FR3139784A1 - BUMPER FRAME WITH REINFORCED SUPPORT JOINT FOR A VEHICLE - Google Patents

Abstract

A bumper frame (AP) equips a vehicle having a front hood (CV) comprising a nose (NC), and comprises a wall (PA) comprising an open housing (LO) extending beveled towards the front between lower (SP1) and upper (SP2) sub-parts of an upper face (FS) by defining a first cutout (D1) in this upper sub-part (SP2) and housing a stop (BC) for supporting an internal wall (PIC) of the front cover (CV), and a seal (JN) secured to this upper sub-part (SP2) and on which the nose (NC) is able to rest. This upper sub-part (SP2) comprises in front of the first cutout (D1) a protuberance (PM) on which a predefined zone (ZP) of the joint (JN) rests. Figure 3

Description

BUMPER FRAME WITH REINFORCED SUPPORT JOINT FOR A VEHICLE Technical field of the invention

The invention concerns vehicles, and more specifically the bumper frames to which the front bumpers (or shields) of vehicles are secured.

State of the art

Certain vehicles (generally of the automobile type) include a bumper frame to which a front bumper (or shield) is fixedly attached and on which a front hood rests when the latter is in the folded position.

Sometimes, the bumper frame comprises a wall which has an upper face to which are secured a transverse joint on which the nose of the front hood rests and at least one stop on which an internal wall of this hood rests front (located before the nose).

In some of the vehicles presented above, it may be necessary to house each stop in a corresponding open housing of the upper face of the aforementioned wall, which extends beveled towards the front between lower and upper sub-parts of this upper face by defining a cutout in this upper sub-part. This may particularly be the case when the front hood has a significant longitudinal extension and the front of the vehicle is very advanced.

In this case, at the level of each cutout of the upper sub-part of the upper face of the wall, the longitudinal extension of this upper sub-part may be too small to include a coupling interface for securing the joint. Consequently, not only can the joint not be anchored locally, but also the bearing surface of the joint is locally very small, and therefore there is a risk that the joint will twist locally each time it is compressed by the nose of the front cover, which may damage it and/or cause a local sealing defect.

The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.

Presentation of the invention

For this purpose, it offers in particular a bumper frame, on the one hand, suitable for equipping a vehicle having a front hood having a nose, and, on the other hand, comprising:

- a wall comprising at least one open housing, extending beveled towards the front between lower and upper sub-parts of an upper face by defining a first cutout in the upper sub-part, and capable of housing a stop for supporting an internal wall of the front cover, and

- a joint secured to the upper sub-part and on which the nose can rest.

This bumper frame is characterized by the fact that the upper sub-part of the upper face of its wall comprises in front of the first cutout a protuberance on which a predefined zone of the joint rests.

Thanks to the invention, the joint now has locally in each predefined zone a counter-support defined by the corresponding protuberance just before the first corresponding cut, which makes it possible to avoid its local twisting when it is compressed by the nose of the front cover.

The bumper frame according to the invention may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

- its wall may include two open housings, right and left, and the upper sub-part of its upper face may include in front of each first cutout a protuberance on which a corresponding predefined zone of the joint rests;

- its seal may include at least one second cutout defined in front of the corresponding predefined zone and placed above the first corresponding cutout in order to leave free access to the latter for the internal wall of the front cover;

- each protuberance can be erected to a height of between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm;

- each protrusion can extend over a longitudinal extension of between 1 mm and 2 mm towards the first corresponding cutout;

- each protuberance can be a rib extending in front of at least the entirety of a transverse extension of the first corresponding cutout;

- in the presence of the last option, each protuberance can extend over a transverse extension of between 40 mm and 60 mm;

- each protuberance can be defined at a distance from a central part of the first corresponding cutout of between 0.5 mm and 2 mm.

