Set of passenger compartment elements to be assembled and method for adjusting the elements forming the set

Abstract

The invention relates to a set (1) of parts comprising at least one passenger compartment element (2), each having an adjustment rib (6), and further comprising a support (3) defining a recess (9) which is dimensioned to accommodate each element (2), the recess (9) being defined by two inclined wall portions (10) facing each other and each designed to bearingly receive an element (2), and by a back wall (11) having a bearing zone (12) designed to allow an adjustment rib (6) to bear against the back wall (11) which has an attachment opening (13) therein, one of the elements (2) having an attachment rod (8) designed to be inserted into an opening (13) when the element (2) bears against the back wall (11), each adjustment rib (6) having dimensions that prevent the element (2) thereof from bearing against the wall portions (10).

Description

Description Title of the invention: Assembly of passenger compartment elements to be assembled and method of adjusting the elements of the assembly.

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2310535 filed on October 3, 2023, the content of which (text, drawings, and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The technical field relates to assemblies of passenger compartment components, methods for fitting these components, assemblies obtained by implementing the method, and vehicles exhibiting such an assembly.

[0002] For car manufacturers, the quality of finish of their vehicles and their aesthetic aspects are essential to stand out from other brands.

[0003] For this reason, manufacturers are making considerable efforts to continuously improve these areas. Customers pay particular attention to the quality of the assembly and flushness of the various interior components, and it is therefore essential to offer flush surfaces free of visual defects.

[0004] In this context, assemblies with zero-play fit between two parts are particularly valued by designers in charge of developing new interiors. However, such assemblies are especially difficult to implement on an industrial scale. The difficulties are even greater when two flush surfaces of the same assembly must be completely free of play. Given these challenges, car manufacturers often prefer to avoid such assemblies and resort to other solutions, at the expense of the final aesthetic appearance.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution to minimize or eliminate the difficulties in developing a two-part assembly of a passenger compartment with flush surfaces free of play.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide an assembly of at least one passenger compartment element and a support enabling the implementation of a simple method adjustment to obtain a play-free assembly at the flush points between the interior element(s) and the support.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to an assembly of interior parts for a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising, on the one hand, at least one interior element to be assembled, each element having at least one adjustment rib and, on the other hand, a support defining a housing dimensioned to accommodate each interior element to be assembled, the housing being delimited, on the one hand, by at least two facing wall portions inclined relative to each other and each designed to receive at least one interior element in support and, on the other hand, by a bottom wall having at least one support area, each support area being designed to allow an adjustment rib to bear against the bottom wall, the bottom wall further having at least one fixing hole,at least one of the passenger compartment elements having at least one fixing rod designed to be inserted into a fixing hole when the element is supported against the bottom wall by means of an adjustment rib, each adjustment rib having dimensions preventing its element from supporting the wall portions.

[0008] The invention also relates to a method of adjusting the contact between the support and the cabin elements to be assembled in a set according to the invention, the method comprising a first step consisting of adjusting by cutting at least one dimension of each adjustment rib in order to allow the assembly of each cabin element so that at least one cabin element is in support of each portion of wall, each fixing rod being inserted into a fixing hole.

[0009] The invention also relates to an assembly formed by implementing the method according to the invention on an assembly according to the invention.

[0010] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one assembly according to the invention.

[0011] Thus, the assembly according to the invention allows the implementation of the adjustment method according to the invention. Experience shows that the implementation of the method for reducing the length of the The adjustment ribs are simple and allow for assemblies according to the invention with no play between the passenger compartment element(s) and the support at the points where they are supported on the wall sections. Thus, the method according to the invention simplifies the adjustment of the passenger compartment element(s) and the support compared to what is usually required. The method according to the invention is therefore applicable to many assemblies where the support has two wall sections arranged opposite each other and inclined relative to each other.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least two cabin elements are designed to overlap when assembled in the housing, such that removing one of the two elements from the housing requires prior removal of the other element from the housing, the cabin element whose prior removal is required having at least one fixing rod.

[0013] According to one possibility of the set, the wall portions extend, along a cross-section of the support, along a portion of V. In particular, the two wall portions and the bottom wall have a U-shaped cross-section.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the support is a trim piece, one interior element is an upper ventilation rail and another interior element is a lower ventilation rail.

[0015] According to one possible implementation of the method, the first step is followed by a second step consisting of applying pressure to at least one cabin element having a fixing rod and welding said fixing rod to the support while the pressure is applied.

[0016] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description that follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 represents a schematic view of an assembly according to the invention;

[0018] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 represents a schematic view of an assembly according to the invention made from the assembly of Figure 1;

[0019] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 represents a cross-sectional view of an assembly according to the particular invention.

[0020] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0021] A set 1 of motor vehicle interior parts according to the invention is illustrated in the figures. The set 1 comprises, on the one hand, at least one interior element 2 to be assembled and a support 3.

[0022] In the example shown in Figure 3, one passenger compartment element 2 is, for example, an upper ventilation rail 4, and another passenger compartment element 2 is a lower ventilation rail 5. The support 3 forms part of a passenger compartment dashboard.

[0023] Each element 2 has at least one adjustment rib 6 projecting from a face 7 of the element 2 designed to be invisible from the passenger compartment once the element is assembled in the support 3. At least one element 2 of the assembly 1 further has a fixing rod 8 projecting from the same face 7.

[0024] The support 3 defines a housing 9 sized to accommodate each passenger compartment element 2 to be assembled. The housing 9 is delimited, on one side, by at least two facing wall portions 10, inclined relative to each other, and each designed to support at least one passenger compartment element 2. In the example illustrated in the figures, the wall portions 10 extend, along a cross-section of the support, along a portion of V.

