Connecting bar for securing a heating and / or air conditioning module in a motor vehicle compartment.

Abstract

Connecting bar for retaining a heating and / or air conditioning module in a motor vehicle compartment. Connecting bar (12) for retaining a heating and / or air conditioning module (14) arranged inside a compartment of a motor vehicle (10), in particular a hybrid or electric vehicle (10), the connecting bar (12) being intended to be mounted transversely inside said compartment so as to at least partially surround said heating and / or air conditioning module (14), the connecting bar (12) comprising at least one curved metal tube so as to have distinct portions inclined relative to each other, including a central portion (16) and two extremity portions (18) which form the ends of the connecting bar (12),the end portions (18) each comprising a mounting plate (20) configured to accommodate at least one fastening element for securing the connecting bar (12) to its surroundings; said connecting bar (12) being characterized in that it comprises at least one fastening tab (24) configured to be attached to the heating and / or air conditioning module (14) in order to hold said module (14). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1,

Description

Title of the invention: Connecting bar for holding a heating and / or air conditioning module in a motor vehicle compartment.

[0001] The invention relates to a connecting bar for securing a heating and / or air conditioning module arranged within a compartment of a motor vehicle, particularly a hybrid or electric vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a connecting bar. The invention further relates to an arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning module within a compartment of a motor vehicle that includes such a connecting bar. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle equipped with such a connecting bar or with such an arrangement.

[0002] For some time now, the development of motor vehicles with electric or hybrid engines has brought new challenges to be met in terms of equipment to be integrated into these vehicles and in terms of the arrangement of said equipment inside the engine compartments of these vehicles.

[0003] Generally, such an electric or hybrid motor vehicle includes a high-performance heating and / or air conditioning module, but this module is usually very heavy and quite bulky. In order to provide maximum space for the driver, the heating and / or air conditioning module can be positioned forward in the engine compartment. However, this arrangement has a major drawback: the mass of the heating and / or air conditioning module is then cantilevered, and this mass is generally considered too great to be self-supported by the body structure of the motor vehicle in question. Without adequate support, the cantilevered mass of the heating and / or air conditioning module can cause vibrations to be transmitted through the vehicle structure and / or lead to cracks in this structure.

[0004] The object of the invention is to remedy the disadvantages described above by proposing a solution which makes it possible to create at least one additional anchor point to hold the heating and / or air conditioning module in the motor vehicle compartment.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a connecting bar for securing a heating and / or air conditioning module arranged inside a compartment of a motor vehicle, in particular a hybrid or electric vehicle, the connecting bar being intended to be mounted transversely inside said compartment so as to at least partially surround said heating and / or air conditioning module. tisation, the connecting bar comprising at least one curved metal tube so as to have distinct portions inclined relative to each other, including a central portion and two extremal portions which form the ends of the connecting bar, the extremal portions each comprising a fixing plate configured to accommodate at least one fixing element intended to fix the connecting bar to its environment; said connecting bar being characterized in that it comprises at least one fixing tab configured to be fixed to the heating and / or air conditioning module in order to hold said module.

[0006] According to one embodiment, at least one fixing tab comprises a flat surface.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the edges of said flat surface of the fixing tab are curved so as to give the fixing tab a “U” shaped section.

[0008] According to one embodiment, at least one fixing tab has a hook shape.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the connecting bar has several fixing lugs, in particular four fixing lugs arranged on the central portion of the connecting bar.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the connecting bar includes at least one additional support arm and the free end of said additional arm has a fixing blade configured to accommodate at least one fixing element for fixing the connecting bar to its environment.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the connecting bar has an asymmetrical structure.

[0012] According to one embodiment, at least one curved metal tube has a circular section having a diameter between 25 mm and 50 mm, and more particularly a diameter equal to 30 mm.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the thickness of at least one curved metal tube is between 2.5 mm and 5 mm, and more particularly equal to 3 mm.

[0014] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a connecting bar as described above, characterized in that said connecting bar is obtained during a cold bending process.

[0015] The invention also relates to an arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning module inside a compartment of a motor vehicle, the arrangement being characterized in that it comprises a connecting bar as described above or a connecting bar obtained according to the manufacturing process described above, said connecting bar being arranged transversely inside said compartment so as to at least partially surround the heating and / or air conditioning module and characterized in that at least one fixing tab of said connecting bar is fixed to said module so as to bear part of the weight of the module, even the entire weight of the heating and / or air conditioning module and in that the fixing plates of the free ends of the two extreme portions of the connecting bar are fixed to lateral parts of a body of the motor vehicle.

