Interface component facilitating the sliding of a wheel pivot on a motor vehicle structure during a front-end collision

Abstract

An interface part (IP) is fitted to a motor vehicle comprising a structure including a front strut and coupled to it a wheel pivot (RP) including a lever (LP) extending towards this front strut. This interface part (IP) is designed to be fixedly attached to the lever (LP) by at least partially surrounding at least one of the upper (FS), lower (FI), and outer lateral (FLE) faces of the lever (LP), and is made of a material that facilitates the sliding of the lever (LP) on the front strut when the vehicle is subjected to a frontal impact resulting in contact between the lever (LP) and the front strut. Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: INTERFACE PART FACILITATING THE SLIP OF A WHEEL PIVOT ON A MOTOR VEHICLE STRUCTURE DURING A FRONT IMPACT Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to motor vehicles, and more specifically to the strength of the structure of such vehicles in the event of a frontal impact. State of the art

[0002] Many motor vehicles include a structure comprising front feet, right and left, and wheel pivots, right and left, coupled to their structure near the front feet, right and left respectively.

[0003] It is recalled that each front steering wheel of a motor vehicle includes a hub which is secured, by screwing (or bolting), to a spindle bowl carried by a wheel pivot to which is coupled in rotation (in particular) a tie rod of a steering rack coupled to the power steering device.

[0004] As those skilled in the art know, each wheel pivot includes a lever (or arm), to which a steering rack tie rod is coupled, and which extends towards the adjacent front strut (and therefore towards the rear) of the vehicle structure when the associated wheel is substantially parallel to the longitudinal side of the vehicle. Consequently, when the vehicle is subjected to a frontal impact, at least in the case of a small overlap, a wheel pivot may come very close to the adjacent front strut and its lever may strike it. When the force of this impact is significant, the lever may penetrate the front strut and cause it to tear (or even break), which can be dangerous for at least the vehicle passenger who is located near that front strut.

[0005] To reduce the risk of tearing (or breakage), it would be possible to increase the thickness of each front leg. However, this would significantly increase the vehicle's mass and therefore its motor energy consumption, as well as the vehicle's cost.

[0006] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.

[0007] In particular, it proposes for this purpose an interface piece intended to equip a motor vehicle comprising a structure including a front foot and to which is coupled a wheel pivot including a lever extending towards the front foot.

[0008] This interface piece is characterized by the fact that it is designed to be fixedly attached to the lever by surrounding at least partially at least one of the upper, lower and external lateral faces of the lever, and is made of a material which promotes sliding of the lever on the front foot when the vehicle is subjected to a front impact causing contact between the lever and the front foot.

[0009] Thanks to this interface piece, whose material allows it to slide more easily on the front foot when a front impact causes contact between the lever and the neighboring front foot, the probability that the lever will penetrate the front foot is significantly reduced, which improves the passive protection of the vehicle's passengers.

[0010] The interface piece according to the invention may include other features which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

[0011] - it can be adapted to be fixedly attached to the lever by conforming to a shape of at least a part of at least one of the upper, lower and external lateral faces of the lever;

[0012] - it can be adapted to be fixedly attached to the lever by surrounding at least partially the upper, lower and external lateral faces of the lever;

[0013] - the material promoting sliding can be a rigid plastic material;

[0014] - in the presence of the last option, the plastic material can have a thickness general greater than or equal to 1.8 mm;

[0015] - in the presence of the last sub-option, the plastic material may have a thickness general greater than 2 mm.

[0016] The invention also proposes a wheel pivot, on the one hand, suitable for being coupled to a structure forming part of a motor vehicle and comprising a front foot, and, on the other hand, comprising a lever suitable for extending towards the front foot and to which is fixedly attached an interface piece of the type of that presented above.

[0017] For example, the interface piece can be fixedly attached by screwing it to the lever.

[0018] The invention also proposes a motor vehicle comprising, on the one hand, a structure having right and left front feet, and, on the other hand, two wheel pivots, right and left, of the type presented above, and coupled to the structure in close proximity respectively to the right and left front feet.