[0025] Housing 2 is delimited, on the other hand, by a back wall 11. The face 7 is designed to be positioned opposite the back wall 11 when element 2 is placed in housing 9.

[0026] The bottom wall 11 has at least one bearing area 12, each designed to allow an adjustment rib 6 to bear against the bottom wall 11. The bottom wall 11 further has at least one fastening hole 13 to allow the insertion of a fastening rod 8 when the passenger compartment element 2 is supported against the bottom wall 11 by means of an adjustment rib 6. In the assembly 1 according to the invention, each adjustment rib 6 has dimensions preventing its element 2 from supporting the wall portions 10. Thus, the elements 2 are at a distance from the wall portions 10.

[0027] In the example illustrated in Figure 3, at least two cabin elements 2 are designed to overlap when assembled in the housing 9, so that removing one of the two elements 2 from the housing 9, in this case the upper rail 4, requires the prior removal of the other element 2, in this case the lower rail 5, from the housing 9, the cabin element 2 whose prior removal is required having at least one fixing rod 8.

[0028] Assembly 1 according to the invention allows the fitting method according to the invention to be implemented to form an assembly 14 according to the invention, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The fitting method consists of making the contact between the support 3 and the cabin elements 2 to be assembled from assembly 1. To this end, the method includes a first step consisting of fitting by cutting at least one dimension of each fitting rib 6 in order to allow the assembly of each cabin element 2 so that at least one cabin element 2 is supported by each portion of wall 10, each fixing rod 8 being inserted into a fixing hole 13.In the example described, the length L, illustrated in Figure 1, of each adjustment rib 6, measured from and perpendicular to face 7, is reduced to bring an edge 15 of each cabin element 2 into contact with the wall portions 10, shown in Figures 2 and 3 at the triangular marks 16. The reduction of length L is carried out in one or more stages. When each adjustment rib 6 has been reduced to the length suitable for bringing the edges 15 into contact with the wall portions 10, the fits between the cabin elements 2 and the support 3 form zero-clearance fits, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

[0029] The first step of the method according to the invention is followed by a second step consisting of applying pressure to at least one passenger compartment element 2, in this case the lower rail 5, having a fixing rod 8, and forming a weld 17, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, to weld said fixing rod 8 to the support 3 while the Pressure is applied. In the example illustrated in the figures, weld 17 is made on the bottom wall 11 so as to immobilize the cabin element 2 relative to the support 3. In the assembly 14, the length of each adjustment rib 6 is considered adequate, after application of the method according to the invention, when the clearance between each bearing area 12 and each adjustment rib 6 is on the order of 0.1 mm, while the elements 2 are supported on the wall portions 10 at the triangular marks 16. It should be noted that such clearance, if it were zero, would risk causing over-constraint and / or deforming the support 3.

[0030] Thus, assembly 1 according to the invention allows the implementation of the adjustment method according to the invention. Experience shows that implementing the method for reducing the length L of the adjustment ribs 6 by cutting is simple and makes it possible to obtain an assembly 14 free of play between the passenger compartment elements 2 and the support 3, at the triangular marks 16, on the wall portions 10.

[0031] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the assembly described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments may be devised by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Set (1) of motor vehicle interior parts, the set (1) comprising, on the one hand, at least one interior element (2) to be assembled, each element (2) having at least one adjustment rib (6) and, on the other hand, a support (3) delimiting a housing (9) sized to accommodate each interior element (2) to be assembled, the housing (9) being delimited, on the one hand, by at least two wall portions (10) facing each other, inclined relative to each other and each designed to receive at least one interior element (2) in support and, on the other hand, by a bottom wall (11) having at least one support zone (12), each support zone (12) being designed to allow an adjustment rib (6) to come to bear on the bottom wall (11), the bottom wall (11) further having at least one fixing orifice (13), at least one of the passenger compartment elements (2) having at least one fixing rod (8) designed to be inserted into a fixing orifice (13) when the element (2) is resting on the bottom wall (11) by means of an adjustment rib (6), each adjustment rib (6) having dimensions preventing its element (2) from resting on the wall portions (10).

2. Assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two passenger compartment elements (2) are designed to overlap when assembled in the housing (9), so that the removal from the housing (9) of one of the two elements (2) requires the prior removal of the other element (2) from the housing (9), the passenger compartment element (2) whose prior removal is required having at least one fixing rod (8).

3. Assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wall portions (10) extend, along a cross section of the support, along a portion of V.

4. Assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support (3) is a trim, a passenger compartment element (2) is an upper ventilation rail (4) and another passenger compartment element (2) is a lower ventilation rail (5).

5. Method for adjusting the docking between the support and the passenger compartment elements (2) to be assembled of an assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, the method comprising a first step consisting of adjusting by cutting at least one dimension of each adjustment rib (6) in order to allow the assembly of each passenger compartment element (2) so that at least one passenger compartment element (2) is supported by each wall portion (10), each fixing rod (8) being inserted into a fixing orifice (13).

6. Adjustment method according to claim 5, characterized in that the first step is followed by a second step consisting of applying pressure to at least one passenger compartment element (2) having a fixing rod (8) and welding said fixing rod (8) to the support while the pressure is applied.

7. Assembly (14) formed by implementing the method according to claim 5 or 6 on an assembly (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4.

8. Motor vehicle having at least one assembly (14) according to claim 7.

Images