ASSEMBLY FOR FRONT STRUCTURE OF MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH AN ASSEMBLY

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly (1) for a front structure of a motor vehicle, said assembly (1) comprising: – a hollow sheet metal body and a lining (5) fixed to said hollow body, said hollow body and said lining (5) being shaped to form a force path (7) of a motor vehicle; – a support cup (9) for a suspension system of a wheel; – a wheel arch wall (11); the lining (5), the support cup (9) and the passage wall (11) being fixed to each other and joining in a zone (13) called an “assembly node”, characterized in that said assembly (1) comprises a reinforcing piece (15) fixed to said lining (5) and arranged opposite said assembly node (13). Abstract figure: [Fig. 1]

Description

Title of the invention: ASSEMBLY FOR FRONT STRUCTURE OF MOTOR VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH A SET

[0001] The present invention relates generally to assemblies for the structure of a motor vehicle, and more particularly relates to an assembly for the front structure of a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle equipped with such an assembly.

[0002] Indeed, in terms of road safety, automobile manufacturers must take into account multiple concerns and regulations when developing new vehicles in order, on the one hand, to ensure the safety of vehicle passengers in the event of a collision or that of other most vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, and, on the other hand, to control the costs of repairing vehicles when they undergo urban impacts, called "repairability impacts" suffered at low speeds of the order of 15 to 20 kilometers per hour.

[0003] For impacts at higher speeds, of the order of 50 km / h or more, vehicles are forced to deform to absorb at least part of the energy released during the impact, in order to best protect the passengers. The deformation behavior of a motor vehicle, under the effect of an impact, is particularly optimized by automobile manufacturers who absolutely seek to prevent the deformations undergone by the vehicle from impacting the passenger compartment and its occupants.

[0004] Furthermore, the majority of modern vehicles have a passive protection design based on three load paths: a first load path consisting of the side member or stretcher line, a second load path, also called the lower load path, consisting of cradle extensions, as well as a third load path which comprises an external hollow body and a lining which closes said external hollow body.

[0005] It will be noted that this type of structure, that is to say a hollow body closed by a lining (for example a wing), is found at the front pillar of motor vehicles, therefore on each of the lateral sides of a motor vehicle. The third force path, the hollow body closed by a lining, is generally attached to a front pillar by one of its ends. It will be noted that the other end of the third force path is, for its part, connected to a bumper beam and / or to a stretcher line via the wheel arch. In addition, several reinforcement pieces for a hood are fixed to this assembly, as well as constituent elements of the (front) wing of the vehicle.

[0006] Thus, the third force path extends substantially parallel to the Ion- axis vertical of the vehicle, and generally opposite other elements of the front structure of the vehicle, such as a wheel arch and a support cup for a wheel suspension system, hereinafter referred to as a "suspension cup", the third track, and in particular said lining, running along the wheel arch and the suspension cup.

[0007] More particularly, the lining, the wheel arch (or at least the sheet metal shaped to act as a wheel arch) and the suspension cup are fixed to each other, and join in an area designated as an “assembly node”. As a reminder, a suspension cup is configured to accommodate a portion of a shock absorber and position it relative to the rolling plane.

[0008] While the wheel arch is a structural element, or body, whose function is to partially cover the wheel, with in particular a substantially arched part which covers the top of the wheel and a substantially vertical lateral part which partially covers the internal face of the wheel. A wheel arch serves in particular as a protective wall for the interior of the vehicle, and in particular for the elements present in the engine compartment, against projections coming from the wheel.

[0009] In the case of a high-speed front impact against an obstacle, such as a vehicle, a rigid wall, a deformable barrier, etc., the third force path is intended to transmit forces and dissipate the energy of the impact. However, the third path may have areas of weakness linked to its design, its assembly, or even due to manufacturing constraints, thus compromising its proper functioning.

[0010] One of the problems linked to this assembly node is that the suspension cup has a rounded shape and the junction of the cup, the lining and the wheel arch is made at a rounded corner of the cup, making it difficult to fix the elements to each other, and resulting in an assembly that is not very robust and insufficient mechanical resistance to impacts, in particular during a high-speed frontal impact against a deformable barrier or a rigid wall (offset or centered).

[0011] This weak area thus leads to a problem of early deformation at the assembly node between the lining, the suspension cup and the wheel arch. It is necessary to find a solution to remedy this drawback.

[0012] The present invention thus proposes to remedy at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a new type of assembly for the front structure of a motor vehicle, said assembly comprising: - a hollow sheet metal body and a lining fixed to said hollow body, said hollow body and said lining being shaped to form a stress path of a motor vehicle; - a support cup for a wheel suspension system; - a wheel arch wall; the lining, the support cup and the passage wall being fixed to each other and joining in an area called an “assembly node”, characterized in that said assembly comprises a reinforcing piece fixed to said lining and arranged opposite said assembly node.

