FR3148957A1 - MOTOR VEHICLE GRILLE FORMING A FUSED JUNCTION WITH A BUMPER SKIN IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT IMPACT - Google Patents

Abstract

MOTOR VEHICLE GRILLE FORMING A FUSED JUNCTION WITH A BUMPER SKIN IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT IMPACT The present invention relates to a motor vehicle (2) comprising:- a front grille (6) of the motor vehicle;- a front bumper skin (8) fixed to the grille;remarkable in that the grille comprises a lower edge (6.1) fixed to the front of an upper edge (8.1) of the bumper skin, via clip-on fastening means (12) capable of disengaging when the upper edge moves rearward. (Figure to be published with the abstract: Figure 2)

Description

MOTOR VEHICLE GRILLE FORMING A FUSED JUNCTION WITH A BUMPER SKIN IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT IMPACT

The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, more particularly the field of motor vehicle bumpers.

Current motor vehicles conventionally integrate a shock absorber behind the front bumper skin and resting against the transverse beam, the absorber is able to deform elastically in the event of low intensity frontal impacts against a buffer, in order to preserve the transverse beam and improve the performance of the motor vehicle in minor impacts, commonly referred to as: parking shocks.

The bumper is the part most often damaged in the event of an impact, and the cost of repairing it is not negligible, which is why a vehicle's response to parking shocks is a criterion increasingly taken into consideration by car manufacturers.

Indeed, modern bumpers conventionally comprise a radiator grille assembled to the bumper skin at the front face. Patent WO 2007/090572 A1 discloses an example of such a configuration in which the main grille has at least one recess in which a hook of the bumper skin is inserted and then clipped via a locking tab formed with said hook, so as to ensure a solid connection between the grille and the bumper skin.

However, the bumper assembly disclosed in the document implies that during a parking collision, the entire bumper undergoes a displacement combining translation and rotation, which risks causing breakage of the bumper elements, including the main grille. The use of a shock absorber does not make it possible to stop such a displacement.

The breakage of the main grille is all the more critical when said grille is illuminated. Indeed, the latter being very expensive, it is necessary to avoid any risk of damage to said illuminated grille during a parking impact.

The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the aforementioned state of the art. More particularly, the invention aims to propose a simple, efficient and economical solution for preserving the entire front grille of the motor vehicle during a frontal impact of the front bumper at low speed (parking impact).

For this purpose, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising:
- a front grille of the motor vehicle;
- a front bumper skin attached to the grille;
remarkable in that the grille comprises a lower edge fixed to the front of an upper edge of the bumper skin, via clip-on fixing means capable of disengaging when the upper edge is moved rearward.

According to one embodiment, the fixing means comprise projecting elements extending longitudinally rearwardly through slots in the upper edge, and clipping members engaging by a rearward movement with the projecting elements, respectively.

According to one embodiment, each of the projecting elements forms a tab and each of the clipping members forms a clamp capable of engaging with one of the tabs.

According to one embodiment, the tab is formed with the grille, and the clipping member is fixed to said tab.

According to one embodiment, the tab comprises a width corresponding to at most 80% of a width of the corresponding light.

According to one embodiment, the clipping member is formed from an elastically deformable material, and comprises a V-shaped section.

According to one embodiment, the V-section comprises a narrow portion in a vertical direction, sandwiched by an upper edge and a lower edge of the corresponding light.

According to one embodiment, the grille and the bumper skin form a transverse junction extending substantially horizontally, the fixing means are exclusively presented at the level of said transverse junction.

According to one embodiment, the grille comprises between 2 and 15 fixing means.

According to one embodiment, the grille comprises a grid provided with ribs and means for lighting said ribs.

The measures of the invention are advantageous in that the clip-on fastening means capable of disengaging during a movement of the upper edge towards the rear, allow a detachment of the bumper skin from the grille during the parking impact. Thus, the grille is not driven in translation towards the rear or in rotation which could cause its deformation or deterioration.

The present invention therefore presents considerable economic interest, because it makes it possible to keep the radiator grilles of motor vehicles in good condition even after having suffered parking impacts.

represents a perspective view of a front face of a motor vehicle according to the invention;

represents a perspective view of a rear part of the bumper of the motor vehicle of the , comprising a bumper skin attached to a front grille via clip-on attachment means;

represents a sectional view of the bumper of the along an AA axis, prior to a frontal impact against a buffer;

represents a sectional view of the bumper of the along the AA axis, after the frontal impact against the buffer.

Detailed description

The terms “front” and “rear” in the present application refer to a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.

There represents a perspective view of a front face 4 of a motor vehicle 2 according to the invention.

The motor vehicle 2 comprises a bumper skin 8 fixed to a front grille 6 comprising a grid provided with ribs 7 preferentially allowing the passage of air for cooling a radiator arranged in an engine compartment of the vehicle.

Advantageously, the fixing of the grille 6 to the skin 8 is carried out at a transverse junction 10 joining a lower edge 6.1 of the grille 6 with an upper edge 8.1 of the skin 8, via clipping fixing means, which will be described later in this description.

