Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
  • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
  • B60R19/48—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
  • B60R19/483—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds with obstacle sensors of electric or electronic type
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
  • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S13/93—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
  • G01S13/931—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
  • G01S2013/9327—Sensor installation details
  • G01S2013/93275—Sensor installation details in the bumper area

Definitions

• the technical field concerns devices for fixing a sensor to a motor vehicle bumper and vehicles equipped with such devices.
• repairability shocks are shocks suffered at low speeds of the order of 15 to 20 kilometers per hour.
• sensors of the radar or lidar type are increasingly used. Most often, these radar or lidar type sensors must be placed behind the bumper skin, generally less than 5 mm from it, possibly by means of a dedicated support, in order to perform their functions.
• the bumper skin In the event of a repairable impact, the bumper skin is generally stressed and deformed in the direction of the sensor(s) located behind it, which is likely to cause damage to the sensors fixed near it. Indeed, sensors of the radar or lidar type are very sensitive to shocks and are easily damaged, thus requiring replacement which is synonymous with significant repair costs.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a device for fixing a sensor making it possible to guarantee the protection of the sensor in the event of an impact that can be repaired at the level of the bumper.
• the present invention relates to a device for fixing a sensor to a motor vehicle, the device being designed to be integral with the vehicle and comprising first fixing means designed to fix the sensor to the device to form a assembly, the device being designed to position the sensor facing an internal face of a bumper skin of the vehicle, when the sensor is fixed to the device and the device is integral with the vehicle, the device being characterized in that the first fixing means are frangible, so as to suffer a rupture to at least partially release the sensor from the device under the effect of a stress of an intensity greater than a predetermined threshold resulting from an action of the bumper skin on the assembly during an impact.
• the invention also relates to an assembly comprising a device according to the invention and at least one sensor fixed to the device.
• the invention finally relates to a vehicle comprising at least one assembly according to the invention.
• the device according to the invention makes it possible to fix a sensor thanks to its first fixing means to form an assembly according to the invention, which makes it possible to place the sensor opposite the skin of the bumper, preferably close to it, that is to say within 5 mm of it.
• the bumper skin is stressed, undergoes a deformation towards the sensor and exerts a stress on the assembly, that is to say either on the device or on the sensor fixed on the device.
• This stress is generally greater than a predetermined threshold, chosen to correspond to an average stress generated by a reparability shock.
• the application of the stress on the assembly causes the first fastening means to break, which has the consequence of freeing at least part of the sensor from the device.
• the sensor thus avoids being damaged by the deformation of the bumper skin.
• the undamaged sensor may be fixed again on the vehicle using a new device according to the invention, the cost of which is lower compared to that of a new sensor, or after repair of the device.
• the device according to the invention therefore makes it possible to limit the repair costs of a vehicle equipped with a sensor in the skin of the bumper, after a reparability impact.
• the first fixing means comprise at least one fixing zone designed to fix the sensor to the device, each being delimited by a break line.
• An attachment zone delimited by a break line makes it possible to separate the attachment zone from the device. In some cases, the attachment zone remains attached to the sensor in the event of breakage of the first attachment means.
• each rupture line consists of at least one weakening groove intended to facilitate rupture.
• a device comprising such a groove is simple to produce.
• the device comprises second fixing means arranged at least outside a fixing zone and intended to allow the fixing of a repair tab designed to replace or reattach at least one fixing zone after its breakup.
• the device can be repaired by taking advantage of the second fixing means to fix the sensor on the device.
• Such second fixing means are particularly useful when the device is used to fix several elements in addition to the sensor, such as traffic lights, for example. Indeed, in such a case the change of the device would require the dismantling then the reassembly of the other elements which would mean increased repair costs.
• the second fixing means comprise at least one screw barrel.
• the device is integral with the bumper skin or comprises securing means designed to secure the device to the bumper skin.
• the device when the device comprises second fixing means, it further comprises at least one repair tab designed to replace at least one fixing zone after it has broken.
• the senor is a radar.
• Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a bumper of a vehicle according to the invention showing an assembly according to the invention arranged close to a bumper skin;
• Figure 2 shows a front view of a device according to the invention used in the assembly of Figure 1;
• FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an attachment zone of the device of figure 2;
• Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the device of Figure 3 on which is fixed a repair tab.
• a fixing device 1 according to the invention is illustrated in the figures.