The invention also proposes a vehicle, possibly of automobile type, and comprising, on the one hand, a front hood comprising a nose, and a front bumper (or shield), and, on the other hand, a bumper frame -shocks of the type presented above, to which the front bumper is fixedly attached and on which the nose rests.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examination of the detailed description below, and the appended drawings (obtained in CAD/CAD (“Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Drawing”)), on which :

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the front side, a front bumper of a motor vehicle fixedly attached to an exemplary embodiment of a bumper frame according to the invention,

schematically illustrates, in a top view, the front bumpers and bumper frame of the with only a front hood stop installed in one of the two open housings,

schematically illustrates, in a first sectional view in a vertical and longitudinal plane at the level of a support protuberance, a part of the bumper frame of the with part of a vehicle front hood in the folded position,

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the rear side, a part of the bumper frame of Figures 1 to 3, comprising an open housing in which a front hood stop is installed, and before the joining of the joint,

schematically illustrates, in another perspective view from the rear side, a part of the bumper frame of Figures 1 to 3, comprising an open housing in which a front hood stop is installed, and after the joint is secured, And

schematically illustrates, in a second sectional view in a vertical and longitudinal plane between two support protuberances, a part of the bumper frame of the with part of a vehicle front hood in the folded position.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention aims in particular to propose an AP bumper frame comprising a JN joint with reinforced support, intended to equip a front part of a vehicle, to which a bumper (or shield) is intended to be fixedly attached. ) before PC and on which a CV front cover rests when the latter (CV) is in the folded position.

In what follows, we consider, by way of non-limiting example, that the vehicle comprising the bumper frame AP is of the automobile type. This is for example a car. But the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. It concerns any vehicle comprising a front part comprising a front hood and a front bumper (or shield) which must be fixedly attached to a bumper frame.

In Figures 1 to 6, the direction longitudinal X, and the Z direction is the vertical direction of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal X and transverse Y directions.

We have schematically illustrated, at least partially, in Figures 1 to 3, a front bumper (or shield) PC of a vehicle (here automobile) fixedly attached to an example of production of a bumper frame AP according to the invention, on which a CV front cover is intended to rest when the latter (CV) is in the folded position.

For example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 3 and 6, the CV front cover may include internal PIC and external PEC walls secured to each other. The PIC internal wall is intended to be oriented towards the engine compartment of the vehicle and towards the AP bumper frame when the CV front cover is in the folded position. The PEC external wall faces outwards.

As illustrated, at least partially, in Figures 1 to 6, a bumper frame AP, according to the invention, comprises a wall PA and a joint JN.

The JN seal is intended to be compressed by the NC nose of a CV front cover (in the folded position) in order to dampen the vibrations of the latter (CV) and ensure sealing.

The wall PA comprises an upper face FS, oriented upwards (and therefore towards the front cover CV), and comprising lower sub-parts SP1 and upper SP2 connected together by an intermediate sub-part SP3 which is inclined towards the front (of the vehicle).

As can be seen better in Figures 2 to 6, this wall PA comprises at least one open housing LO which is suitable for housing a stop BC allowing the support of a curved sub-part of the internal wall PIC of the front cover CV. It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly on the , the PA wall includes two open housings LO right and left. But it could include only one open LO accommodation (preferably central) or more than two open LO accommodations (for example three or four).

Each open housing LO extends beveled towards the front between the lower sub-parts SP1 and upper SP2 (via the intermediate sub-part SP3) of the upper face FS by defining a first cutout D1 in this upper sub-part SP2 . This particular arrangement of each open housing LO is intended to allow the passage of the internal wall PIC of the front cover CV each time the latter (CV) is rotated to move from its upright position to its folded position (and vice versa).

The joint JN is secured to the upper sub-part SP2 of the upper face FS. For this purpose, this upper sub-part SP2 comprises first coupling interfaces IC capable of cooperating with corresponding second coupling interfaces which comprise the lower face of the joint JN (which is oriented towards the upper sub-part SP2). For example, and as illustrated partially and non-limitingly on the , the first coupling interfaces IC can be clipping holes and the second coupling interfaces can be clipping tabs (or pins).

It will be noted that at the level of each first cutout D1 of the upper sub-part SP2 of the upper face FS of the wall PA, the extension along the longitudinal direction X of this upper sub-part SP2 is too small to include a first IC coupling interface. The invention therefore proposes, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, that the upper sub-part SP2 includes in front of each first cutout D1 a protuberance PM on which rests a predefined zone ZP of the joint JN.

Thus, each predefined zone ZP of the joint JN now locally has a counter-support defined by the corresponding protuberance PM just before the first corresponding cutout D1, which makes it possible to avoid local twisting of the joint JN each time it is compressed by the NC nose of the CV front cover (in the folded position), even though the JN joint is not anchored locally. Consequently, there is no longer any risk of the JN joint being locally damaged and/or leaking.

Note that when the PA wall has two open housings LO, right and left (as illustrated non-limitingly in the ), the upper sub-part SP2 of the upper face FS comprises in front of each first cutout D1 a protuberance PM on which rests a corresponding predefined zone ZP of the joint JN.

