Method of pre-assembling a spoiler intended to be installed on a motor vehicle

Abstract

A method for pre-assembling a spoiler (1) intended to be installed in the extension of a roof (5) of a motor vehicle (7), comprising the following steps: - a spoiler (1) is provided having two walls (9, 11) both converging towards a common trailing edge (17), said two walls (9, 11) defining a trailing edge (17), two opposite fixing edges (13, 15) to the trailing edge (17) and an internal housing (19) between the two walls (9, 11), said trailing edge (17) has an external wall (21) of the trailing edge (17) and an internal wall (23) located inside the internal housing (19); - a signaling device (27) is provided and said signaling device (27) is held against said external wall (21) of said trailing edge (17); - a screwable fixing member (29) is engaged inside said internal housing (19) to screw said screwable fixing member (29) through said internal wall (23);characterized in that a guide tunnel (33) is further provided and said guide tunnel (33) is engaged inside said internal housing (19) to be able to guide the screwable fixing member (29) to said internal wall (23). Abstract Figure: Figure 2;

Description

Title of the invention: Method for pre-assembling a spoiler intended to be installed on a motor vehicle

[0001] The invention relates to a method for pre-assembling a spoiler intended to be installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof of a motor vehicle.

[0002] The aerodynamics of a car is, along with the engine, one of the most important technical aspects of a vehicle since it allows both to reduce its fuel consumption and to improve its road holding.

[0003] However, with speed, not only does air resistance oppose the movement of the vehicle, but also the air flows under the car tend to lift it. Thus, road holding decreases, which increases the risk of loss of control.

[0004] It is therefore known to use a spoiler, also called spoilers or ailerons, corresponding to a bodywork surface element making it possible to improve the flow of air streams on the surface, and to reduce aerodynamic drag, particularly at high speed. The use of a spoiler also makes it possible to reduce the vehicle's consumption.

[0005] The spoiler is most often installed as an extension of the rear part of the roof of the motor vehicle. To be effective, the spoiler has a sloping, tapered shape.

[0006] The spoiler has in particular two walls converging towards a common trailing edge. These two walls thus define a trailing edge and two fixing edges opposite the trailing edge, capable of being connected to the roof of the vehicle. The two walls also define, between them, an internal housing.

[0007] Other accessories can also be added to the spoiler to give it additional functions such as aerodynamic deflectors, a signaling device, or brake light, or even a nozzle with a water delivery pipe to clean the rear window of the vehicle.

[0008] The various accessories, in particular the signaling device, are secured to the spoiler before it is mounted on the vehicle in a pre-assembly step.

[0009] During the pre-assembly step, the spoiler is placed on the ground so that the internal housing is accessible to the operator. Then, to fix the signaling device, the operator holds it against an external wall of the trailing edge and then screws it through this wall by engaging a screwable fixing member inside the internal housing.

[0010] However, to reach the outer wall of the trailing edge, inside the internal housing, the screwable fixing member is engaged over a length of approximately 10 centi- timers by the operator during the operation.

[0011] This step thus has the disadvantage that the entire operation is carried out blindly. It is therefore common for the screwable fixing member to escape the operator's reach in the internal housing. It is then necessary to retrieve it and then repeat the operation until the signaling device is screwed in. The pre-assembly time of the spoiler is therefore greatly increased. In addition, to retrieve the screwable fixing member, the operator must handle the spoiler, causing scratches on the wall placed on the ground.

[0012] There is therefore a need for a tool allowing the signaling device to be fixed quickly without the screwable fixing member hitting the walls of the spoiler.

[0013] For this purpose, a method is proposed for pre-assembling a spoiler intended to be installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof of a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps: - a spoiler is provided having two walls both converging towards a common trailing edge, said two walls define a trailing edge, two fixing edges opposite the trailing edge and an internal housing between the two walls, said trailing edge has an external trailing edge wall and an internal wall located inside the internal housing, said spoiler being able to be connected in the extension of said roof by said two fixing edges; - a signaling device is provided and said signaling device is held against said outer wall of said trailing edge; - a screwable fixing member is engaged inside said internal housing to screw said screwable fixing member through said internal wall of said trailing edge by means of a screwing member. Further, a guide tunnel is provided and said guide tunnel is engaged within said inner housing to be able to guide the screwable fastener member to said inner wall of said trailing edge.

[0014] Thus, one of the characteristics of the invention lies in the use of a guide tunnel inserted inside the internal housing of the spoiler and making it possible to guide the screwable fixing member without it coming into contact with the walls of the spoiler.