• the device 1 is designed to be integral with a motor vehicle 2 and to fix a sensor 3, such as a radar 4 visible in FIG. 1, on the vehicle 2 facing an internal face 5 of a skin of bumper 6, shown in Figure 1.
• the device 1 either comes in one piece with an element of the bumper, such as the bumper skin 6, or else comprises securing means, not illustrated in the figures, designed to secure the device 1 to the bumper skin. shocks 6.
• the device 1 comprises a frame 7 which delimits a space 8 intended to accommodate the sensor 3.
• the device 1 is formed of plastic material and is for example obtained by molding.
• the device 1 comprises first fixing means 9 designed to fix the sensor 3 on the device 1 to form an assembly 10, visible in figure 1.
• the first fixing means 9 comprise at least one, in this case three fixing zones 11a, 11b designed to fix the sensor 3 to the device 1.
• a first fixing zone 11a comprises a screw hole 12, visible in the figure 1, which can accommodate a screw 13, illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, so as to screw a fixing lug 14 of the sensor 3, illustrated in Figure 1, on the frame 7.
• Two other fixing zones 11 b are designed to form a connection by clipping and for example each consist of a boss 15 having a slot 16, illustrated in Figure 2, each of which can accommodate a fixing lug 17, visible in Figure 1, provided on the sensor 3.
• the first fastening means 9 are frangible so as to undergo rupture under the effect of a stress of an intensity greater than a predetermined threshold which may result from an action of the bumper skin 6 on the assembly 10 during a shock, in particular a repairability shock.
• the predetermined threshold is chosen to correspond to a stress caused during a reparability shock.
• each fixing zone 11a, 11 b is delimited by a break line 18a, 18b designed to break under the effect of the stress of an intensity greater than a predetermined threshold which may result from an action of the bumper skin 6 on the assembly 10 during of a shock, in particular a reparability shock.
• each rupture line 18a, 18b consists of at least one weakening groove 19a, 19b obtained by reducing the thickness of the material of the device 1 and intended to facilitate the breakup.
• the breaking of the line 18a of the fastening zone 11a causes the separation of this fastening zone 11a from the frame 7 while the breaking of the break line 18b causes the separation of an upper part of the boss 15 corresponding to the slot 16 making it impossible to retain the fixing lug 17.
• Device 1 further comprises second attachment means 20, illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 3, arranged at least partly outside one, in this case each attachment zone 11a, 11b and intended to allow the fixing repair tabs 21, one of which is visible in Figure 4.
• the second fixing means 20 advantageously comprise at least one, in this case a plurality of screw barrels 22a, 22b illustrated in Figures 2 to 4. A at least part of the screw barrels 22a are arranged on the frame 7, outside the fixing zones 11a, 11b, while certain screw barrels 22b, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, are also arranged on the fixing zone 11a .
• the fixing of a repair tab 21 can be obtained thanks to the screw barrels 22a, 22b to replace or reattach at least one fixing zone 11a, 11b after it has broken.
• the repair tab 21 is used to reattach the fixing zone 11a after its separation by breaking the line of rupture 18a visible in Figure 3.
• the repair tab 21 is screwed , on the one hand, to a screw barrel 22a located outside the fixing zone 11a and, on the other hand, to a screw barrel 22b provided on the fixing zone 11a.
• the repair tab 21 thus makes it possible to secure again the two parts of the frame 7 located on either side of the break line 18a illustrated in FIG. 3 delimiting the fixing zone 11a.
• the repair tab 21 has a shape complementary to the frame 7 so as to ensure the correct maintenance of the two parts of the frame 7 located on either side of the rupture line 18a broken.
• the repair tab 21 advantageously has flanges 23 designed to come to rest on bearing surfaces 24 of the frame 7.
• the repair tab 21 has a centering orifice 25 sized and positioned to cooperate with a centering pin 26 made on frame 7 to help position repair bracket 21.
• repair tab is designed to be screwed onto two screw shafts 22a located outside and on either side of the fixing zone 11a, 11b in order to replace the broken fastening zone 11a, 11b.
• a repair tab can be shaped to reconstitute the upper part of the boss 15 which disappeared after breaking the break line 18b.
• the device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to form with a sensor 3 an assembly 10 according to the invention.
• This assembly 10 allows the release of the sensor 3 from the device 1 by breaking part or all of the fixing zones 11a,
• the device 1 thus makes it possible to reduce the repair costs of a vehicle according to the invention by avoiding the replacement of the sensor 3.
• the assembly 1 according to the invention makes it possible to further reduce repair costs by providing a repair bracket 21 which makes it possible to repair the broken device 1 without requiring the dismantling of the device 1 from the vehicle, when this is possible, or other parts of the vehicle possibly fixed by the device 1.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)
• Measuring Fluid Pressure (AREA)
• Connection Of Plates (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=76807756

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2021
  • 2021-04-28 FR FR2104416A patent/FR3122378A1/fr active Pending
• 2022
  • 2022-03-10 BR BR112023022611A patent/BR112023022611A2/pt unknown
  • 2022-03-10 EP EP22713976.3A patent/EP4330089A1/fr active Pending
  • 2022-03-10 WO PCT/FR2022/050434 patent/WO2022229525A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2022-03-10 CN CN202280031060.2A patent/CN117337256A/zh active Pending

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