Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-30
2001-08-14
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S901010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273496
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a metal/plastic composite front panel for a motor vehicle.
Such a front panel is a structural element of the vehicle which is capable of incorporating the various items of equipment of the vehicle, such as headlamps, direction indicators, horn, heat exchanger, electric fan unit or entire cooling module, etc.
The front panel, provided in this manner these items of equipment, forms a single-unit assembly prepared and delivered by the equipment supplier, which is ready to be mounted on the vehicle by the manufacturer.
The mounting of this module is performed by connection to lateral structural elements of the vehicle, such as side members, wings or body-frame, then positioning a bumper or front shield mounted on the module.
As a panel structure which is made entirely of plastic material does not enable compliance with the safety requirements of crash tests, for the structure of the front panel it is necessary to combine elements made of plastic material (for lightness and low manufacturing cost) and metal elements (for mechanical strength). The method presently in use consists of deep-drawing a metal sheet and mounting it on a plastic support by screwing or rivetting fixing sleeves.
However, the deep-drawing of a simple sheet does not allow the production of a part having a closed cross-section, which can ensure sufficient mechanical strength. It is therefore necessary to increase the cross-section of the sheet (making deep-drawing difficult) or to add a second sheet to close the first.
Moreover, once the sheet is mounted, it is necessary to join it to the plastic support, which accordingly adversely affects the manufacturing cost of the panel. Moreover, the punctiform connection of the sheet to the plastic support may create zones which are locally more fragile, to the detriment of the service life of the front panel.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the objects of the invention is to remove this drawback, by proposing a front panel structure that is both made lighter and reinforced, and which, moreover, may be produced according to the simplest and most economical possible process.
The front panel of the invention is a composite panel of the known type comprising a top metal section extending over the whole width of the panel and provided with means for fixing it to structural elements of the vehicle, as well as at least one metal support provided with means for fixing it to other structural elements or to items of equipment of the vehicle.
According to the invention, the section and the support are separate pieces, mechanically interlocked by a plastic material jointly overmouled on the section and the support.
The section is very advantageously a section with a closed cross-section, for example extruded or hydroformed.
In cross section it may be partially overmoulded with a conspicuous region on the inner side of the vehicle. It may also receive a bundle of electric cables and/or a cable for mechanically controlling a bonnet lock, or even comprise means for fixing to items of equipment of the vehicle.
The support is very advantageously a central jamb comprising means for fixing to a bonnet lock, on the one hand, and to a shield beam of the vehicle, on the other hand. The plastic material may then be formed so as to provide a seat for the bonnet lock.
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patent: 4973102 (1990-11-01), Bien
patent: 4976490 (1990-12-01), Gentle
patent: 5000990 (1991-03-01), Freeman
patent: 5234246 (1993-08-01), Henigue et al.
patent: 5429412 (1995-07-01), Schoen et al.
patent: 5575526 (1996-11-01), Wyceeh
patent: 5580122 (1996-12-01), Muehlhausen
patent: 5658041 (1997-08-01), Girardot et al.
patent: 5762395 (1998-06-01), Merrifield et al.
patent: 5975625 (1999-11-01), Simplicean
patent: 0 658 470 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 2 761 331 (1998-10-01), None
International Search Report dated Jan. 19, 2000.
Guyomard Jean-Nicolas
Sigonneau Jacques
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
Valeo Thermique Moteur
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