Dashboard support

Abstract

The invention relates to an instrument panel support (1), comprising a cross member (2, 5) extending between the A-pillars of a vehicle and at least one support strut (3) connected to the cross member (2) in a connection region of the cross member (2) spaced from the distal end sides of the cross member (2) and projecting therefrom, wherein the cross member (2) encloses a hollow volume (4) in the region of the connection region of the support strut (3). The invention is characterised in particular by the cross member (2) having a support surface (15) in its connection region on the inside, extending in the removal direction (17) of the support strut (3), and a recess (13) aligned with the support surface (15) in the removal direction (17), and in that the support strut (3) projects through the recess (13) and contacts the support surface (15) of the cross-member (2) in a planar manner, and is connected thereto in an attachment region (16).

Description

[0001] INSTRUMENT PANEL SUPPORT

[0002] The invention relates to an instrument panel support comprising a cross member and a support strut projecting therefrom, as well as the further features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] An instrument panel carrier comprises a cross member as its core component, which is arranged between the two A-pillars and thus extends essentially transversely of a motor vehicle. Various components, such as the pedals, displays, the steering column or steering column module, and air conditioning units, are typically connected to the instrument panel carrier. Such instrument panel carriers are also referred to as cross car beams.

[0004] Given that a variety of components are connected to the cross member, various requirements are placed on an instrument panel support. These include, in particular, its static and dynamic load capacity, a specific vibration behavior, particularly regarding its natural frequency, and adequate crash performance. Vibration behavior is particularly relevant for any displays carried by or supported on the instrument panel support, as well as for the steering column module. The static load capacity for supporting the driver during steering or during the so-called skin straightening test is also strictly specified.

[0005] The steering column module is connected to the cross member of such an instrument panel carrier on the driver's side of the vehicle. This connection places special demands on the cross member, particularly in this steering column connection area: Firstly, the steering column connection must be sufficiently rigid to enable a direct steering feel. Secondly, any vibrations generated by the engine driving the vehicle must not be transmitted to the steering column module and thus to the steering wheel. In addition, tensile and compressive forces as well as bending moments transmitted by a driver to the steering wheel must be transmitted, for example when a driver pulls themselves up on the steering wheel (skin straightening test) or braces themselves in the event of a crash. Support struts projecting from the cross member are provided to support the cross member between its connections to the A-pillars of a vehicle.The cross member encloses a hollow volume in the area where the support strut connects. By providing a cross member with a hollow chamber, its stability is increased transversely to its direction of extension.

[0006] DE 10 2010 020 706 A1 discloses a cross member to which support struts projecting from the cross member are connected. A receptacle is provided on the cross member to connect the support strut to the cross member; for this purpose, the cross member is notched in the transverse direction. The support strut is inserted into the receptacle in sections so that it protrudes through the cross member. It makes positive contact with the end faces of the notched walls. The support strut is designed as a U-profile; with its flange connecting the two legs, the support strut bridges the recess in the cross member along the longitudinal extent of the cross member, thus closing the notch.

[0007] DE 10 2009 026 299 A1 discloses a connection of sheet-like, essentially two-dimensional support struts to a cross member. Slots are provided in the cross member, into which corresponding support struts are inserted. The support struts thus serve as partition plates that divide the hollow volume of the cross member into several sub-volumes.

[0008] EP 3 250 447 A1 discloses a cross member made up of two half-shells. The two half-shells are formed by two legs and a belt connecting the two legs. The belt points in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The support strut is fork-shaped at its end connected to the cross member. With one part of the support strut engages through a recess made in the belt designed as a wall, spaced from the legs of the half-shell, into the hollow volume enclosed by the cross member. With another part, the support strut engages on the outside of a leg of a shell of the cross member. The ones described above have in common that the cross member is supported by the support strut at a distance from its distal end sides. This also stabilizes the cross member between the A-pillars.

[0009] The object of the invention is, against the background of the discussed prior art, to propose an instrument panel support which is improved with regard to its stability and frequency behavior in the connection area of ​​at least one support strut, so that the instrument panel support can be constructed more easily.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention by an instrument panel support of the generic type mentioned above having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the dependent claims and the description.

[0011] The core of the invention is that the support strut is in planar contact with and connected to a support surface on the cross member side provided within the hollow volume enclosed by the cross member. The support surface extends essentially parallel to the direction of removal. Its surface normal therefore points essentially perpendicular to the direction of removal of the support strut.

[0012] It is essential for the invention that a flat contact surface is provided between the half-shell and the support strut, which is why the support strut is oriented accordingly in the connection area. A support strut is usually made of sheet metal and, if necessary, profiled. A flat contact surface occurs when the flat side of the sheet, and not the end face, faces the half-shell and rests there for connection purposes. The flat side is therefore to be distinguished from the narrow side of a sheet or profile. Another term for the narrow side is the surface that is visible in the cross-section of a profile.