Preferably, the grille 6 corresponds to an illuminated grille, i.e. comprising means for illuminating the ribs 7. For this purpose, the grille 6 is expensive, which is why the junction 10 presented between the grille 6 and the bumper skin 8 is designed according to the invention to be detachable in the event of a frontal impact against a buffer in order to preserve the illuminated grille 6 and avoid its replacement.

There represents a perspective view of a rear bumper portion of the motor vehicle 2 of the .

Here we can see the clipping attachment means 12 presented at the junction 10 between the grille 6 and the bumper skin 8. The grille 6 can comprise between 2 and 15 attachment means 12.

Each of the fixing means 12 preferably comprises a projecting element 14 formed with the grille 6 and extending longitudinally towards the rear, and a clipping member 16 preferably formed from an elastically deformable material, having a clamp shape 16 comprising a V-shaped section engaging with the projecting element 14 by an insertion movement from the rear to the front (prior to fixing the grille 6 on the skin 8).

Preferably, the projecting element 14 is formed by a flat tab 14 having a substantially rectangular shape. The projecting element 14 and the clipping member 16 will be referred to hereinafter, respectively, as the tab 14 and the clamp 16.

The clamp 16 can be held on the tab 14 by simple tightening and/or by gluing and/or by screwing and/or by clipping. Said clamp 16 is more preferably clipped to the tab 14. In this regard, the clamp 16 can comprise in its central part projecting means hooking the tab 14 to ensure clipping between the two parts.

Then, each fastening means 12 comprising the clamp 16 mounted on the tab 14, is inserted (from front to rear) through a corresponding light 18 on the upper edge 8.1 of the bumper skin 8.

In this configuration, the clipping between the skin 8 and the grille 6 is exclusively ensured by the attached clamp 16. Indeed, the clamp 16 comprises a narrow portion 17 following a direction vertical to the motor vehicle, said narrow portion 17 being sandwiched by an upper edge 18.1 and a lower edge 18.2 of the corresponding light 18.

Preferably, the tab 14 comprises a transverse width corresponding to at most 80% of a width of the corresponding slot 18. The clamp 16 is held in the slot 18 by wedging the edges 18.1, 18.2 in the narrow portion 17. Advantageously, this allows the clamp 16 to be disengaged when the upper edge 8.1 of the skin 8 moves rearward, for example, during a parking impact.

Advantageously, maintaining the clamp 16 in the light 18 according to the invention makes it easier to achieve a translation between the grille 6 and the skin 8 during the impact and to avoid breakage of the tab 14. In addition, such maintenance makes it possible to precisely control the engagement and retention efforts between the two parts, which is very difficult to achieve with single-injection clips disclosed in the state of the art.

There represents a sectional view of the bumper of the along an axis AA, prior to a frontal impact against a buffer B. The represents the same sectional view along axis AA, but this time after the frontal impact against buffer B.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, it can be seen that the frontal impact at the allowed the disengagement of the clamp 16 attached to the tab on the grille 6, the bumper skin 8 is thus completely detached from the grille 6 and can then move (or deform) freely towards the rear without dragging said grille 6 in its travel. Such detachment is advantageously achieved without causing the breakage of the fixing means 12.

In the configuration illustrated in the , the clamp 16 is disengaged from the tab 14 during the impact and remains held in the light 18 of the bumper skin 8, however, the clamp 16 can alternatively remain secured to the tab 14 of the grille 6 and thus the skin 8 can disengage alone from the grille 6.

Advantageously, the junction 10 extending transversely in a substantially horizontal manner, forms between the grille 6 and the skin 8 a fusion line capable of cutting the mechanical connection linking the latter two as soon as the buffer B comes into contact with the bumper skin 8.

The present invention therefore presents a considerable economic interest, thanks to the preservation of the grilles of motor vehicles in good condition after having suffered parking impacts.

Claims (10)

Motor vehicle (2) comprising:
- a front grille (6) of the motor vehicle (2);
- a front bumper skin (8) fixed to the grille (6);
characterized in that
the grille (6) comprises a lower edge (6.1) fixed to the front of an upper edge (8.1) of the bumper skin (8), via clipping fixing means (12) capable of disengaging when the upper edge (8.1) moves towards the rear. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means (12) comprise projecting elements (14) extending longitudinally towards the rear through slots (18) in the upper edge (8.1), and clipping members (16) engaging by a rear-to-front movement with the projecting elements (14), respectively. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 2, in which each of the projecting elements (14) forms a tab (14) and each of the clipping members (16) forms a clamp (16) capable of engaging with one of the tabs (14). Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 3, in which the tab (14) is formed with the grille (6), and the clipping member (16) is fixed on said tab (14). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 3 and 4, in which the tab (14) comprises a width corresponding to at most 80% of a width of the corresponding light (18). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the clipping member (16) is formed from an elastically deformable material, and comprises a V-shaped section. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 6, in which the V-section comprises a narrow portion (17) in a vertical direction, sandwiched by an upper edge (18.1) and a lower edge (18.2) of the corresponding light (18). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the grille (6) and the bumper skin (8) form a transverse junction (10) extending substantially horizontally, the fixing means (12) are exclusively presented at the level of said transverse junction (10). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the grille (6) comprises between 2 and 15 fixing means (12). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 9, in which the grille (6) comprises a grid provided with ribs (7) and means for lighting said ribs (7).