FR3134784A1 - Motor vehicle comprising a joint between a flap and a front opening. - Google Patents

Abstract

Motor vehicle comprising a front opening (14); a pivoting shutter adapted to close the front opening; a joint (24) between the front opening and the pivoting shutter; a plurality of bodies (16, 18, 20) including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body; the front opening comprising a periphery with a seal receiving track, said receiving track running along the first body and the second body; characterized in that the reception track comprises a first section secured to the first body, and a second section secured to the second body, the second section being cut off from the first section. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Motor vehicle comprising a joint between a flap and a front opening.

The present invention relates to motor vehicles comprising a flap, or hood, mounted in an airtight manner on a front opening. The present invention relates more particularly to such a vehicle comprising a sealing device between the hood and the front opening.

A motor vehicle generally comprises a front block in which an engine compartment is arranged. The front block also includes a plurality of bodies around the engine compartment such as for example front fenders, front light device housings, and a bumper frame.

The engine compartment includes an opening allowing access in case of maintenance, which is closed by a pivoting flap.

The flap comprises an external panel which forms a bodywork element visible from outside the vehicle, and an internal lining formed by a piece of sheet metal arranged opposite the engine compartment. In the closed position, the shutter is arranged at the level of the opening frame with a functional clearance.

We seek to obtain a watertight and airtight closure of the flap, because a lack of airtightness at the level of the flap can create vortices which have a negative impact on the aerodynamic behavior of the vehicle.

In certain motor vehicles, an additional part is mounted so as to cover the bodies of the engine compartment and to form the contour of the opening. The additional part, also called the upper shelf, then includes a support track with the shutter on which a seal is fixed.

This solution makes it possible to obtain a flat support track over the entire circumference of the opening of the engine compartment. The sealing of the shutter is then easy to control. But adding an additional large room is an expensive solution in terms of material and installation process. The additional part adds rigidity to the front block of the vehicle and it is difficult to conform the front block to the deformation constraints in the event of a pedestrian impact against the front block.

Examples of sealing devices for a flap in a motor vehicle are known, such as for example in document FR2934234. This device comprises a seal arranged between the flap and part of the opening, in particular at the level of a front wing. The seal is fixed to a part of an interior lining of the flap, and comprises a convex profile configured to cooperate with an edge of the body of the vehicle in order to pressurize the hood in a transverse direction of the vehicle.

This solution is interesting because it allows good positioning of the flap, but the joint is not suitable for extending over several bodies, and in particular over the bumper frame. An additional gasket is required to cover the opening with risk of leaking at the connection between the gaskets. In addition, this solution does not take into account the behavior of the vehicle in the event of a pedestrian impact.

The invention aims to improve the solutions of the state of the art, and in particular to propose a motor vehicle comprising a flap which is closed in a sealed manner on the opening of the engine compartment thanks to a sealing device which is not very expensive and can be extended around the entire perimeter of the opening. The invention also aims to propose a system capable of responding to the constraints in the event of a vehicle impact.

For this purpose and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a front opening; a pivoting shutter adapted to close the front opening; a joint between the front opening and the pivoting shutter; a plurality of bodies including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body; the front opening comprising a periphery with a seal receiving track, said receiving track running along the first body and the second body.

The vehicle is remarkable in that the reception track comprises a first section secured to the first body, and a second section secured to the second body, the second section being cut off from the first section.

In the vehicle thus defined, a single seal can be installed over the entire front part of the front block of the vehicle. The contact between the hood and the opening of the front block can therefore be airtight. The receiving track elements can be formed in existing parts of the front block. The first section and the second section being physically disjointed, they can carry the same joint without communicating force from one body to the other in the event of a pedestrian impact.

In embodiments, the vehicle comprises an interface between the first body and the second body, at said interface the reception track comprises a slot between the first section and the second section.

In embodiments, the receiving track is a seal fixing track and comprises means for fixing said seal, said fixing means being distributed over the first section and the second section.

Preferably, two successive sections of the reception track formed respectively on two adjacent bodies are separated by a space in a longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the vehicle; preferably, the space measures between 5 and 15 mm; preferably between 8 and 10 mm.

Advantageously, the receiving track comprises a horizontal strip under the joint.

In embodiments, the first body comprises a light device housing and a blade forming the first section; the blade and the light device housing being made from material.

Preferably, the light device housing comprises a frangible fixing tab, a break initiator delimiting the frangible fixing tab and passing through the first section; the first section extending along the frangible fixing tab and the light device housing.

In embodiments, the vehicle comprises a joint support forming the second section, said support being fixed to the second body.

In embodiments, the second body is a bumper frame having a rear face with an upper edge, the support being attached to said upper edge.

