, transversely in the passenger compartment, in front of the driver and front passenger seats. The dashboard is in particular equipped, on the driver's side, with the dashboard and the driving indicators, in the central part, with a screen allowing, for example, the control of various vehicle parameters, the air conditioning, navigation aids, and on the passenger side, with the passenger's front airbag safety system and possibly an additional screen.

[0003] Airbag safety systems (commonly referred to as "airbags" according to the equivalent term in English) are generally arranged in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle to protect passengers in the event of a violent impact, by interposing themselves between the latter and any potentially dangerous interior component of the motor vehicle. These safety systems are now well known.

[0004] The passenger front airbag safety system fitted to the dashboard comprises a container in which the cushion, also called a bag, is located, to be inflated by a gas cartridge activated by a trigger, generally of the pyrotechnic type, to trigger it. This container with the cushion is inserted into a housing provided for this purpose in the structural body of the dashboard, which opens into a specific open or frangible wall part of the structural body of the dashboard, this housing and the specific part of the dedicated dashboard body form the airbag deployment channel. The container of the system is fixed to the housing of the dashboard body, and the opening of the container is closed by a flap formed of a single leaf or two leaves, movable in rotation along a lateral axis to open during the propulsion of the cushion in the event of detection of an impact.The decorative part of the dashboard which covers the body of the dashboard covers in particular the said specific open or frangible part of the body of the dashboard, in other words it covers the airbag deployment channel and the flap.

[0005] In a known manner, for the deployment of the airbag, a so-called “frangible” or “fusible” zone, i.e. adapted to break, for example by tearing or bursting easily under the pressure of the flap during deployment of the airbag, is necessary in the decorative part, on the surface of the dashboard, which covers the body of the dashboard near the safety system to allow the airbag to come out when deployed, in particular the one covering the deployment channel. It is therefore necessary to provide at least one frangible decorative area, for example designed from fragile materials and / or by providing arrangements such as local thinning in the thickness of the decorative part, for example by cutting, so that the area breaks easily.

[0006] In addition, technical constraints are required in order to comply with the specifications for airbag deployment (speed, pushing force, aggressiveness on the bag, exit direction, etc.). It is therefore necessary to validate the correct operation of the airbag for each setting.

[0007] This design of a dashboard in the lateral part including a front airbag, on the passenger side, multiplies the mandatory validations of the operation of the airbag, limits the choice of decorative possibilities, while imposing structural constraints on the decorative part. In addition, it leads to the destruction of the structure of the dashboard including the decorative part, in the event of an impact triggering the airbag.

[0008] There is therefore a need to address the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0009] One aim of the invention is to make it possible to make any type of decoration of a dashboard in a part comprising an airbag. Another aim is to avoid the destruction of the structure of the dashboard including the decorative part.

[0010] To this end, the invention provides an arrangement of a dashboard comprising an airbag safety system, configured to extend into the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular to the rear of the windshield and in the direction of the front passenger seat, said arrangement comprising: - a structural body comprising a wall having a front part and a rear part, an open area and / or a frangible area capable of opening into said wall of the structural body, and at least one housing which houses said airbag safety system with a flap (410) at least partially closing said open area and / or located under said frangible area and being capable of opening by tilting directed from the rear to the front, around a securing element retaining said flap, under the thrust of the airbag in deployment when the safety system is triggered, said housing with the flap and said open area and / or said frangible area defining a deployment channel for said safety system positioned at the rear of said front wall part of the structural body, - a decorative assembly comprising a decorative support comprising a first and a second opposite face, and a decorative covering covering the first face of said decorative support, and the second face of said decorative support being arranged on said wall of said structural body so that an area of ​​the decorative assembly covers said security system deployment channel. Said decorative assembly is secured to the wall of said structural body by retaining means releasable under the thrust of the shutter when the safety system is triggered, and the front end of said decorative assembly is held to the front wall portion of said structural body by at least one hinge connection allowing the decorative assembly to tilt from the rear to the front under the thrust of the shutter when the safety system is triggered by holding it to the front wall portion of said structural body.

[0011] Thus, said decorative assembly is detached from the structural body at the rear of said at least one hinge connection by release of said retaining means and caused to tilt forward, under the thrust of the shutter when the safety system is triggered.

[0012] The terms "front" and "rear" refer to the front and rear of the dashboard arrangement as installed in a motor vehicle.

[0013] Preferably, said releasable retaining means comprise retaining elements supported by the second face of the decoration support, each retaining element having an elongated end, directed towards the front, being force-fitted into respective housings provided in the wall of the structural body, said housings each having a portion of elongated shape complementary to that of said end of said retaining element.

[0014] In particular, said arrangement comprises at least two releasable retaining means spaced apart from each other and proximal to the rear end of the decor support, and at least two further releasable retaining means spaced apart from each other and located between the front of the deployment channel of the security system and said at least one hinge connection retaining the decorative assembly to the front wall portion of the structural body.