[0019] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the detailed description below, and the accompanying drawings (obtained using CAD / CAM (“Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing”)), in which:

[0020] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view of the front left side, a part of a motor vehicle structure comprising an example of a left wheel pivot equipped with an example embodiment of a left interface part according to the invention,

[0021] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in a top perspective view, the pivot left wheel of the structural part of [Fig. 1], equipped with its left interface piece, and

[0022] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, the interface piece left of figures 1 and 2, before it was fitted to the left wheel pivot. Detailed description of the invention

[0023] The invention aims in particular to provide an interface piece PI intended to equip a wheel pivot PR suitable for being coupled to a front part of a structure SV of a motor vehicle, and enabling the sliding of this wheel pivot PR on the corresponding front foot PV of this structure SV when this vehicle suffers a front impact.

[0024] In what follows, the motor vehicle is considered, by way of non-limiting example, to be a car. However, the invention is not limited to this type of motor vehicle. It relates in fact to any motor vehicle comprising a structure having a front part to which right and left wheel pivots are coupled respectively near right and left front feet.

[0025] In figures 1 to 3 the direction X is intended to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (automobile), which is substantially parallel to the lateral (or longitudinal) sides comprising the side doors, the direction Y is intended to be parallel to the transverse direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the direction Z is intended to be parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y.

[0026] In the preceding and following text, the term "front" is defined with respect to the front end of the vehicle, and the term "rear" is defined with respect to the rear end of the vehicle (opposite the front end). Therefore, the front part of an element is (intended to be) oriented towards the front end of the vehicle, while the rear part of that element is (intended to be) oriented towards the rear end of the vehicle.

[0027] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a left front portion of an example of a vehicle (automobile) structure SV, comprising an example of a left wheel pivot PR, equipped with an example embodiment of a left interface piece PI according to the invention. It will be understood that, given that the vehicle has two front steering wheels, its structure SV also includes a right wheel pivot PR, equipped with a right interface piece PI according to the invention, symmetrical to the left interface piece PI.

[0028] As partially illustrated, the front part of the SV structure comprises front legs PV, right and left, to which are attached a TS apron and, respectively, the front ends of the right and left LS longitudinal members. Furthermore, each wheel pivot PR, right or left, is coupled to this front part of the SV structure near the right and left front legs PV, respectively.

[0029] Each LS longitudinal member is installed along the longitudinal direction X.

[0030] Although it does not appear in the figures, a spindle bowl is intended to be coupled to each PR wheel pivot, and the hub of a front steering wheel of the vehicle is intended to be secured, by screwing (or bolting), to this spindle bowl.

[0031] Furthermore, each wheel pivot PR includes a lever (or arm) LP that extends towards the adjacent front foot PV (and thus rearward) when the associated steering wheel is substantially parallel to a longitudinal side (right or left) of the vehicle. Although not shown in the figures, a tie rod of a steering rack (coupled to the vehicle's power steering system) is intended to be rotationally coupled to a rear end ER of the lever LP of each wheel pivot PR.

[0032] As illustrated at least partially in Figures 1 and 2, an interface piece PI, according to the invention, is intended to be fixedly attached to the lever LP of each wheel pivot PR of a vehicle.

[0033] More specifically, each interface piece PI is designed to be fixedly attached to a lever LP by surrounding at least partially at least one of the upper face FS, lower face FI and outer lateral face FLE of this lever LP.

[0034] The term "upper face FS" here refers to a face of an LP lever that is intended to be oriented upwards. Furthermore, the term "lower face FI" here refers to a face of an LP lever that is intended to be oriented downwards (and therefore towards the road). In addition, the term "outer side face FLE" here refers to a face of an LP lever that is intended to be oriented outwards from the vehicle (and therefore away from the engine compartment).

[0035] Each interface piece PI is made of a material which promotes the sliding of the lever LP (to which it is fixedly attached) on the corresponding (and adjacent) front foot PV when the vehicle suffers a front impact which generates contact between this lever LP and this front foot PV.

[0036] It will be understood that the interface piece PI is made of a material different from those used for the front strut PV and the wheel pivot PR (generally steel), and that this interface piece PI (and therefore the lever LP) allows it to slide more easily on the front strut PV. As a result, when the vehicle is subjected to a frontal impact (at least in the case of minimal overlap) that results in contact between the lever LP and the adjacent front strut PV, the probability of the lever LP penetrating the front strut PV is significantly reduced, and therefore the probability of the latter (PV) being torn (or even broken) is also significantly reduced. This results in improved passive protection for the vehicle's occupants.

[0037] For example, each PI interface piece can be fixedly attached to the LP lever by screwing it. But the fixed attachment could also be achieved by gluing.

