Front structure of motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a front structure (1) of a motor vehicle comprising an electrical harness (2) designed to be powered by a low-voltage battery (3), the structure (1) having a mounting location (4) for the battery (3) and a front bulkhead (5), the bulkhead (5) being susceptible to impact by the battery (3) mounted in its location (4) during deformation caused by an impact sustained by the front structure (1), the electrical harness (2) extending at least partially between the mounting location (4) and the front bulkhead (5), the structure (1) having a reinforcing element (6) integral with the structure (1) and designed to delimit, when the mounting location (4) is brought closer to the bulkhead (5), a containment space (7) between the bulkhead (5) and the mounting location (4) and around at least a portion of the harness (2), the containment space (7) preventing crushing of the harness (2). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Front structure of a motor vehicle

[0001] The technical field relates to the front structures of motor vehicles allowing an electrical harness to be protected from crushing and to motor vehicles having such a front structure.

[0002] In the area of ​​road safety, car manufacturers must consider numerous concerns and regulations when developing new vehicles. The behavior of motor vehicles in various crash scenarios is regulated and tested using standardized test procedures. The requirements for the results of these tests are constantly increasing and becoming more difficult to meet, forcing car manufacturers to continually innovate.

[0003] In a frontal collision, automobile manufacturers strive to control body deformation to dissipate the energy released during the impact as effectively as possible while preventing body parts from entering the passenger compartment. This dissipation is achieved through three distinct force pathways that control how the vehicle deforms.

[0004] In this context, most vehicles have a low-voltage battery, generally 12V, mounted in the engine compartment, near a bulkhead that separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment. While vehicle deformation is specifically designed to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment, it frequently happens that, during deformation following an impact, the battery and / or its mounting point moves closer to and / or impacts the bulkhead. When the engine compartment is small, its layout is particularly delicate and requires that at least part of the wiring harness run between the battery and the bulkhead. However, during a deformation, the portion of the wiring harness passing between the battery and the bulkhead is at risk of being crushed and severed.Cutting off part of the 12V electrical harness is not acceptable because homologation standards require that certain electrical functions powered by the 12V electrical harness be maintained.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution to preserve the electrical functions required for type approval when the vehicle undergoes deformations following an impact.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a front structure having a containment space that protects an electrical bundle from being crushed between the battery and the firewall.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a front structure of a motor vehicle comprising an electrical harness designed to be powered by a low-voltage battery, the structure having a mounting location for the low-voltage battery and a front apron, the apron being capable of being impacted by the low-voltage battery fixed to its location during a deformation caused by an impact suffered by the front structure, the electrical harness extending at least in part between the mounting location and the front apron, the structure having a reinforcement element integral with the structure and designed to delimit, when the mounting location of the apron is brought closer together, a containment space between the apron and the mounting location and around at least part of the electrical harness, the containment space making it possible to prevent the crushing of the electrical harness.

[0008] The invention also relates to a reinforcement element for making a front structure according to the invention, the reinforcement element having a fixing interface designed to allow the reinforcement element to be fixed to the deck, the reinforcement element further having at least one first wall extending between an external face, designed to be impacted when the battery is brought into position, and an internal face designed to delimit a containment space with the deck.

[0009] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one front structure according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, the front structure according to the invention makes it possible to define a containment space through which the electrical harness passes to protect it from crushing. In the event of deformations resulting from a frontal impact on the front structure, the reinforcing element is located between the battery and the bulkhead. The latter resists deformations or, alternatively, exhibits controlled deformations. Even in the case of controlled deformations, the reinforcing element then defines a containment space around the electrical harness, resisting complete crushing. Those skilled in the art know perfectly well how to shape and dimension the reinforcing element, once the containment space has been determined, to resist complete crushing between the battery or its location and the bulkhead. Thus, the portion of the electrical harness passing through the containment space is assured of not being crushed and therefore severed by deformations of the front structure.Thus, the front structure ensures the electrical functions required for vehicle homologation, which could not be guaranteed if the electrical wiring harness were to be crushed.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the structure, the reinforcement element has a fixing interface designed to allow the reinforcement element to be fixed to the deck.