[0015] The invention has the advantage that any type of decorative coating can be applied. According to a preferred embodiment, the decorative coating comprises at least one layer of flexible material, in particular of the foam type.

[0016] Preferably, the decorative support is made of a rigid material.

[0017] Preferably, said hinge connection holding the decorative assembly to the front wall portion of the structural body comprises a strap fixed on the one hand to the wall of the structural body and on the other hand to the decorative assembly.

[0018] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a dashboard which comprises at least one arrangement as described above, said arrangement extending at least over a lateral part of the dashboard, and in particular to the rear of the windshield and in the direction of the front passenger seat.

[0019] Advantageously, said dashboard extends transversely over the entire width of the passenger compartment at the rear of the windshield, said dashboard comprising a decoration, at least over its entire free surface, identical to that of the decorative covering of said arrangement.

[0020] Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from reading the description given below of a particular embodiment of the invention, given for informational purposes but not as a limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0021] [Fig. 1 A] is a longitudinal sectional view in the vertical plane XZ of a dashboard arrangement comprising an airbag safety system, in the usual position when said safety system is inactivated, according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0022] [Fig.lB] is a detail view of [Fig.lA].

[0023] [Fig.2A] is a longitudinal sectional view in the vertical plane XZ of the arrangement dashboard of [Fig.lA], during the tilting of the decorative assembly, at the start of the airbag deployment.

[0024] [Fig.2B] is a detail view of [Fig.2A].

[0025] [Fig.3] is a longitudinal sectional view in the vertical plane XZ of the arrangement dashboard of figures IA and 2A, at the end of tilting of the decorative assembly, after deployment of the airbag.

[0026] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of a classic orthonormal XYZ frame of a motor vehicle.

[0027] The orientations expressed in the description of the figures are given with reference to an orthonormal reference frame XYZ of a motor vehicle according to [Fig.4], in which X represents the longitudinal direction, oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle, Y the transverse direction oriented towards the right of the vehicle, and Z the vertical direction oriented towards the top of the vehicle in the usual position, resting on its wheels.

[0028] The orientations of the arrangement described therefore refer to these orientations, the terms front and rear also being indicated with reference to the front and rear of the motor vehicle.

[0029] Figures 1A-1B, 2A-2B and 3 illustrate an arrangement of a dashboard according to an embodiment of the invention, at different stages of deployment of the cushion of an airbag safety system, Figures 1A and 1B corresponding to the non-activated safety system (usual position), Figures 2A and 2B corresponding to the airbag starting to deploy, and [Fig.3] corresponding to the end of deployment of the airbag.

[0030] [Fig.lA] shows an arrangement of a dashboard of a motor vehicle, which is installed, supported transversely by a structural crossmember 7 (direction Y), and which extends substantially longitudinally in front of the front seats in the passenger compartment and at the rear of the windshield (not shown). In [Fig.lA], some elements are shown slightly spaced apart from each other for better readability of [Fig.lA].

[0031] [Fig.1A] is a longitudinal sectional view (X direction) in the vertical plane XZ of a passenger-side arrangement of the passenger compartment.

[0032] According to the example, a screen 8 is installed on the dashboard, facing the front passenger, said arrangement being installed at the rear of this screen.

[0033] The dashboard comprises a structural body 2 comprising a wall having a front part 21 and a rear part 22. A facade 9 is arranged on the rear part 22 of the wall, this facade comprises for example an aerator.

[0034] The dashboard arrangement comprises a decorative assembly 1 comprising a decorative support 10 and a decorative covering 11 with which said support 10 is coated. The decorative support 10 comprises a first face (upper face) and a second face (lower face) opposite the first face, the decorative covering 11 being arranged on the upper face.

[0035] Said dashboard body comprises a housing 41 comprising two straight walls 413, 413' which support in the space between them an airbag safety system 5, this space opening into a through opening 20 made in the wall of the structural body of the dashboard. The housing 41 comprises lateral fixing wings 411, 412 extending substantially perpendicular to said straight walls 413, 413', allowing its fixing to the wall 21, 22 of the structural body of the dashboard, for example by screws or clips, on either side of the opening 20 (as indicated schematically by the circled parts designated by the reference signs 42, 43 in [Fig. 3]). This opening 20 is closed by a single flap 410, at the upper end of the safety system 5. The opening 20 constitutes an exit opening for the cushion 50 when deployed.This housing 41 provided with the flap 410 and the cushion outlet opening 20 define the deployment channel 4 of the airbag.

[0036] The flap 410 is movable securely to one 413 of the two straight walls of the housing 41, by means of a rear securing element 400, for example a net, forming a loose hinge allowing the flap to tilt while retaining it, so that it can open from the rear to the front under the thrust of the deployed cushion when the safety system is triggered, to allow passage to said cushion.