[0013] In order for the support strut to be able to make full contact with the support surface provided within the hollow volume of the cross member, a recess is provided in the cross member in its connection area which is aligned with the support surface in the direction of removal and through which the support strut projects into the hollow volume enclosed by the cross member.

[0014] Thanks to the proposed design, the cross member in the connection area is reinforced not only at specific points, but across the entire surface. The material thickness in this area is the sum of the thickness of the cross member in the connection area and the support strut in the connection area. This surface contact provides extremely effective and stable reinforcement of the cross member in the connection area.

[0015] Preferably, the cross member is provided by two half-shells joined together at their free leg ends. The support surface on the cross member side is preferably part of the belt section.

[0016] The support strut is shaped in its connection area to match the support surface to enable a flat contact, at least in sections. Typically, the support strut is designed to be straight in its connection area to simplify compliance with the necessary tolerances. However, the support strut can also be provided with corresponding embossings in its connection area that are adapted to the shape of the support surface.

[0017] If two half-shells are provided as cross members, one of the two half-shells is preferably notched to form the recess. This means that at least one leg is interrupted along the longitudinal extension of the cross member in the connection area.

[0018] Preferably, the notch extends to the level of the chord, possibly extending into the chord in sections, reaching to the edge of the support surface. In this case, no leg is present in the connection area to form the recess.

[0019] Preferably, the support strut is connected to the cross member by a screw connection. This ensures a flat force transmission by pressing the support strut against the support surface on the cross member side. This additionally stiffens the entire connection area of ​​the cross member. Additionally, the support strut can be connected to the support surface in a different way, in particular by a material fit, for example by welding. In particular, it is preferred that the support strut is additionally connected to the support surface in the area of ​​the cross member-side recess, in particular by a material fit, for example by welding. The screw connection is usually provided approximately at the level of the central longitudinal axis of the cross member.The distance between the screw connection and the connection in the area of ​​the recess enables force to be transmitted over a certain lever length from the cross member to the support strut and vice versa.

[0020] In particular, it can be provided that the cross-member-side support surface also provides the connection point for a steering column module to be connected to the instrument panel support. In this way, the steering column module is supported directly on the area of ​​the cross-member reinforced by the support strut, and the advantages achieved by the support strut with regard to stability and vibration behavior can be directly transferred to the steering wheel. In particular, the straightening test, which simulates a driver pulling himself up from the seat using the steering wheel, can be successfully passed. In addition, by connecting the steering column module to the support surface, the cross-member is further reinforced in this area.

[0021] Particularly preferably, the support strut is designed as a U-shaped profile, comprising two legs and a flange connecting the legs. Such a U-shaped profile is considered sufficiently stable with regard to the load, while at the same time being the weight-optimal shape for a support strut.

[0022] If the support strut is provided as a U-profile, it is further preferably provided that the support strut contacts the support surface with its flange at least in the region of the legs projecting from the flange. Due to the flat contact of the flange in the region of the projecting legs, the stability introduced into the support strut by the legs is transferred directly to the cross member. The legs of the support strut thus act as ribs on the support surface, which are aligned essentially orthogonal to the longitudinal extent of the cross member. Although a bead, running for example in the longitudinal direction of the support strut, can be provided in the connection area of ​​the support strut, for the best possible force transmission it is provided that the support strut is fully supported with its flange of the U-profile in its connection area on the support surface and contacts this.

[0023] Preferably, the end face of the support strut is connected, at least in sections, to the wall of the cross member opposite the recess. This connection also stabilizes the wall, which is essentially perpendicular to the support surface, relative to the support surface by the support strut. The support strut acts as a stiffening bulkhead, which is connected to the support surface and the wall, thereby introducing a high section modulus into the cross member.

[0024] The connection between the end face of the support strut and the wall is preferably integral, particularly welded. A fillet weld may be provided. Through-welding is also conceivable if the wall does not have recesses into which the end face of the support strut engages. If such recesses are provided, the support strut can also be connected to the wall of the cross member with a form-fitting connection: After the support strut has been passed through, the ends of the support strut that protrude through the wall can be angled so that they engage behind the wall of the cross member.

[0025] If the support strut is designed as a profile, at least having two legs and a flange connecting the legs, it is particularly provided that the legs of the support strut project beyond the flange of the support strut in the direction of extension of the support strut. In this way, the legs can also be notched on their sides facing the flange. The clearance achieved in this way not only allows curves between the support surface and the wall of the cross member to be compensated without tolerances, but also weight. The support strut is then connected to the wall by its end face in the area opposite the support surface, at the extreme end. This reduces distortion at the connection between the support strut and the wall, particularly during welding. In addition, the force introduction is improved due to the leverage effect.