In embodiments, the second body is a front wing and the support is an extension fixed to the front wing; preferably, the front wing comprises a third section which forms the reception track and which is tangent to the second section.

In embodiments, the receive track is a lower receive track; the flap includes an outer panel and an inner lining; the interior lining includes an upper support track on the joint; the upper support track being complementary with the lower reception track.

In embodiments, the seal comprises a fastening surface on the vehicle, and a free end opposite the fastening surface; the free end shows a profile in a transverse plane of the rounded joint with a variable radius in a longitudinal direction of the joint

The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will appear clearly on reading the description which follows, given by way of example with reference to the appended drawing boards in which:

there is a perspective view of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention;

there is a top view of a front block of a motor vehicle showing a front opening;

there is a top view of a front block of a motor vehicle showing a front opening from which a seal is absent;

there is a perspective view of a detail of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention showing a light device housing;

there is a perspective view of a detail of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention showing a front wing;

there is a perspective view from below of a flap of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention.

In the remainder of the description, the term “understand” is synonymous with “include” and is not restrictive in that it authorizes the presence of other elements in the device or process to which it refers. It is understood that the term “understand” includes the terms “consist of”.

Likewise, the terms "lower", "upper", "high" and "low" will be understood according to their usual definition, in which the terms "lower" and "lower" indicate greater proximity to the ground depending on the direction vertical as respectively the terms “upper” and “top”.

In this description, the term “longitudinal”, the term “longitudinal”, the term “transverse”, and the term “transversely” are used according to the reference of the vehicle, in the assembly configuration. The term “longitudinal” corresponds to the main direction of movement of the vehicle. The term “transverse” corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the main direction of movement of the vehicle. The term “forward” refers to the primary direction of travel of the vehicle. The term “rear” refers to the opposite of the front of the vehicle.

In this description the term “perpendicular” should not be understood in the strict sense of the term. Perpendicular means an inclination of 90° +/- 10°; preferably +/- 5°; more preferably +/- 2°. Likewise, the term “horizontal” should not be understood in the strict sense of the term. A tolerance of 10°, preferably 5°, is applied in the context of the invention. The term “parallel” should not be understood in the strict sense of the term. The concept of parallelism covers inclinations less than or equal to 10°; preferably at 5°.

A motor vehicle 10 as shown in comprises a front block 12 arranged at the front of a passenger compartment. The front block 12 includes a central engine compartment with a front opening 14, shown in .

The vehicle includes a plurality of bodies including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body. The vehicle 10 may include more than two bodies arranged around the engine compartment. For example, as shown in , the bodies can be constituted by front fenders 16, light device housings 18, a bumper frame 20 shown in , arranged successively around the engine compartment. The front block 12 further comprises a pivoting flap 22, also called a cover, adapted to close the front opening 14.

A joint 24 shown in is arranged between the front opening 14 and the pivoting flap 22. The front opening 14 has a periphery with a seal receiving track 26 shown in Figures 3 to 5. The receiving track 26 runs along the first body and the second body. The reception track can also run along more than two adjacent bodies. For example, as shown in , the receiving track runs along the front fenders, the light unit housings and the bumper frame.

The reception track 26 comprises a first section secured to the first body, and a second section secured to the second body, the second section being cut off from the first section. In other words, the reception track includes an interruption forming two distinct sections, i.e. physically disjointed on two distinct bodies. The sections can be parts attached to the bodies or made from the material of one or more parts of the bodies. In the remainder of the description, it will be understood that characteristics associated with the first body can be adapted to the second body, and vice versa. Thus, characteristics associated with the first section can be adapted to the second section, and vice versa.

The sections of the reception track can be formed by a blade made from a body. For example, the first body comprises a light device housing 18 as shown in , and a blade 30 forming the first section; the blade 30 and the light device housing 18 being made from material.

The vehicle 10 may comprise a joint support forming the second section, said joint support being fixed to the second body.

For example, the second body can be a bumper frame 20 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The bumper frame 20 has an upper edge, not shown, and the joint support is formed by a part 31 fixed to said upper edge.

The joint support can also for example be fixed on a front wing 16 of the vehicle 10 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The joint support can then be an extension 36 fixed on the front wing 16. The extension 36 comprises a body flat forming the receiving track 26 of the joint, and at least one foot 38 forming a spacer between the body 26 and the front wing 16. The foot 38 can advantageously comprise a frangible zone in the event of an impact of the vehicle.

The vehicle 10 may include an interface between the first body and the second body. The interface can be a contact or attachment zone between bodies. At the interface, the reception track may include a slot between the first section and the second section.