[0016] The invention also relates to a vehicle characterized in that it is equipped with a connecting bar as described above or equipped with a connecting bar obtained according to the manufacturing process described above or equipped with an arrangement as described above.

[0017] These objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying figures, among which:

[0018] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of an arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning module inside a compartment of a motor vehicle which includes a connecting bar.

[0019] Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a first embodiment of the connecting bar of Fig. 1.

[0020] Fig. 3 schematically illustrates the connecting bar of Fig. 2 from another perspective.

[0021] Fig. 4 illustrates the connecting bar of figures 2 and 3 from another perspective.

[0022] Fig. 5 illustrates the connecting bar of figures 2 to 4 from another perspective.

[0023] A trihedron with three axes X, Y, Z is illustrated in [Fig. 1]. In this document, the axis X represents the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle 10. When moving forward in a straight line, the vehicle 10 progresses from rear to front, in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis. The X axis is oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle 10, that is, in the direction of reverse. The Y axis represents the transverse axis of the vehicle 10. The Y axis is oriented from left to right, with left and right defined from the perspective of a driver of the vehicle 10. The Z axis represents the axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes. The vehicle 10 is considered to be resting on a horizontal surface. The Z axis is a vertical axis, oriented from bottom to top. The X, Y, and Z axes form an orthogonal coordinate system.This same reference point, defined by reference to a vehicle 10, will also be used to describe the connecting bar 12 and the heating and / or air conditioning module 14, even when considered outside the vehicle 10, since these elements are intended for mounting in a specific orientation within the vehicle 10.

[0024] Figure 1 illustrates an example of an arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning module 14 inside a compartment of a motor vehicle 10, which includes a connecting bar 12 according to the invention. In this arrangement, the connecting bar 12 is mounted transversely inside said compartment so as to at least partially surround said heating and / or air conditioning module 14.

[0025] The connecting bar 12 comprises at least one metal tube bent so as to to present distinct portions inclined relative to each other. Among these distinct portions, at least one central portion 16 and two extremal portions 18 can be distinguished, which form the ends of the connecting bar 12. The metal tube is, for example, made of steel, but other types of metals can be considered for this connecting bar 12.

[0026] In the arrangement illustrated in [Fig.1], the central portion 16 of at least one metal tube of the connecting bar 12 is arranged in front of the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 while the two extreme portions 18 which form the ends of the connecting bar 12 are located on the sides of said module 14. In other words, the central portion 16 of at least one metal tube of the connecting bar 12 extends parallel to the transverse Y axis, as illustrated in [Fig.1].

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the connecting bar 12 illustrated in Figures 2 to 5, the free ends of the two end portions 18 that form the ends of the connecting bar 12 each have a mounting plate 20 configured to accommodate at least one fastener for attaching the connecting bar 12 to its surroundings. In the embodiment illustrated in all Figures 1 to 5, the mounting plates 20 have an arc-shaped form. Furthermore, each of these mounting plates 20 has two holes 22 to accommodate at least one fastener, such as a screw, for attaching the connecting bar 12 to its surroundings.

[0028] Generally, the mounting plates 20 of the free ends of the two end portions 18 of the connecting bar 12 are fixed to the sides of the body of the motor vehicle 10. In the arrangement illustrated in [Fig. 1], the mounting plates 20 of the free ends of the two end portions 18 of the connecting bar 12 are more particularly fixed to shock-absorbing cups 21 arranged on the sides of the body of the motor vehicle 10. In this arrangement, the connecting bar 12 is thus connected to the sides of the body of the motor vehicle 10 by means of four fixing points distributed on two shock-absorbing cups 21.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the connecting bar 12, the at least one curved metal tube may have a circular cross-section with a diameter between 25 mm and 50 mm. According to a particular embodiment, the diameter of the at least one curved metal tube may be 30 mm, so as to provide optimal rigidity.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the connecting bar 12, the at least one curved metal tube is hollow and its thickness is between 2.5 mm and 5 mm. According to a particular embodiment, the thickness of the at least one curved metal tube is more particularly equal to 3 mm, so as to offer a good compromise between the rigidity of the connecting bar 12 and its weight.