[0026] Furthermore, it can be provided that the support strut is designed in two parts in its direction of extension. A first part is connected to the cross member, as described above, while a second part is connected to this first part. The connection is preferably made with a material fit. This provides an interface for different variants of an instrument panel support. In addition, the possible offset in the direction of extension of the support strut can be easily used to compensate for tolerances. Accessibility in this area is particularly good. Materials of different thicknesses can also be used for the support strut, so that a thicker material additionally reinforces the cross member in the area of ​​the support surface, while the second part of the support strut is designed with a thinner material to save weight.

[0027] It is preferably provided that the support strut points in the direction of the vehicle.

[0028] It is particularly preferred if two support struts, spaced apart from one another, are connected to the cross member according to the concept described above. At the same time, a connection point for a steering column module is also provided on each of the two support surfaces.

[0029] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:

[0030] Fig. 1 : a sectioned cross member in the area of ​​the connection area, to which a support strut is connected according to the invention,

[0031] Fig. 2: an exploded view of Figure 1 ,

[0032] Fig. 3: a side view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, Fig. 4: an alternative embodiment according to the invention in the

[0033] View according to Figure 1 and

[0034] Fig. 5: an exploded view of Figure 4.

[0035] Figure 1 shows a section of a dashboard support 1 (not shown in detail), comprising a cross member 2 and a support strut 3 projecting from the cross member 2. The cross member 2 is connected at its distal ends (not shown in detail here) to the A-pillars of a motor vehicle (not shown in detail). At a distance from these distal ends, the cross member 2 is supported in the vehicle direction by means of the support strut 3, approximately on a cowl of the motor vehicle.

[0036] In the area of ​​the connection for the support strut 3, the cross member 2 has a hollow volume 4. The cross member 2 is formed by two half-shells 5, 6, each formed by two legs 7, 8, 9, 10 and chords 11, 12 connecting the legs 7, 8, 9, 10. The legs 7, 8, 9, 10 facing each other are joined together by an overlap weld. While the chords 11, 12 of the two half-shells 5, 6 lie essentially in the horizontal plane, the legs 7, 8, 9, 10 lie essentially in the vertical plane.

[0037] The support strut 3 projects into the hollow volume 4 enclosed by the cross member 2. For this purpose, the lower half-shell 5 has a recess 13 (see Figure 2). The recess 13 is introduced into a leg 7 of the lower half-shell 5 in the manner of a notch, so that the leg 7 of the half-shell 5 is interrupted along the longitudinal extension direction 14 of the cross member 2. The recess 13 extends down to the level of the flange 11 of the half-shell 5. This creates external access to the inside of the half-shell 5, or to a support surface 15 (shown in dashed lines in Figure 2), to which the support strut 3 is connected with its connection area 16 to the cross member 2, or to the flange 11 of the half-shell 5.

[0038] The support surface 15 extends in the direction of extension of the support strut 3. For level access from the outside to the support surface 15, the recess 13 is aligned with the support surface 15 at its lower end; the lower end of the recess 13 lies in a plane with the support surface 15.

[0039] The support strut 3 is shaped like a U-profile, having two legs 18, 19 and a flange 20 connecting the two legs 18, 19. In its connection area 16, the support strut 3 makes flat contact with the support surface 15 with its flange 20. The connection is not shown in detail in the figures; approximately centrally in the transverse direction—which corresponds to the projection direction 17—of the flange 11 of the half-shell 5 of the cross member 2, the support strut 3, or rather its flange 20, is connected to the support surface 15 by a screw connection. The screw connection presses the flange 20 flatly onto the support surface 15. Thus, the support strut 3 also contacts the support surface 15 in the area of ​​its legs 18, 19: The legs 18, 19 are directly connected to the belt 20 with the interposition of a conventional curve.

[0040] The support strut 3 is also connected to the cross member 2 by a welded joint in the area of ​​the recess 13 (area of ​​the recess marked with reference numeral 21).

[0041] Opposite the recess 13, the support strut 3 is connected with its end faces 22, 23 to the wall of the leg 8 of the half-shell 5 opposite the recess 13, here welded. The contact of the end faces 22, 23 with the wall of the leg 8 can also be seen in Figure 3 (side view of Figure 1). The half-shell 5 has a convex curve 24 at its transition to the leg 8. The legs 18, 19 of the support strut 3 project beyond the flange 20 of the support strut 3 in the region of the curve 24 of the half-shell 5. For this purpose, the legs 18, 19 are concavely notched in the region of their distal end, or in the region in which they project beyond the flange 20 of the support strut 3. The connection of the end faces 22, 23 of the legs 18, 19 of the support strut 3 to the cross member 2 is thus carried out at a distance from the support surface 15 of the half-shell 5. Figures 4 and 5 show an alternative embodiment.The structure is similar to that of the first embodiment, so only the notable differences will be discussed below.

