CN106476897B

CN106476897B - Motor vehicle with open roof with fastening elements

Info

Publication number: CN106476897B
Application number: CN201610720951.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: B·勒菲弗; V·雷迪-万格里
Original assignee: Renault SAS
Current assignee: Renault SAS
Priority date: 2015-08-25
Filing date: 2016-08-24
Publication date: 2021-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2036-08-24
Also published as: FR3040356B1; CN106476897A; FR3040356A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle having an open roof with fastening elements. A motor vehicle having a vehicle body (1) with an open roof arrangement comprises a supporting frame (3) of the open roof having a rear cross member (4), which rear cross member (4) is attached at its two lateral ends (10, 11) to lateral faces (8, 9) of the vehicle body, respectively. A fastening element (16) extends between the lateral ends (10, 11) of the rear transverse member (4) and the lateral surfaces (8, 9) of the vehicle body (1).

Description

Motor vehicle with open roof with fastening elements

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and, more particularly, to a vehicle equipped with an open roof (open roof).

Background

Generally, a vehicle having an open roof includes a support frame fastened to a top/upper side of a vehicle body.

However, most existing vehicles are not originally designed to receive an open roof system, and the vehicle body is not necessarily adapted to support such devices.

The entire system rests on the top surface and the weight of the system itself can weaken and destroy the structural integrity. A greater stress level and a certain displacement amplitude of the supporting frame of the open roof can thus be measured.

Therefore, a reinforced structure is needed to avoid the risk of failure and to ensure a safer system.

The solution consists in redesigning the existing body so as to be adapted to each vehicle, with the aim of providing a sufficiently strong structure. However, the main disadvantage of these strategies is that they are costly and complex.

The present invention therefore aims to overcome the above disadvantages by providing a reinforced open roof arrangement which enables a vehicle which is not originally designed for supporting an open roof to receive such a system.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above technical problem, a motor vehicle having a vehicle body with an open roof arrangement comprises a supporting frame of an open roof having rear cross members attached at both lateral ends thereof to lateral faces of the vehicle body, respectively.

A fixing element extends between a lateral end of the rear cross member and a lateral face of the vehicle body.

Preferably, the fixing element is attached to a lateral reinforcement cover fastened on a lateral face of the bodywork.

Advantageously, the fixing element is mounted underneath the rear cross member substantially in the extension of said rear cross member.

More advantageously, each fixing element comprises a main portion and two attachment portions projecting from two free ends of the main portion.

Preferably, the two attachment portions are folded away from the surface plane of the main portion.

Furthermore, the at least one attachment portion of the fixation element comprises two separate branches connected to the main portion.

Each attachment portion may be provided with a hole adapted to receive attachment means for effecting attachment to the lateral faces and rear cross member of the vehicle body or to the lateral reinforcement cover, respectively.

The attachment means may be a bolt, a screw or any equivalent means.

Preferably, each fixing element is made from a metal blank formed with folded reinforcing side edges.

Drawings

Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention will emerge from the detailed description of embodiments thereof, illustrated as non-limiting examples in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle body according to the invention;

figure 2 is an enlarged inside view of the left lateral face of the body according to the first embodiment;

figure 3 is a side view of a fixing element according to a first embodiment;

figure 4 is an enlarged inside view of the left lateral face of the body according to the second embodiment; and is

Fig. 5 is an enlarged inside view of the left lateral face of the body according to the third embodiment.

Detailed Description

In the example shown in fig. 1 and 2, a vehicle with an open roof includes a vehicle body 1. The body 1 comprises a left lateral face 8, a right lateral face 9 and a top face 2. An open-roof support frame 3 is preferably provided and this support frame 3 extends from the front 13 to the rear 5 of the top surface 2 of the vehicle body 1. The support frame 3 comprises a rear cross member 4 defining a rear portion 5.

The rear cross member 4 extends transversely on the top surface 2 and has a first lateral end 10 and a second lateral end 11. The two

lateral ends

10 and 11 of the rear cross member 4 are attached to the

lateral faces

8 and 9, respectively, of the vehicle body 1, and preferably to rear quarter windows (quarter windows) 14 and 15, respectively.

In the example shown, the supporting frame 3 of the open roof also comprises two reinforcing

elements

6 and 7 of the supporting frame of the open roof. The first reinforcement 6, which is best shown in fig. 2, is located below the support frame 3 and connects the lateral end 10 of the rear cross member 4 to the rest of the support frame 3. The second reinforcement 7 is located on the other side of the vehicle body 1 in a similar manner.