[0015] Indeed, the guide tunnel has a sufficient internal diameter for the screwing member to be inserted inside so that the screwable fixing member is guided directly to the wall of the trailing edge without being able to modify its trajectory. The operator cannot therefore modify the trajectory of the screwing member even when working blindly. Thus, this prevents the screwable fixing member from coming into contact of the spoiler walls and fall into the internal housing of the spoiler. The pre-assembly process is therefore faster than the process according to the prior art.

[0016] Advantageously, the guide tunnel provided is held in a fixed position suspended from a support and in that the spoiler is threaded onto the guide tunnel.

[0017] According to the prior art, the spoiler being placed on the ground or a flat work surface, when the operator handles it, he can scratch it.

[0018] According to the invention, the spoiler is threaded onto the guide tunnel which is itself suspended from a support. Thus, the spoiler is also suspended and held from the inside which prevents it from being scratched.

[0019] Preferably, at least one aerodynamic deflector is provided, intended to be fixed to one of the two walls of said spoiler.

[0020] Adding an aerodynamic deflector to the spoiler helps improve the aerodynamics of the car.

[0021] Advantageously, the spoiler comprises a solid part located inside the internal housing against the internal wall of the trailing edge, said solid part having two conduits each intended to accommodate the screwable fixing member.

[0022] Another object of the invention relates to a spoiler intended to be installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof of a motor vehicle, comprising: - two walls converging one and the other towards a common trailing edge, said two walls define a trailing edge, two fixing edges opposite the trailing edge and an internal housing between the two walls, said trailing edge has an external trailing edge wall and an internal wall located inside the internal housing, said spoiler is capable of being connected in the extension of said roof by said two fixing edges; - a signaling device screwed against the external wall of the trailing edge through said internal wall of said trailing edge by means of a screwable fixing member; The spoiler is pre-assembled using the pre-assembly process as described above.

[0023] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a spoiler as described previously mounted according to a method as described previously.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from reading the description given below of several particular embodiments of the invention, given for informational purposes but not as a limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0025] [Fig-1] is a schematic perspective view of a pre-assembled spoiler according to the invention;

[0026] [Fig.2] is a schematic side view of a spoiler during pre-assembly according to the invention;

[0027] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective view of part of a spoiler during the pre-assembly according to the invention; and,

[0028] [Fig.4] is a schematic perspective view of an element of the spoiler during the pre-assembly according to the invention.

[0029] The invention relates to a method for pre-assembling a spoiler intended to be installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof of a motor vehicle as well as a spoiler pre-assembled according to this method.

[0030] [Fig.l] illustrates a spoiler 1 installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof 5 of a motor vehicle 7.

[0031] With reference to [Fig.2], the spoiler has an upper wall 9 visible to the user and a lower wall 11. The spoiler 1 has two fixing edges 13 and 15 respectively on the upper wall 9 and lower wall 11. The spoiler is connected to the extension of the roof 5 by the two fixing edges 13 and 15.

[0032] The upper 9 and lower 11 walls both converge towards a common trailing edge 17, opposite the fixing edges 13 and 15, they thus form an internal housing 19. The trailing edge 17 has an external wall 21 of trailing edge 17 and an internal wall 23 located inside.

[0033] The spoiler 1 illustrated in [Fig.l] and [Fig.2], has a solid part 25 inside the internal housing 19 which extends in particular to the internal wall 23 of the trailing edge 17. The solid part 25 then occupies all the space between the internal wall 23 of the trailing edge over a length of 10 centimeters in the direction of the fixing edges 13 and 15.

[0034] However, the interior of the spoiler 1 is not limited to this embodiment. Indeed, the spoiler may not have a solid portion 25, and only have an empty internal housing 19. The solid portion 25 may also not extend to the internal wall 23 of the trailing edge or extend over a length less than or greater than 10 centimeters.

[0035] As illustrated in [Fig.2] and [Fig.3], the solid part 25 further has two conduits 26 (only one is shown in the figures) extending over the entire length of the solid part 25. These two conduits 26 have a large internal diameter so that a fixing member 31 such as the socket of a screwdriver or a screwdriver can be inserted into each of the two conduits 26.

[0036] However, in the case where the spoiler does not have a solid part then the conduits are not present.

[0037] The spoiler 1 also comprises a signaling device 27 fixed to the external part 21 of the trailing edge 17 using a screwable fixing member 29. The signaling device may be, for example, a brake light for the vehicle au- car.

[0038] The signaling device 27 is, in addition, screwed to the external wall 21 by two screws 29. The two screws 29 are screwed through the internal wall 23 of the trailing edge using a screwing member 31 which, with reference to [Fig. 2], is a screwdriver 31. But the screwing member can also be, for example, a screwdriver.

[0039] Not shown in the figures, the spoiler 1 may also comprise aerodynamic deflectors fixed to the lower 11 or upper 9 walls of the spoiler 1.