For example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 2, 3 and 5, the joint JN can comprise at least one second cutout D2 defined in front of the corresponding predefined zone ZP and placed above the first corresponding cutout D1. This advantageously allows free access to this first cutout D1 for the internal wall PIC of the front cover CV, and in particular for each sub-part curved towards the engine compartment which must rest on the stop BC in the folded position (see ).

The difference between sub-parts of the joint JN with and without a second cutout D2 appears in Figures 2 and 5 and by comparing the sectional views of Figures 3 and 6 (performed respectively at the level of a support protuberance PM and between two support protuberances PM).

The definition of each second cutout D2 further reinforces the usefulness of each counter-support defined by each protuberance PM, since the joint edge JN is found locally resting on the protuberance PM in the corresponding predefined zone ZP.

Also for example, each protuberance PM can be erected to a height (in the vertical direction Z) which is between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm. As an illustrative example, the height can be equal to 1 mm. But other height values can be used depending on the conformation of the JN joint.

Also for example, each protuberance PM can extend over a longitudinal extension (in the longitudinal direction X) which is between 1 mm and 2 mm in the direction of the first corresponding cutout D1. As an illustrative example, the longitudinal extension can be equal to 1.5 mm. But other longitudinal extension values can be used depending on the conformation of the JN joint.

Also for example, each protuberance PM can be a rib which extends in front of at least the entirety of the transverse extension (in the transverse direction Y) of the first corresponding cutout D1. This allows the JN seal to rest in front of the entirety of each open LO housing, and to locally establish an additional barrier against the entry of liquid which locally reinforces the action of the JN seal.

Also for example, each protuberance PM can extend over a transverse extension (in the transverse direction Y) which is between 40 mm and 60 mm. As an illustrative example, the transverse extension can be equal to 50 mm. But other transverse extension values can be used depending on the conformation of each open LO housing.

Also for example, each protuberance PM can be defined at a distance (in the longitudinal direction X) from the central part of the first corresponding cutout D1 which is between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. As an illustrative example, the longitudinal distance can be equal to 1 mm. But other longitudinal distance values can be used according to the longitudinal extension of the upper sub-part SP2 of the upper face FS of the wall PA at the level of each first cutout D1.

Claims (10)

Bumper frame (AP) suitable for equipping a vehicle having a front hood (CV) comprising a nose (NC), and comprising i) a wall (PA) comprising at least one open housing (LO) extending in a bevel forwards between lower (SP1) and upper (SP2) sub-parts of an upper face (FS) by defining a first cutout (D1) in said upper sub-part (SP2) and capable of housing a stop ( BC) for supporting an internal wall (PIC) of said front cover (CV), and ii) a joint (JN) secured to said upper sub-part (SP2) and on which said nose is capable of resting (NC), characterized in that said upper sub-part (SP2) comprises in front of said first cutout (D1) a protuberance (PM) on which rests a predefined zone (ZP) of said joint (JN). Bumper frame according to claim 1, characterized in that said wall (PA) comprises two open housings (LO), right and left, and in that said upper sub-part (SP2) of the upper face (FS) comprises in front of each first cutout (D1) a protuberance (PM) on which rests a predefined zone (ZP) corresponding to said joint (JN). Bumper frame according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said joint (JN) comprises at least one second cutout (D2) defined in front of said corresponding predefined zone (ZP) and placed above said first cutout (D1 ) corresponding in order to leave free access to the latter (D1) for said internal wall (PIC) of said front cover (CV). Bumper frame according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each protuberance (PM) is erected to a height of between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm. Bumper frame according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each protuberance (PM) extends over a longitudinal extension of between 1 mm and 2 mm in the direction of said first corresponding cutout (D1). Bumper frame according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each protuberance (PM) is a rib extending in front of at least the entirety of a transverse extension of said first corresponding cutout (D1). Bumper frame according to claim 6, characterized in that each protuberance (PM) extends over a transverse extension of between 40 mm and 60 mm. Bumper frame according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each protuberance (PM) is defined at a distance from a central part of said first corresponding cutout (D1) of between 0.5 mm and 2 mm. Vehicle comprising a front hood (CV) comprising a nose (NC), and a front bumper (PC), characterized in that it further comprises a bumper frame (AP) according to one of the preceding claims , to which said front bumper (PC) is fixedly attached and on which said nose (NC) rests. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that it is of the automobile type.