Furthermore, in the example shown, a cover 12 (fig. 2) extends on the side of the lateral surface 8 facing the vehicle interior. On the other side of the body 1, an identical covering (not visible in fig. 2) is provided.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view seen from the inside of the vehicle body, showing the left side surface 8 and the top surface 2 of the vehicle body 1 of fig. 1.

The fixing element 16 extends substantially in the extension of said cross beam 4 from below the lateral end 10 of the cross beam 4 to the lateral face 8. Another identical fixing element extends in the same manner from below the lateral end 11 to the lateral face 9 of the body 1.

Preferably, each fixing element 16 is made from a metal blank. For a better understanding, a side view of a fixing element 16 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in fig. 3. The fixing element 16 comprises two

attachment portions

18 and 19 projecting from the two free ends of the main portion 17. The main portion 17 is generally rectangular in shape. Each

attachment portion

18, 19 lies in a plane that is offset from the plane of the surface of the main portion 17.

As shown in fig. 3, the

attachment portions

18, 19 are folded away from the surface plane of the main portion 17. The attachment portion 18 is folded so as to be in contact with the lateral end 10 of the cross member 4, while the attachment portion 19 is folded so as to be in contact with the lateral face 8.

In the example shown, the fixing element 16 comprises two folded reinforcing

sides

22 and 23.

Holes

20 and 21 are provided on the

attachment portions

18 and 19, respectively. The

attachment portions

18 and 19 are folded in such a way that the axes of said

holes

20 and 21 are substantially orthogonal.

According to a particular embodiment, the axes of the

holes

20 and 21 are respectively located on two parallel planes spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. Each of these planes is advantageously in the transverse direction and in the vertical direction, so that the fixing element 16 is approximately S-shaped.

The

holes

20 and 21 are preferably arranged such that, when the fixing element 16 is attached, the

holes

20 and 21 will be aligned with pre-existing holes provided respectively on the lateral ends 10 of the cross member 4 and the lateral faces 8 of the body 1. Therefore, it is not necessary to modify the existing structure of the vehicle body to provide the fixing member 16. The fixing elements on the opposite lateral faces 9 are arranged in the same way.

In order to fasten the fixing element 16 to both the lateral end 10 of the transverse beam 4 and the lateral face 8 of the body 1, attachment means can be mounted via the

holes

20 and 21. Another fixing element, not visible in the figures, is fastened in the same way to the lateral end 11 and to the lateral face 9 of the bodywork 1. The attachment means, not represented, may advantageously be screws or bolts, or any other equivalent means.

In the example shown, the lateral stiffening cover 24 is located on the lateral face 8, behind the cover 12. For a better understanding, the cover 12 is not fully shown in fig. 2, so that the lateral stiffening cover 24 can be shown. Another identical lateral stiffening cover is located on the opposite lateral face of the body 1.

As shown in fig. 2, the attachment portion 19 of the fixation element 16 is preferably attached to the cover 12, and more preferably to the reinforcement cover 24.

The attachment portion 18 of the fixing element 16 is fixed to the lateral end 10 of the transverse beam 4 and preferably also to the reinforcement 6 of the supporting frame of the open roof. The reinforcement elements on the opposite lateral face are similarly fixed to corresponding reinforcements attached to the opposite side of the top face 2.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in fig. 4. Like elements have the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. This example differs from the example shown in fig. 2 only in the following respects: the fixing element 25 comprises two

separate branches

30 and 31, which

branches

30 and 31 project from the trapezoidal main portion 26.

Two

attachment portions

27 and 28 extend from the

branch portions

30 and 31, respectively, and a third attachment portion 29 extends from the main portion 26. Each

attachment portion

27, 28 and 29 is folded away from the surface plane of the main portion 26 in a similar manner to the embodiment of fig. 2 and 3.

The shape of the main portion 26 enables the fixing element 25 to be fitted to a larger area of the cross beam 4 and the lateral faces 8 in order to better fix the open roof frame 3.

The

branches

30 and 31 are fastened on the lateral surface 8 via pre-existing holes. The attachment portion 29 is fastened to the open roof frame 3. The fixing element 25 is light and small.