[0031] In a manner common to all embodiments, the connecting bar 12 includes at least one fixing lug 24 configured to be fixed to the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 in order to hold said module 14. More particularly, the at least one fixing lug 24 fixed to the module 14 makes it possible to bear part of the weight of the module 14, or even all of the weight of said module: the at least one fixing lug 24 thus makes it possible to add an anchor point for holding the module 14 in a compartment of a motor vehicle 10.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment, the connecting bar 12 has several fixing lugs 24. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the connecting bar 12 notably has four fixing lugs 24 arranged on the central portion 16 of the connecting bar 12. As illustrated in [Fig. 1], the four fixing lugs 24 of the connecting bar 12 are fixed to an upper face of the module 14.

[0033] In this preferred embodiment, the four fixing lugs 24 are arranged on the same side of the central portion 16 of the connecting bar 12; however, it is entirely possible to imagine an embodiment of the connecting bar 12 in which some fixing lugs 24 are arranged on one side of the central portion 16 of the connecting bar 12 and other fixing lugs 24 are arranged on the other side of this same central portion 16 of the connecting bar 12. It is also possible to imagine an embodiment of the connecting bar 12 in which at least one fixing lug 24 is fixed on one of the extremal portions 18 of the connecting bar 12.

[0034] Where the connecting bar 12 has several mounting lugs 24, the mounting lugs 24 may have different shapes and dimensions. More specifically, the width, length, thickness and / or shape of the mounting lugs 24 may vary from one mounting lug 24 to another for the same connecting bar 12.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 5, at least one mounting bracket 24 has a flat surface 26. This flat surface 26 provides an additional support surface for securing the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 inside the engine compartment. The flat surface 26 can be drilled to accommodate a fastener such as a screw for securing at least one mounting bracket 24 to the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 inside the engine compartment.

[0036] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 5, the edges 28 of said flat surface 26 of the mounting bracket 24 are curved so as to give the mounting bracket 24 a U-shaped cross-section. The curved edges 28 make the mounting bracket 24 more rigid. Furthermore, the curved edges 28 can serve as support and / or guide rail to allow the attachment of other engine compartment components, such as cables and / or hoses. In this way, the mounting bracket(s) 24 not only create an additional support surface for the heating and / or air conditioning module 14, but also a support surface for other engine compartment components. The function of at least one mounting bracket 24 can thus be diversified.

[0037] In order to adapt as best as possible to its environment, particularly in terms of available space, at least one mounting bracket 24 may have a hook shape. This is illustrated more specifically in [Fig. 2], [Fig. 4], and [Fig. 5]. Generally speaking, the geometry of the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 and the environment in which said module 14 and the connecting bar 12 are arranged dictates the geometry of this connecting bar 12. Thus, the length, width, thickness, and general shape of at least one mounting bracket 24, as well as its position on the connecting bar 12, depend heavily on the geometry of the module 14 and the environment in which said module 14 and the connecting bar 12 are arranged.

[0038] Since the geometry of the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 and the environment in which said module 14 and the connecting bar 12 are arranged dictate the geometry of this connecting bar 12, the connecting bar 12 may, in particular, have an asymmetrical structure. An "asymmetrical structure" is understood to mean that the end portions 18 of the connecting bar 12 are not identical in length or inclination with respect to the central portion 16 of the connecting bar 12, which gives said connecting bar 12 an asymmetrical shape. An embodiment of such a connecting bar 12 with an asymmetrical structure is illustrated in particular in [Fig. 3].

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment, the connecting bar 12 may include at least one additional support arm 30 in addition to the curved metal tube that forms the central portion 16 and the two end portions 18 of the connecting bar 12. The at least one additional arm 30 includes, in particular, an end integral with the curved metal tube that forms the central portion 16 and the two end portions 28 of the connecting bar. Furthermore, the at least one additional arm 30 extends so as to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X.

[0040] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 to 5, the connecting bar 12 more specifically comprises two additional support arms 30. These two additional arms 30 are notably of the same length and are parallel to each other. Furthermore, the fixed ends of the additional arms 30 are located at the junctions between the central portion 16 and the two end portions 18 of the connecting bar 12.

[0041] In this embodiment, the free end of at least one additional arm 30 may have a fixing blade 32 configured to accommodate at least one fixing element for attaching the connecting bar 12 to its surroundings. The fixing blade 32 includes, in particular, at least one opening configured to accommodate said fixing element. The fixing element may, in particular, be a screw intended to be fitted into a nut.