[0013] The assembly according to the invention makes it possible, among other things, to avoid increasing the thickness of the lining or other elements while reinforcing the mechanical resistance of said assembly, thus avoiding increasing the mass of said assembly, and therefore of the vehicle. In addition, it is a simple and modular way of reinforcing and stiffening the junction zone between the lining, the suspension cup and the wheel arch, or assembly node, the reinforcement part being able to be adapted according to the constraints linked to the vehicles (weight, length, materials, etc.).

[0014] Advantageously, the assembly according to the invention makes it possible in particular to offer an improved safety service (for elements with identical external dimensions and iso-structure) while having structural elements which can be used both for a front structure of electric, hybrid or thermal vehicles.

[0015] This therefore has the advantage of improving the mechanical properties of the front structure of the vehicle with respect to frontal impacts, while optimizing the overall mass of the vehicles and / or reducing the manufacturing cost of the vehicles, whether these vehicles are thermal, electric or hybrid.

[0016] Furthermore, the assembly according to the invention allows greater standardization of the structural elements of the vehicle, these being able to contribute to the establishment of an identical platform (or similar platforms) during the production of an electric, hybrid or thermal vehicle, despite the different safety constraints linked to the specific elements of each engine (weight distribution, size of the traction battery, charger, fuel tank, etc.)

[0017] According to another possible characteristic, the lining has two opposite main faces: a first face in contact with the support cup and the wheel arch wall, and a second face on which the reinforcement piece is fixed. The reinforcing piece is therefore located opposite the assembly node through said lining, said reinforcing piece being configured to overlap the junction zone between the support cup, the passage wall and the lining.

[0018] According to a possible characteristic, the hollow body and the lining forming the force path have one end configured to be fixed to a front pillar of a motor vehicle, and another end configured to be fixed to a bumper beam (and / or to a stretcher line via the wheel arch).

[0019] According to another possible characteristic, said hollow body is a wing reinforcement and said lining is a wing lining.

[0020] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcing piece is only in contact with said lining. Advantageously, the reinforcement piece is only fixed to the lining, thus improving the mechanical behavior of the stress path and strengthening the area of ​​the assembly node. In addition, having to fix only the reinforcement piece to a single element simplifies the integration of the reinforcement piece into said assembly.

[0021] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcement piece has a thickness of at least 1 mm.

[0022] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcing piece is configured to have a shape cooperation with the area of ​​the lining where said reinforcing piece is fixed. It is advantageous to optimize the contact and fixing surface, and for example the welding zone, between the reinforcement part and the lining, so that the assembly of these elements behaves like a unitary element, particularly in terms of mechanical behavior (during an impact).

[0023] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcement piece is in one piece. The fact that the reinforcement part is a single-piece or unitary body reduces the production costs of said part, facilitates its manufacture, as well as its attachment to said lining.

[0024] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcement piece is fixed by welding to said lining. Welding, for example by means of spot welds and / or at least one weld bead, the reinforcement piece to said lining is a quick and economical method, while allowing good mechanical strength of the assembly.

[0025] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcing piece is made of a steel which has a high elastic limit, for example a steel having an elastic limit greater than 300 MPa and a tensile strength greater than 400 MPa. The reinforcement part is advantageously made of steel sheet with a high elastic limit, for example by bending or stamping, in order to guarantee good mechanical properties and limit the manufacturing costs of said reinforcement part.

[0026] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcement piece comprises at least one fixing lug. Said reinforcement part may also include one or more fixing lugs allowing the fixing of third-party elements, such as cables, ducts, conduits, etc.

[0027] According to another possible characteristic, said reinforcing piece comprises at least one fallen edge. Advantageously, said reinforcing piece comprises one or more folded edges which reinforce the inertia and resistance of said piece, and by extension the inertia and resistance of the area of ​​the assembly node.

[0028] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcement part has flat areas. The flat areas make it easier to fix (for example by welding) the reinforcement piece to the said lining, by providing the largest possible contact areas.

[0029] According to another possible characteristic, the reinforcement piece comprises stiffening ribs. The presence of stiffening ribs improves the mechanical resistance of the said reinforcement part, and therefore of the area where the assembly node is located.

[0030] According to another possible characteristic, the thickness of said reinforcing piece has a thickness greater than the thickness of the lining on which the reinforcing piece is fixed, and / or the material constituting the reinforcing piece has a mechanical resistance greater than the material constituting the lining on which the reinforcing piece is fixed.