[0040] During the pre-assembly of the spoiler 1 and in particular the assembly of the signaling device 27 on the spoiler 1, the spoiler 1 is threaded onto a guide tunnel 33.

[0041] With reference to [Fig. 4], the guide tunnel 33 has two conduits 35 and 37 connected to each other by a rod 38. The two conduits 35 and 37 of the guide tunnel have an internal diameter sufficient for a screwing member 31 to be able to be inserted into each of the two conduits 26 without being able to modify the trajectory of the screwing member 31.

[0042] The conduits 35 and 37 each have a first end 39 installed in the extension of the internal wall 23 of the trailing edge as well as a second end 41 opposite the first end 39.

[0043] The first end 39 of each conduit has an orifice so that a screw 29 can be inserted therein to fix the signaling device 27 therein.

[0044] The guide tunnel 33 further has a buffer 43 installed at the first end 39 to lock the guide tunnel 33 in position in the internal housing 19 of the spoiler 1.

[0045] The buffer 43 may be made of metal such as aluminum or an elastomer such as polyisoprenoid.

[0046] At the second end 41, the guide tunnel 33 further has a part 45 allowing it to be placed in the internal housing, but also to connect it to a support so that it is suspended.

[0047] The part 45 is thus connected to, for example, cables to hang it on a support allowing it to be suspended.

[0048] According to the pre-assembly method, in accordance with the invention, a guide tunnel 33 is provided connected and suspended from a support (not shown in the figures).

[0049] Next, a spoiler 1 is provided and threaded into the guide tunnel 33 so that the conduits 35 and 37 of the guide tunnel 33 are inserted into the conduits 26 formed by the solid portion 25 of the spoiler.

[0050] Once the guide tunnel 33 is installed, a signaling device 27 is further provided and held against the outer wall 21 of the trailing edge 17.

[0051] A screwable fixing member 29 is then engaged inside the internal housing 19 in each of the conduits 35 and 37 so as to screw the fixing member screwable through the internal wall 23 of the trailing edge by means of a screwing member 31.

[0052] Finally, the screwable fixing member 29 is screwed until the signaling device 27 is held in a fixed position on the spoiler 1.

[0053] Other elements such as aerodynamic deflectors may also be installed on the spoiler during this process.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for pre-assembling a spoiler (1) intended to be installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof (5) of a motor vehicle (7), comprising the following steps: - a spoiler (1) is provided having two walls (9, 11) both converging towards a common trailing edge (17), said two walls (9, 11) defining a trailing edge (17), two opposite fixing edges (13, 15) to the trailing edge (17) and an internal housing (19) between the two walls (9, 11), said trailing edge (17) has an external wall (21) of the trailing edge (17) and an internal wall (23) located inside the internal housing (19), said spoiler (1) being capable of being connected in the extension of said roof (5) by said two fixing edges (13, 15); - a signaling device (27) is provided and said signaling device (27) is held against said outer wall (21) of said trailing edge (17);- a screwable fastening member (29) is engaged inside said internal housing (19) to screw said screwable fastening member (29) through said internal wall (23) of said trailing edge (17) by means of a screwing member (31); characterized in that a guide tunnel (33) is further provided and said guide tunnel (33) is engaged inside said internal housing (19) to be able to guide the screwable fastening member (29) to said internal wall (23) of said trailing edge (17).;

2. Pre-assembly method according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide tunnel (33) provided is held in a fixed position suspended from a support and in that the spoiler (1) is threaded onto the guide tunnel (33).

3. Pre-assembly method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one aerodynamic deflector is provided, intended to be fixed to one of the two walls (9, 11) of said spoiler (1).

4. Pre-assembly method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spoiler (1) comprises a solid part (25) located inside the internal housing (19) against the internal wall (23) of the trailing edge (17), said solid part (25) having two conduits (26) each intended to accommodate the screwable fixing member (29).

5. Spoiler (1) intended to be installed in the extension of the rear part of a roof (5) of a motor vehicle (7), comprising: - two walls (9, 11) converging towards a common trailing edge (17), said two walls (9, 11) define a trailing edge (17), two fixing edges (13, 15) opposite the trailing edge (17) and an internal housing (19) between the two walls (9, 11), said trailing edge (17) has an external wall (21) of the trailing edge (17) and an internal wall (23) located inside the internal housing (19), said spoiler (1) is capable of being connected in the extension of said roof (5) by said two fixing edges (13, 15); - a signaling device (27) screwed against the external wall (21) of the trailing edge (17) through said internal wall (23) of said trailing edge (17) by means of a screwable fixing member (29); characterized in that the spoiler (1) is pre-assembled according to the pre-assembly method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. A motor vehicle (7) comprising a spoiler (1) according to claim 5 mounted according to a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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