[0042] According to a particular embodiment, the mounting blades 32 of the two additional support arms 30 are fixed to shock absorber cup reinforcements. By fixing the connecting bar 12 to the apron via the mounting blades 32 of the two additional support arms 30, the assembly formed by the connecting bar 12 and the apron can contribute to the overall stability of the motor vehicle 10.

[0043] A connecting bar 12 having a structure and dimensions such as those described above also has the advantage of being easy to manufacture. According to a preferred manufacturing process for such a connecting bar 12, it can, in particular, be obtained through a cold bending process. Such a manufacturing process is reliable and economical.

[0044] Thanks to its general geometry and, more specifically, thanks to the presence of at least one mounting bracket 24, the connecting bar 12 not only creates at least one additional attachment point for the heating and / or air conditioning module 14, thus overcoming the problem of the module 14's cantilevered mass inside the compartment, but also creates a support surface for other engine compartment components. Such a connecting bar 12 also provides additional rigidity to the motor vehicle 10 in the event of a frontal impact. In general, such a connecting bar 12 enhances the protection of the components inside the engine compartment of the motor vehicle 10.

[0045] The geometry of such a connecting bar 12, in particular the number of fixing lugs 24, the location of said fixing lugs 24 and the angles of inclination of said fixing lugs 24 and / or of the portions 16, 18 of at least one tube of the connecting bar 12 and / or of the additional support arm(s) 30 can be adapted to the geometry of the heating and / or air conditioning module 14 and the environment in which said module 14 and the connecting bar 12 are arranged, which dictate the geometry of this connecting bar 12. Each connecting bar 12 is thus adaptable according to the vehicle 10 in which it is intended to be mounted and, by its versatility, it allows a multitude of functions to be performed in the same arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning module 14 inside a compartment of a motor vehicle 10.

Claims

Demands

1. Connecting bar (12) for retaining a heating and / or air conditioning module (14) arranged inside a compartment of a motor vehicle (10), including a hybrid or electric vehicle (10), the connecting bar (12) being intended to be mounted transversely inside said compartment so as to at least partially surround said heating and / or air conditioning module (14), the connecting bar (12) comprising at least one curved metal tube so as to have distinct portions inclined relative to each other, including a central portion (16) and two extremal portions (18) which form ends of the connecting bar (12), the extremal portions (18) each having a mounting plate (20) configured to accommodate at least one fastener for securing the connecting bar (12) to its surroundings;said connecting bar (12) being characterized in that it comprises at least one fixing tab (24) configured to be fixed to the heating and / or air conditioning module (14) in order to hold said module (14).

2. Connecting bar according to the preceding claim, characterized in that at least one fixing lug (24) comprises a flat surface (26) and in that the edges (28) of said flat surface (26) of the fixing lug (24) are curved so as to give the fixing lug (24) a U-shaped cross-section.

3. Connecting bar according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one fixing tab (24) has a hook shape.

4. Connecting bar according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises several fixing lugs (24), in particular four fixing lugs (24) arranged on the central portion (16) of the connecting bar (12).

5. Connecting bar according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one additional support arm (30) and in that the free end of said additional arm (30) has a fixing blade (32) configured to accommodate at least one fixing element for fixing the connecting bar (12) to its environment.

6. Connecting bar according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bar (12) has an asymmetrical structure.

7. Connecting bar according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one curved metal tube has a circular cross-section with a diameter between 25 mm and 50 mm, and more particularly a diameter of 30 mm and / or characterized in that the thickness of at least one curved metal tube is between 2.5 mm and 5 mm, and more particularly equal to 3 mm.

8. A method for manufacturing a connecting bar (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connecting bar (12) is obtained during a cold bending process.

9. Arrangement of a heating and / or air conditioning module (14) inside a compartment of a motor vehicle (10), the arrangement being characterized in that it comprises a connecting bar (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or a connecting bar (12) obtained according to the manufacturing process of claim 8, said connecting bar (12) being disposed transversely inside said compartment so as to at least partially surround the heating and / or air conditioning module (14) and characterized in that at least one fixing lug (24) of said connecting bar (12) is fixed to said module (14) so ​​as to bear part of the weight of the module (14), or even all of the weight of the heating and / or air conditioning module (14) and in that the fixing plates (20) of the free ends of the two end portions (18) of the connecting bar (12) are fixed to lateral parts of a motor vehicle body (10).

10. Motor vehicle (10), characterized in that it is equipped with a connecting bar (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or equipped with a connecting bar (12) obtained according to the manufacturing process of claim 8 or equipped with an arrangement according to the preceding claim.

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