[0031] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle, characterized in that said vehicle comprises an assembly for the front structure of a motor vehicle as defined above.

[0032] According to a possible characteristic, said vehicle comprises two assemblies as defined above, one for each of the front lateral sides of said vehicle.

[0033] The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given solely for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - [Fig.l] illustrates a schematic, partial, and perspective side view of an assembly for a front vehicle structure according to the invention; - [Fig.2] illustrates another schematic, partial and perspective view of the whole of [Fig.l]; - [[Fig.3]] illustrates a schematic and perspective view of a reinforcement part of the assembly of [Fig.l] and [Fig.2].

[0034] In the following description, the term “comprise” is synonymous with “include” and is not limiting in that it allows the presence of other elements in the vehicle, or the structure to which it relates. It is understood that the term “comprise” includes the terms "consist of". Similarly, the terms "lower", "upper", "front", "rear", "longitudinal" and "transverse" shall be understood in relation to the general orientation of the motor vehicle, whether it is thermal, hybrid or electric.

[0035] The term "lower" will designate a greater proximity to the ground than "upper" along the vertical axis. Furthermore, it will be noted that in the different figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

[0036] In addition, an orthogonal reference frame XYZ is defined with respect to the vehicle, namely: - an X axis, defining a longitudinal and horizontal direction of the vehicle, - a Y axis, defining a transverse and horizontal direction, which with the X axis defines a horizontal XY plane, - a Z axis, defining a vertical direction, orthogonal to the horizontal XY plane, the Z axis with the X axis defining a vertical XZ plane.

[0037] In the present application, it will be noted that "substantially parallel" means a direction deviating by at most 20°, or even by at most 10° or by at most 5° from a parallel direction. It will also be noted that "substantially orthogonal" means a direction deviating by at most 20°, or even by at most 10° or by at most 5° from an angle with a value of 0°.

[0038] [Fig.l] thus illustrates a schematic, partial, perspective side view of an assembly 1 for a front structure according to the invention intended to equip a motor vehicle (not shown). [Fig.2], for its part, is another schematic, partial and perspective side view of the assembly of [Fig.l].

[0039] Said assembly 1 thus comprises: - a hollow body (not shown) made of sheet metal and a lining 5 fixed to said hollow body, said hollow body and said lining 5 being shaped to form a force path 7 of a motor vehicle; - a support cup 9 for a wheel suspension system, hereinafter referred to as a “suspension cup”; - a wheel arch wall 11.

[0040] Said lining 5, the suspension cup 9 and the wheel arch wall 11 are fixed to each other, for example by welding, and join in a zone 13 called the “assembly node”. Said assembly 1 further comprises a reinforcing piece 15 fixed to said lining 5 and which is arranged opposite said assembly node 13.

[0041] It will be noted that the suspension cup 9 and the wheel arch wall 11 are two separate structural elements, each made of sheet metal (stamped and / or folded) and assembled together by welding.

[0042] The suspension cup 9 is generally a relatively thick sheet metal part, with a thickness of the order of 2 to 3 millimeters, due to its function of taking up the efforts of the suspension system (not visible), while the wheel arch 11 is made of thinner sheet metal, with a thickness of the order of a millimeter, sometimes reinforced locally by an additional reinforcing element, also made of sheet metal, added in particular by welding to the wheel arch 11.

[0043] The reinforcing piece 15 is therefore located opposite the assembly node 15, said reinforcing piece 15 being configured to overlap the junction zone between the suspension cup 9, the passage wall 11 and the lining 5.

[0044] It will be noted that in the mounted position, the lining 5 runs along the suspension cup 9 and the wheel arch wall 11, the lining 5 having a main extension plane (which is substantially parallel to the XZ plane in the mounted position), and therefore two opposite main faces: a first face, called the “internal face”, which is directed towards the inside of the vehicle, and a second face, called the “external face”, which is directed towards the outside of the vehicle (and towards the hollow body).

[0045] It will be noted that the assembly 1 illustrated in [Fig.l] and [Fig.2] is more particularly intended to equip the left lateral side of a vehicle, but that the vehicle may comprise an assembly 1 according to the invention for each of its front lateral sides, the assembly 1 described herein applying mutatis mutandis to the right side of a motor vehicle. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the invention described herein, said hollow body is a wing reinforcement and said lining 5 is a wing lining, these elements and 5 forming a force path, usually designated under the term third force path.

[0046] Said hollow body is advantageously a metal profile (and therefore substantially a hollow metal beam), for example made of steel, while said lining 5 is generally a metal profile which extends at least partially (and longitudinally) in the hollow body and which is fixed to said hollow body by at least partially closing one of its faces.