[0012] According to one possibility, the front structure includes at least a first wall extending between an external face, designed to be impacted when the battery apron is brought closer to its location, and an internal face delimiting the containment space with the apron.

[0013] Advantageously, the reinforcement element comprises a second wall designed to extend between the deck and the first wall, the first wall forming an extension of the second wall by forming an angle with the first wall.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the structure, the reinforcement element further comprises a reinforcement tab projecting from the first wall towards the deck when the reinforcement element is fixed to the deck. Thus, when the reinforcement element is shaped to partially deform, the reinforcement tab is dimensioned to bear against the deck and prevent the crushing of the reinforcement element.

[0015] Advantageously, the reinforcing tab has a notch to allow the passage of the electrical harness.

[0016] According to one possibility of the structure, the reinforcement element is formed of a stamped and / or folded sheet metal.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the structure includes a low-voltage battery fixed to the fixing location.

[0018] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents a perspective view of a front structure according to the invention;

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a detailed view of a reinforcement element implemented in the structure of [Fig.1];

[0021] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0022] A front structure 1 of a motor vehicle according to the invention, illustrated in [Fig. 1], comprises an electrical harness 2 designed to be powered by a low-voltage battery 3, illustrated in [Fig. 1]. The low-voltage battery 3 is, for example, a 12V battery. The low-voltage battery 3 is different from a motor battery.

[0023] Structure 1 has a mounting location 4 for the low-voltage battery 3. Structure 1 also has a front apron 5. The apron 5 is typically a Partition separating the engine compartment from the front structure 1 of the vehicle passenger compartment according to the invention. The bulkhead 5 is liable to be impacted by the low-voltage battery 3 fixed in its location 4 during a deformation caused by an impact sustained by the front structure 1.

[0024] In the front structure 1 according to the invention, and as illustrated in [Fig.1], the electrical bundle 2 extends at least in part between the fixing location 4 and the front apron 5.

[0025] As illustrated in [Fig. 1], the structure 1 further includes a reinforcing element 6, shown in [Fig. 2], integral with the structure 1 and designed to delimit, when the mounting point 4 of the deck 5 is brought into close proximity, a containment space 7 between the deck 5 and the mounting point 4 and around at least part of the electrical bundle 2. The containment space 7 prevents the electrical bundle 2 from being crushed. Either the reinforcing element 6 is designed to resist all deformation, or it allows controlled deformations that preserve a containment space 7.

[0026] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the reinforcing element 6 is, for example, formed from stamped and / or folded sheet metal. The dimensions of the reinforcing element 6, as well as its shape, are chosen to enable the reinforcing element 6 to withstand complete crushing between the deck 5 and the location 4 or its battery 3 fixed to the location 4.

[0027] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the reinforcement element 6 has a fixing interface 8 designed to allow the fixing of the reinforcement element 6 on the deck 5. The fixing interface 8 is, for example, formed of a plate 9 provided with a plurality of riveting holes 10.

[0028] In the described example, the reinforcement element 6 comprises at least one first wall 11 extending between an outer face 12, designed to be impacted when the apron 5 is brought closer to the battery 3 fixed to its position 4, and an inner face 13 which, together with the apron 5, delimits the containment space 7. For example, the inner face 13 extends parallel to the apron 5. The reinforcement element 6 also comprises a second wall 14 designed to extend between the apron 5 and the first wall 11, forming an angle with the first wall 11. In the example of [Fig. 2], the second wall 14 extends the plate 9 of the fixing interface 8. The second wall 14 forms, for example, a right angle with the first wall 11. In order to reinforce the reinforcing element 6, the first 11 and / or second 14 walls have at least one reinforcing rib 15. In the example illustrated in [Fig.2], the first wall 11 is, for example, extended by two extensions 16. .