For example, two successive sections of the reception track can be separated by a space in a longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the vehicle. The sections are preferably formed respectively on two adjacent bodies, but two sections of the same body can also be separated by a space. Preferably, the space measures between 5 and 15 mm; preferably between 8 and 10 mm.

The seal 24 is an elongated plastic seal making it possible to create an air and watertight seal between the shutter and the receiving track. The joint may have a predetermined profile along a transverse plane of the joint. For example, as shown in the seal 24 may comprise a fixing surface 46 on the vehicle, substantially flat, and a free end 48 opposite the fixing surface. The free end 48 can show a rounded profile in a transverse plane of the joint. The radius of the rounded profile of the joint 24 can be variable depending on the longitudinal direction of the joint so as to give the joint more or less resistance to bending around a horizontal axis.

According to variants, not shown, the seal may be a lip seal showing a profile with one or more parallel lips seen in a transverse plane of the seal.

The receiving track 26 can be a track for fixing the joint 24 and comprise means for fixing said joint, said fixing means being distributed over the first section, the second section, and where appropriate, over the other sections. For example, the receiving track 26 includes fixing holes 27 shown in , and the joint 24 includes tabs 28, shown in , fixed by shape deformation in said fixing holes. The fixing holes 27 can be distributed with a predetermined constant distance, for example between 5 and 20 cm; preferably a gap between 7 and 10 cm.

According to variants, not shown, the seal can also comprise hooking lips forming a fixing clip engaged around one end of a fixing wall formed on the fixing track.

The receiving track 26 can be formed on two or more bodies. For example, the reception track 26 extends successively over a right front wing, a right headlight block, the bumper frame, a left headlight block, and a left front wing of the vehicle.

The receiving track 26 can form a horizontal strip under the joint 24. The receiving track 26 can also include variations in height in the vertical direction. In this case, when two sections of the reception track are separated by a space, the ends of the two sections which face each other can be arranged in a coplanar manner to avoid a sudden variation in height depending on the direction. vertical.

The light device housing 18 may include a mounting bracket 32, shown in , which is preferably frangible in the event of an impact. The fixing tab 32 can then be delimited by a break initiation 34 which passes through the section extending along the frangible fixing tab 32 and the light device housing 18. The break initiation 34 can be a space, for example between 8 and 10 mm in a transverse or longitudinal direction of the vehicle, or even a frangible zone. Other sections of other bodies may also include one or more rupture incipients.

The flap 22 may include an outer panel 40 and an inner liner 42, as shown in . The receiving track 26 can be a lower receiving track, and the inner lining 42 can then comprise an upper support track 44 on the joint; the upper support track being complementary with the lower reception track. When the lower receiving track includes variations in height in a vertical direction, the upper support track includes the same variations in height so as to remain in contact with the joint.

Claims (10)

Motor vehicle (10) comprising a front opening (14); a pivoting flap (22) adapted to close the front opening; a joint (24) between the front opening and the pivoting shutter; a plurality of bodies (16, 18, 20) including a first body and a second body adjacent to the first body; the front opening having a periphery with a seal receiving track (26), said receiving track (26) running along the first body and the second body; characterized in that the reception track comprises a first section secured to the first body, and a second section secured to the second body, the second section being cut off from the first section. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle comprises an interface between the first body and the second body, at said interface, the reception track (26) comprises a slot between the first section and the second section. Motor vehicle (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the receiving track (26) is a seal fixing track and comprises means (27) for fixing said seal, said fixing means ( 27) being distributed over the first section and the second section. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that two successive sections of the receiving track (26) formed respectively on two adjacent bodies are separated by a space in a longitudinal direction and/or transversal of the vehicle; preferably the gap measures between 8 and 10 mm. Motor vehicle (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first body comprises a lighting device housing (18) and a blade (30) forming the first section; the blade (30) and the light device housing (18) being made from material. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the lighting device housing (18) comprises a frangible fixing tab (32), a break initiator (34) delimiting the frangible fixing tab and passing through the first section ; the first section extending along the frangible fixing tab (32) and the light device housing (18). Motor vehicle (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a joint support (31, 36) forming the second section, said joint support being fixed to the second body. Motor vehicle (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the second body is a front wing (16) and the joint support is an extension (36) fixed to the front wing. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the reception track (26) is a lower reception track; the flap includes an outer panel (40) and an inner liner (42); the inner lining (42) comprises an upper support track (44) on the joint; the upper support track (44) being complementary with the lower receiving track. Motor vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the seal (24) comprises a fixing surface (46) on the vehicle, and a free end (48) opposite the fixing surface; the free end (48) shows a profile in a transverse plane of the rounded joint with a variable radius in a longitudinal direction of the joint.