[0037] The flap 410 can be integrated into the housing 41 of the airbag, its side, opposite that held by the net, being secured along a line thinned in its thickness making it capable of being broken under the thrust of the cushion in deployment.

[0038] Said decorative assembly 1 is arranged, according to the second face of the decorative support 10, on the wall of said structural body 2 of the dashboard, an area of ​​the assembly decorative 1 covering said airbag deployment channel, in particular the flap 410, above the opening 20 in the wall of the structural body.

[0039] Said decorative assembly 1 is secured to the wall of said structural body of the dashboard, in particular on either side of the opening 20 of the airbag deployment channel, by releasable retaining means, under the thrust “F” of the flap 410 (and indirectly of the cushion 50 in deployment which pushes the flap) when the safety system is triggered, coming out of the deployment channel.

[0040] Detail A of the releasable retaining means of [Fig.lA] is shown schematically in [Fig.lB], when the airbag safety system is inactivated. These retaining means comprise a retaining element 12 and a complementary retaining housing 24. This retaining element 12 is secured to the lower face (second face) of the decoration support 10, and it has a hook shape comprising an elongated end 120 directed towards the front, provided with a flexible part 121. The retaining housing 24, of notch type, is formed in the wall of the body of the dashboard opposite, and it has a complementary shape for receiving the end 120, 121 of said retaining element 12.

[0041] Said retaining element 12 is force-fitted into said retaining housing 24, following a longitudinal direction movement of the decorative assembly 1 relative to the dashboard body. The decorative assembly 1 is thus retained by clipping to the wall of the dashboard structural body. There may be four retaining elements 12 and four corresponding retaining housings 24 distributed between the decorative assembly 1 and the dashboard body, in order to ensure good attachment of the decorative assembly 1 to the dashboard body. Two of said releasable retaining means are spaced from each other and proximal to the rear end of the decorative support 10 and the other two are spaced from each other and located between the front of the deployment channel 4 of the safety system and hinge connections 3 retaining the decorative assembly 1 to the front wall portion 21 of the structural body described later.

[0042] Detail A' of the releasable retaining means of [Fig.2A] is shown schematically in [Fig.2B], when the airbag safety system is activated. The releasable retaining means 12, 24 become detached under the thrust "F" of the flap 410 pushed by the airbag 50 in deployment when the safety system is triggered, the retaining element 12 of said decorative assembly 1 emerging from its retaining housing 24 of said dashboard structural body.

[0043] In addition, the arrangement comprises two retaining pins 6 of the decorative assembly 1 to the wall of the structural body, also releasable when the airbag safety system is activated. Each pin 6 is located close to and to the rear of the screen 8 according to the example. The retaining pin 6 has one end 61 which is fixed to the decorative support 10, and its other end 62, which is free, is inserted into the wall part front 21 of the structural body opposite, so that the decorative assembly 1 is held to the structural body of the dashboard, when the airbag safety system is inactivated. This pin 6 comprises a straight part whose end 61 is fixed to the decorative support 10 and a curved part, almost at right angles to the straight part 61 and directed towards the front, terminated by the free end 62, inserted into the front wall part 21 of the structural body.

[0044] These retaining pins 6 thus have the same direction of insertion into their respective housing in the structural body as the other retaining hooks 12. This facilitates the mounting and fixing of the decorative assembly 1 on the structural body, and allows the release of the various retaining elements when the safety system is triggered.

[0045] These retaining pins 6, according to the example, also facilitate the centering of the decorative assembly 1 during its installation, by clipping the various retaining elements, by inserting the various retaining elements 12 into their respective housings 24 of the structural body, following a movement of the decorative element 1 from the rear to the front of the body of the dashboard. These retaining pins 6, fairly massive, also provide resistance to vibrations.

[0046] Furthermore, the front part of said decorative assembly 1, proximal and to the rear of the screen 8 according to the example, is fixed to a front wall part 21 of said dashboard structural body by two hinge connections 3 each comprising a strap 31 proximal to said retaining pin 6. Said strap 31 is fixed between the wall of the structural body, for example by a screw fixing element 30, and the front end of said decorative assembly 11, for example by fixing between the decorative support 10 and the decorative covering 11.

[0047] Each hinge connection 3 allows the decorative assembly 1 to tilt towards the front of the passenger compartment, relative to the structural body of the dashboard, when the airbag safety system is activated. Said decorative assembly 1 is secured to said structural body of the dashboard, at the rear of said hinge connection 3 by retaining means 12, 24 releasable under the thrust “F” of the flap 410 pushed by the airbag 50 in deployment when the safety system is triggered, so that said decorative assembly 1 is detached from the wall of the structural body at the rear (direction X) of the hinge connection 3 by release of the retaining means 12, 24 and driven to tilt towards the front of the passenger compartment, under the thrust of the airbag in deployment when the safety system is triggered, the retaining pin 6 also being detached from the wall of the structural body, its free end 62 emerging from its housing.The decorative assembly 1 is then tilted more or less vertically. The front end of said decorative assembly 1 is held by the strap 31, under maximum tension, to the wall (front wall portion 21) of the structural body, which prevents . that the decorative assembly 1 is completely released at the risk of being thrown into the passenger compartment (see [Fig.3]).