Holes 32 and 33 are provided on the

attachment portions

27 and 28, respectively, and more two

holes

34 and 35 are provided on the attachment portion 29. The axes of the holes 32, 33 are substantially orthogonal to the axes of the

holes

34, 35.

Attachment means may be passed through the

holes

32, 33, 34 and 35 in order to fasten the fixing element 25 to both the lateral face 8 and the lateral end 10 of the cross beam 4. These means may be, for example, screws or bolts.

The

attachment portions

27 and 28 may have a protruding shape or protrusion adapted to cover a relief (not visible in the figures) on the lateral face 8 of the body 1.

In the example of fig. 2, the

attachment portions

27 and 28 of the fixing element 25 are preferably fixed to the cover 12, and more preferably to the reinforcement cover 24. Furthermore, the attachment portion 29 is preferably fixed to the lateral end 10 of the transverse beam 4, and more preferably to the reinforcement 6 of the support frame of the open roof.

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment. Like elements have the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. This example differs from the example shown in fig. 2 only in the following respects: the fixing element 36 comprises two

separate branches

41 and 42, these two

branches

41 and 42 projecting from the rectangular main portion 37 and being adapted to be fastened to the lateral face 8.

Two

attachment portions

38 and 39 project from the

branches

41 and 42, respectively, and a third attachment portion 40 adapted to be fastened to the open roof frame 3 projects from the main portion 37. Each

attachment portion

39, 39 and 40 is folded away from the surface plane of the main portion 37 in a similar manner to the embodiment of fig. 2 and 3.

Holes

43, 44 and 45 may be provided on the

attachment portions

38, 39 and 40, respectively. The axes of the

holes

43, 44 are substantially orthogonal to the axis of the hole 45.

Attachment means may be passed through the

holes

43, 44 and 45 in order to fasten the fixing element 25 to both the lateral face 8 and the lateral end 10 of the cross beam 4. These means may be, for example, screws or bolts.

The

attachment portions

38 and 39 of the fixation element 36 are preferably fixed to the cover 12, and more preferably to the reinforcement cover 24. Furthermore, the attachment portion 40 is preferably fixed to the cross member, and more preferably to the reinforcement 6 of the support frame of the open roof.

The invention enables the stress level of the cross-beam 4 and the displacement amplitude of the open roof frame 3 to be reduced.

The fastening element of the invention is light, easy to manufacture and gives the body structure sufficient rigidity for vehicles not originally designed to receive an open roof arrangement, but without overloading the structure. The shape of these elements is adapted to the lateral and top surfaces of all types of vehicles present, without the need to redesign the structure of the bodywork.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle with a body (1) with an open roof arrangement, comprising a supporting frame (3) of an open roof with a rear cross member (4), which rear cross member (4) is attached at both its lateral ends (10, 11) to lateral faces (8, 9) of the body, characterized in that a fixing element (16) extends between the lateral ends (10, 11) of the rear cross member (4) and the lateral faces (8, 9) of the body (1), which supporting frame comprises a reinforcement which is located below the supporting frame and connects the lateral ends of the rear cross member to the rest of the supporting frame, which fixing element is attached at one end to the rear cross member via the reinforcement and at the other end to the lateral faces.

2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fixing element (16) is attached to a lateral reinforcement cover (24), the lateral reinforcement cover (24) being fastened on a lateral face (8, 9) of the body (1).

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a fixing element (16) is mounted below the rear cross member (4) in the extension of the rear cross member (4).

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each fixing element (16) comprises a main portion (17) and two attachment portions (18, 19), the two attachment portions (18, 19) projecting from two free ends of the main portion (17).

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the two attachment portions (18, 19) are folded away from the surface plane of the main portion (17).

6. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein at least one attachment portion (27, 28; 38, 39) of the fixing element is connected to the main portion (26; 37) by two separate branches (30, 31; 41, 42).

7. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein each attachment portion (18, 19; 27, 28, 29; 38, 39, 40) is provided with a hole (20, 21; 32, 33, 34, 35; 43, 44, 45) adapted to receiving attachment means for enabling attachment to the rear cross member (4) and the lateral faces (8, 9) of the bodywork (1) or to the lateral reinforcement cover (24), respectively.

8. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the attachment means is a bolt.

9. A motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the attachment means are screws.

10. Motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each fixing element (16) is made from a metal blank formed with folded reinforcing sides (22, 23).