[0042] In contrast to the first exemplary embodiment, the support strut 3.1 projecting from the cross member 2.1, which is part of an instrument panel support 1.1, is divided into a first part 25 and a second part 26. The first part 25 is connected to the cross member 2.1 in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment, but provides a receptacle 27 for the second part 26 of the support strut 3.1 at its end projecting from the cross member 2.1. The first part 25 is connected to the second part 26, for example, by means of a welded joint. The second part 26 is made of a thinner material than the first part 25.

[0043] Furthermore, the half-shells 5.1 and 6.1 in the connection area of ​​the cross member 2.1 for the support strut 3.1 are modified compared to the first exemplary embodiment. In this area, opposite the provided recess 13.1, a weakening in the form of a denting curve 28, 29 is provided in the half-shells 5.1, 6.1. Despite this weakening, the inventive connection of the support strut 3.1 to the cross member 2.1 makes it possible to create a stable instrument panel support 1.1 that meets the corresponding requirements.

[0044] The invention has been described with reference to two exemplary embodiments. Without departing from the scope of protection described by the applicable claims, numerous further embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to implement the inventive concept without the need for further explanation within the scope of these statements.

[0045] I , 1.1 Instrument panel support

[0046] 2, 2.1 Cross member

[0047] 3, 3.1 Support strut

[0048] 4 Hollow volume of the cross member, 5.1 ; 6, 6.1 half shell

[0049] 7, 8, 9, 10 legs of the half shells

[0050] II , 12 straps of the half shells

[0051] 13, 13.1 Recess

[0052] 14 Longitudinal direction of the cross member

[0053] 15 Support surface

[0054] 16 Connection area

[0055] 17 Removing direction support strut

[0056] 18, 19 Legs of the support strut

[0057] 20 Support strut belt

[0058] 21 Area of ​​the recess

[0059] 22, 23 End faces of the support strut

[0060] 24 Rounding of the half shell

[0061] 25 first part of the support strut

[0062] 26 second part of the support strut

[0063] 27 Recording of the first part of the support strut

[0064] 28, 29 Denting curve in the half shells

Claims

Patent claims 1. Instrument panel support (1, 1.1), comprising a cross member (2, 2.1) extending between the A-pillars of a vehicle and at least one support strut (3, 3.1) connected to the cross member (2, 2.1) in a connection region of the cross member (2, 2.1) spaced from the distal end sides of the cross member (2, 2.1) and projecting therefrom, wherein the cross member (2, 2.1) encloses a hollow volume (4) in the region of the connection region of the support strut (3, 3.1), characterized in that the cross member (2, 2.1) has, on the inside in its connection region, a support surface (15) extending in the direction of extension of the support strut, namely the projection direction (17) of the support strut (3, 3.1), and a support surface (15) in the removal direction (17) aligned recess (13, 13.1 ), and in that the support strut (3, 3.1 ) projects through the recess (13, 13.1 ) and the support surface (15) of the cross member (2, 2.1 ) and is connected to it in a connection area (16).

2. Instrument panel support according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross member (2, 2.1) is formed at least in the connection area from two assembled half-shells (5, 5.1, 6, 6.1).

3. Instrument panel support according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support strut (3, 3.1) is connected to the cross member (2, 2.1) by a screw connection.

4. Instrument panel support according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support surface (15) provides a connection point for a steering column module.

5. Instrument panel support according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support strut (3, 3.1) is connected to the support surface (15) in the region of the recess (13, 13.1).

6. Instrument panel support according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support strut (3, 3.1) is designed as a profile, in any case comprising two legs (18, 19) and a belt (20) connecting the legs (18, 19), in particular as a U-profile.

7. Instrument panel support according to claim 6, characterized in that the support strut (3, 3.1) contacts the support surface (15) with its belt (20) at least in the region of the legs (18, 19) projecting from the belt (20).

8. Instrument panel support according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the end face (22, 23) of the support strut (3, 3.1) is connected at least in sections to the wall of the cross member (2, 2.1) opposite the recess (13, 13.1).

9. Instrument panel support according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the legs (18, 19) of the support strut (3, 3.1) project beyond the belt (20) connecting the legs (18, 19) in the direction of extension of the support strut (3, 3.1).

10. Instrument panel support according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the support strut (3.1) is designed in two parts in its direction of extension and a first part (25) is connected to the cross member (2.1) and a second part (26) is connected to the first part (25).

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