[0048] The decorative assembly 1 can be maintained without being destroyed when the airbag is triggered.

[0049] The invention has the advantage that any type of decorative coating can be applied. The coating may comprise one or more layers of material, and the materials used may be varied, for example textured material or fabric.

[0050] According to the example, and a preferred embodiment of the invention, the decorative covering 11 comprises at least one layer of foam, and a surface decorative effect, for example structured, which can be superimposed on this layer of foam. The invention prevents the layer of foam from being shredded into pieces which could spread throughout the passenger compartment, with the risk of being inhaled by the passengers, when the airbag is deployed.

[0051] The invention has the advantage that the decorative covering of the dashboard can be identical over its entire surface. The part of the dashboard, apart from the described annoyance which is more particularly suitable for the lateral part of the dashboard on the front passenger side, behind the windscreen and towards the front passenger seat, can in fact have a decoration identical to that of the decorative covering of said arrangement comprising an airbag.

[0052] The invention is described with releasable retaining means that are inserted by force, of the clip type, capable of being unclipped, however retaining means that are releasable by breaking, for example along breakable parts, or by being dislodged or deformed, under the pressure of the flap of the airbag deployment channel, may be suitable. The broken retaining means can be easily replaced to reinstall the dashboard.

Claims

Claims

1. Arrangement of a dashboard comprising an airbag safety system, configured to extend into the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular to the rear of the windshield and towards the front passenger seat, said arrangement comprising: - a structural body comprising a wall having a front part (21) and a rear part (22), an open area (20) and / or a frangible area capable of opening into said wall of the structural body, and at least one housing (41) which houses said airbag safety system (5) with a flap (410) at least partially closing said open area (20) and / or located under said frangible area and being capable of opening by tilting directed from the rear to the front, around a securing element (400) retaining said flap, under the thrust of the deployed airbag when the safety system is triggered,said housing with said flap and said open area (20) and / or said frangible area defining a deployment channel (4) of said security system positioned at the rear of said front wall portion of the structural body, - a decorative assembly (1) comprising a decorative support (10) comprising a first and a second opposite face, and a decorative covering (11) covering the first face of said decorative support, and the second face of said decorative support being arranged on said wall of said structural body so that an area of the decorative assembly covers said deployment channel (4) of the security system, and said decorative assembly (1) being secured to the wall of said structural body by retaining means (12, 24, 6) releasable under the pressure of the flap (410) when the security system is triggered,and the front end of said decorative assembly (1) being held to the front wall portion (21) of said structural body by at least one hinge connection (3) allowing the decorative assembly (1) to tilt from the rear to the front under the thrust of the shutter (410) when the safety system is triggered by holding it to the front wall portion (21) of said structural body.,

2. Arrangement of a dashboard according to claim 1, characterized in that said releasable retaining means comprise retaining elements (12) supported by the second face of the decoration support, each said retaining element having an elongated end (120), directed towards the front, forcibly inserted into housings (24) respective ones provided in the wall of the structural body, said housings each comprising a part of elongated shape complementary to that of said end of the retaining element.

3. Arrangement of a dashboard according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises at least two releasable retaining means spaced from each other and proximal to the rear end of the decoration support (10) and at least two other releasable retaining means spaced from each other and located between the front of the deployment channel (4) of the safety system and said at least one hinge connection (3) retaining the decorative assembly (1) to the front wall portion (21) of the structural body.

4. Arrangement of a dashboard according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the decorative covering (11) comprises at least one layer of flexible material, in particular of the foam type.

5. Arrangement of a dashboard according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said hinge connection (3) retaining the decorative assembly (1) to the front wall part (21) of the structural body comprises a strap (31) fixed on the one hand to the wall of the structural body and on the other hand to the decorative assembly (1).

6. Arrangement of a dashboard according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the decorative support (10) is made of a rigid material.

7. Motor vehicle comprising a dashboard characterized in that said dashboard comprises at least one arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 6, said arrangement extending at least over a lateral part of the dashboard, and in particular to the rear of the windshield and in the direction of the front passenger seat.

8. Motor vehicle comprising a dashboard according to claim 7, said dashboard extending transversely over the entire width of the passenger compartment to the rear of the windshield, said dashboard comprising a decoration, at least over its entire free surface, identical to that of the decorative covering of said arrangement.

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