[0029] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the reinforcing element 6 further comprises a reinforcing tab 17 projecting from the first wall 11 towards the deck 5, when the reinforcing element 6 is fixed to the deck 5. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the reinforcing tab 17 has a notch 18 to allow the passage of the electrical harness 2. In this case, the notch 18 allows the passage of the harness 2 between the reinforcing tab 6 and the second wall 14. For example, the length of the reinforcing tab 17 is chosen to cover 90% of the distance between the first wall 11 and the deck 5.

[0030] As illustrated in [Fig.1], the electrical bundle 2 passes through the deck 5 through an opening 19 and passes between the second wall 14 and the reinforcing tab 17 to pass into the containment space 7. In the containment space 7, the electrical bundle 2 forms a bend and exits the containment space 7 between the two extensions 16.

[0031] Thus, in the event of a collision suffered by the motor vehicle according to the invention, the front structure 1 deforms and the mounting location 4, with its battery 3 fixed thereto, moves closer to the bulkhead 5. The electrical harness 2 is protected from crushing, and from any resulting cuts, in the containment space 7. In particular, the reinforcing tab 17 supports the bulkhead 5 to prevent the first wall 11 of the bulkhead 5 from moving closer together.

[0032] Thus, the front structure 1 according to the invention makes it possible to delimit the containment space 7 through which the electrical harness 2 passes to be protected against crushing. In the event of deformations resulting from a frontal impact on the front structure 1, the reinforcing element 6 is located between the battery 3 and the bulkhead 5 and thus delimits a containment space 7 around the electrical harness 2, resisting complete crushing (i.e., crushing that does not preserve the containment space 7). Thus, the front structure 1 according to the invention, by preventing the crushing of a portion of the electrical harness 2, makes it possible to guarantee the electrical functions required for vehicle type approval.

[0033] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the front structure described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. A motor vehicle front structure (1) comprising an electrical harness (2) designed to be powered by a low-voltage battery (3), the structure (1) having a mounting location (4) for the low-voltage battery (3) and a front bulkhead (5), the bulkhead (5) being capable of being impacted by the low-voltage battery (3) mounted in its location (4) during deformation caused by an impact sustained by the front structure (1), the electrical harness (2) extending at least partially between the mounting location (4) and the front bulkhead (5), the structure (1) having a reinforcing element (6) integral with the structure (1) and designed to delimit, when the mounting location (4) of the bulkhead (5) is brought closer together, a containment gap (7) between the bulkhead (5) and the mounting location (4) and around at least a portion of the electrical harness (2), the containment gap (7) preventing crushing of the harness (2) electric.

2. Structure (1) front according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcement element (6) has a fixing interface (8) designed to allow the fixing of the reinforcement element (6) on the deck (5).

3. Structure (1) front according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least a first wall (11) extending between an external face (12), designed to be impacted when the apron (5) is brought closer to the battery (3) fixed to its location (4), and an internal face (13) delimiting with the apron (5) the containment space (7).

4. Structure (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the reinforcement element (6) comprises a second wall (14) designed to extend between the deck (5) and the first wall (11), the first wall (11) forming an extension of the second wall (14) by forming an angle with the first wall (11).

5. Structure (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the reinforcement element (6) further comprises a reinforcement tab (17) projecting from the first wall (11) towards the deck (5) when the reinforcement element (6) is fixed to the deck (5).

6. Structure (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the reinforcing tab (17) has a notch (18) to allow passage of the electrical bundle (2).

7. Structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the reinforcing element (6) is formed of a stamped and / or folded sheet metal.

8. Structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a low voltage battery (3) fixed to the fixing location (4).

9. Reinforcement element (6) for making a front structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the reinforcement element (6) having a fixing interface (8) designed to allow the fixing of the reinforcement element (6) on the deck (5), the reinforcement element (6) further having at least one first wall (11) extending between an external face (12), designed to be impacted when the battery (3) is brought into position (4), and an internal face (13) designed to delimit with the deck (5) a containment space (7).

10. Motor vehicle having at least one front structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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