[0047] Thus, the hollow body and said lining 5 each have an elongated shape and together form opposite longitudinal ends, called first (not shown) and second 7b ends, for the force path 7.

[0048] Thus, the first end is configured to be connected to a bumper beam (not shown), such as a front bumper beam, and / or to a stretcher line via the wheel arch 11, while the second end 7b is configured to be fixed to a front pillar 17 of a motor vehicle.

[0049] The second end 7b of the force path 7 can be likened to a junction zone between the force path 7, therefore between, on the one hand, the hollow body 3 and the lining 5 and, on the other hand, the front foot 11. In the mounted position of the assembly 1, the hollow body and said lining 5 therefore each have a longitudinal axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle (or axis X).

[0050] Furthermore, said reinforcing piece 15 also has an elongated shape, for example a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is fixed to the external face of the lining 5.

[0051] Thus, in the mounted position of the assembly 1, the reinforcing piece 15 extends substantially in a vertical plane (or in a plane substantially parallel to the XZ plane).

[0052] [Fig.3] illustrates, for its part, a schematic and perspective side view of the reinforcing piece 15 of the assembly 1. The reinforcing piece 15 is for example a single piece (or unitary) and / or is made of steel having a high elastic limit, such as DP780 steel or FP60 steel, and for example a steel having an elastic limit greater than 300 MPa and a tensile strength greater than 400 MPa.

[0053] The reinforcing piece 15 is advantageously made of steel sheet having a high elastic limit, for example by folding or stamping. The steel sheet of the reinforcing piece 15 has for example a thickness of at least 1 mm.

[0054] Furthermore, the reinforcing piece 15 is configured to have a shape cooperation with the area of ​​the lining 5, in particular its external face, where said reinforcing piece 15 is fixed. The reinforcing piece 15 further advantageously comprises flat areas which act as fixing areas between the reinforcing piece 15 and the lining 5.

[0055] The reinforcing piece 15 is advantageously fixed by welding to said lining 5, by means of welding points and / or at least one welding bead, for example at the level of the flat zones of said reinforcing piece 15. Furthermore, advantageously, the reinforcing piece 15 is only in contact with said lining 5, that is to say that the reinforcing piece 15 is only fixed on the lining 5.

[0056] Said reinforcing piece 15 advantageously comprises stiffening ribs 15a which extend for example substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reinforcing piece 15 and / or lining 5 (said ribs have an extension which is preferably substantially parallel to the compression direction of the force path 7 during an impact, therefore to the axis X in the mounted position).

[0057] In addition, the reinforcement part 15 may also comprise: - one or more fallen edges 15b configured to have a shape cooperation with said lining 5, the longitudinal extension of said fallen edges 15b being preferably substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said lining 5 (or axis X in the mounted position); - one or more fixing lugs 15c configured to fix a third element thereto, such as a cable, a trunking, a conduit, etc.

[0058] In another variant embodiment not shown, the thickness of the reinforcing piece 15 has a thickness greater than the thickness of the lining 5 on which the reinforcing piece 15 is fixed, and / or the constituent material, such as steel, of the reinforcing piece 15 has a mechanical resistance greater than the constituent material, such as steel, of the lining 5 on which the reinforcing piece 15 is fixed.

Claims

Claims

1. Assembly (1) for a front structure of a motor vehicle, said assembly (1) comprising: - a hollow sheet metal body and a lining (5) fixed to said hollow body, said hollow body and said lining (5) being shaped to form a force path (7) of a motor vehicle; - a support cup (9) for a suspension system of a wheel - a wheel arch wall (11); the lining (5), the support cup (9) and the passage wall (11) being fixed to each other and joining in a zone (13) called an "assembly node", characterized in that said assembly (1) comprises a reinforcing piece (15) fixed to said lining (5) and arranged opposite said assembly node (13).

2. Assembly (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the lining (5) has two opposite main faces: a first face in contact with the support cup (9) and the wheel arch wall (11), and a second face on which the reinforcement piece (15) is fixed.

3. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said reinforcing piece (15) comprises at least one fallen edge (15b).

4. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hollow body is a wing reinforcement and said lining (5) is a wing lining.

5. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (15) is only in contact with said lining (5).

6. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (15) has a thickness of at least 1 mm.

7. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (15) is configured to have a shape cooperation with the area of ​​the lining (5) where said reinforcing piece (15) is fixed.

8. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (15) is in one piece.

9. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (15) comprises stiffening ribs (15a).

10. Motor vehicle, characterized in that said vehicle comprises an assembly (1) for a motor vehicle front structure according to any one of the preceding claims.

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