[0038] Also, for example, and as illustrated, without limitation and at least partially, in Figures 2 and 3, each interface piece PI can be adapted to be fixedly attached to the associated lever LP by at least partially surrounding the upper face FS, lower face FI, and outer lateral face FLE of this lever LP. To this end, each interface piece PI comprises upper wall PS, lower wall PF, and outer lateral wall PLE, which are positioned opposite the upper face FS, lower face FI, and outer lateral face FLI of the associated lever LP, respectively. This allows the lever LP to slide when any one of its three upper faces FS, lower face FI, and outer lateral face FLE comes into contact with the adjacent front foot PV, and thus increases the probability that the latter (PV) will not be torn, even when the front impact causes rotation or torsion of the lever LP or its wheel pivot PR.

[0039] But, in unillustrated embodiment variants, each interface piece PI could be designed to be fixedly attached to the associated lever LP by surrounding at least partially one or two of its three upper FS, lower FI and external lateral FLE faces.

[0040] Also, for example, and as illustrated without limitation in [Fig. 2], each interface piece PI can be fixedly attached to the associated lever LP by conforming to the shape of at least a portion of at least one of the upper FS, lower FI, and outer lateral FLE faces of the lever LP. This not only avoids significantly increasing the volume occupied by the lever LP equipped with its interface piece PI, but also masks certain protruding parts of at least one of the upper FS, lower FI, and outer lateral FLE faces of the lever LP in order to significantly reduce their potential to damage the adjacent front foot PV. This is notably the case for the non-limiting example of an interface piece PI illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, which comprises first SP1 and second SP2 sub-parts defined respectively on the lower wall PI' and outer lateral wall PLE of the piece PI interface and intended to mask protrusions respectively on the lower face FI and external lateral face FLE of the lever LP.

[0041] Also, for example, the sliding material (in which each PI interface part is made) can be a rigid (or hard) plastic. This is advantageous because the coefficient of friction of a rigid (or hard) plastic on steel is lower than that of steel on steel, and the impact on a rigid (or hard) plastic is less violent than the impact on steel.

[0042] For example, when using a rigid (or hard) plastic material, its overall thickness may, for example, be greater than or equal to 1.8 mm. By way of example, this overall thickness may be greater than 2 mm. Here, "overall thickness" means the thickness of at least 50% of each PI interface part.

[0043] Also, for example, when using a rigid (or hard) plastic material, each PI interface part can be made entirely by molding.

Claims

Demands

1. Interface part (IP) suitable for equipping a motor vehicle comprising a structure (SV) having a front foot (PV) and to which is coupled a wheel pivot (PR) comprising a lever (LP) extending towards said front foot (PV), characterized in that it is suitable for being fixedly attached to said lever (LP) by surrounding at least partially at least one of the upper (FS), lower (FI) and outer lateral (FLE) faces of said lever (LP), and is made of a material promoting sliding of said lever (LP) on said front foot (PV) when said vehicle suffers a front impact causing contact between said lever (LP) and front foot (PV).

2. Interface piece according to claim 1, characterized in that it is suitable for being fixedly attached to said lever (LP) by conforming to a shape of at least a part of at least one of said upper (FS), lower (FI) and outer lateral (FLE) faces of said lever (LP).

3. Interface piece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is suitable for being fixedly attached to said lever (LP) by at least partially surrounding said upper (FS), lower (FI) and outer lateral (FLE) faces of said lever (LP).

4. Interface piece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said sliding material is a rigid plastic material.

5. Interface piece according to claim 4, characterized in that said plastic material has an overall thickness greater than or equal to 1.8 mm.

6. Interface piece according to claim 5, characterized in that said plastic material has an overall thickness greater than 2 mm.

7. Wheel pivot (PR) adapted to be coupled to a structure (SV) forming part of a motor vehicle and comprising a front foot (PV), and comprising a lever (LP) adapted to extend towards said front foot (PV), characterized in that it further comprises an interface piece (PI) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, fixedly attached to said lever (LP).

8. Wheel pivot according to claim 7, characterized in that said interface piece (PI) is fixedly secured by screwing said lever (LP).

9. Motor vehicle comprising a structure (SV) having right and left front feet (PV), characterized in that it further comprises two wheel pivots (PR), right and left, according to claim 7 or 8, coupled to said structure (SV) in proximity respectively to said right and left front feet (PV).

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