FR3149581A1 - Vehicle apron with reversible plate. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a reversible plate (1) designed to cover an opening made in a bulkhead sheet of a motor vehicle, the plate (1) extending between a first face (7) and a second face (8), the plate (1) having a plurality of through holes (9), each designed to allow the passage through the plate (1) of a specific component, the plate (1) being shaped to form a bulkhead adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face (7) is fixed to the bulkhead sheet, the second face (8) making it possible to form a bulkhead adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with a bulkhead sheet. The invention also relates to a bulkhead sheet further having at least one cutout allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle. (Figure 3)

Description

Vehicle apron with reversible plate.

The technical field concerns reversible plates for completing an apron sheet, aprons formed from such a plate with such an apron sheet and motor vehicles comprising such an apron.

It is common for a family of vehicles, sharing the same silhouette, to have different levels of finishes and equipment. Each difference in equipment or finish often requires specific parts, thus multiplying the references implemented for the production of the vehicles in the family. The diversity of references has repercussions on many aspects ranging from supply, to the storage of references or even their production. For example, it often happens that a part has at least two distinct shapes and therefore two references; in order to produce the two references, it is then possible to use a single tool capable of producing the two references in successive production campaigns or to use two different tools. While the first solution complicates production due to the need to manage deferred production and supply flows, the second solution generates additional costs and/or greater investments.

Thus, generally speaking, the diversity of references necessarily induces an increase in development and production costs as well as a complication of the logistics of supplying the assembly lines and assembling the different versions of the vehicle.

The additional costs and complexity are all the greater as the dimensions of the parts with several versions are large, because the costs of the molds or stamping dies increase with the dimensions.

In this context, the apron of a vehicle that separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment of the vehicle is a part particularly affected by diversity, since each version of the apron must generally be available either for a right-hand drive vehicle or for a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the apron is a part whose dimensions are particularly large, increasing the additional costs linked to this diversity all the more.

Therefore, there is a need for a solution to reduce the additional costs associated with the diversity of a vehicle apron.

The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a reversible plate and an apron sheet which can be assembled to form an apron, while reducing the diversity of parts required to assemble all versions of the aprons of a family of vehicles.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a reversible plate designed to cover an opening made in an apron sheet of a motor vehicle, the plate extending between a first face and a second face, the plate having a plurality of through holes, each designed to allow the passage through the plate of a specific component, the plate being shaped to form an apron adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face is fixed to the apron sheet, the second face making it possible to form an apron adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with an apron sheet.

The invention also relates to an apron sheet designed to form, with a plate according to the invention, a motor vehicle apron, the apron sheet extending between a face A and a face B, the apron sheet having at least one opening designed to be covered by the plate, the apron sheet having at least one cutout allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle, the apron sheet allowing the fixing of the first face of the plate on its face A to form an apron adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle, the fixing of the second face of the plate on face B making it possible to form an apron adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle apron for separating an engine compartment from a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the apron comprising an apron sheet according to the invention and a plate according to the invention fixed to the apron sheet in order to cover the opening of the apron sheet, the apron being suitable for a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face is fixed to face A and suitable for a right-hand drive vehicle when the second face is fixed to face B.

The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle comprising an apron according to the invention.

Thus, a reversible plate according to the invention, of reduced dimensions compared to an apron, makes it possible to carry all or part of the specific features of the apron of a given version of a vehicle, thanks to the plurality of orifices and in particular to their shapes and arrangements on the plate. The plate being reversible, it thus makes it possible to obtain versions for left-hand drive or right-hand drive depending on whether the first or second face is applied to the apron sheet. Furthermore, the apron sheet according to the invention is advantageously reversible in order to further reduce the diversity of elements necessary to form all the aprons of the same family of vehicles. The reversible plate thus makes it possible to manage the diversity of the different components passing through the apron and simplifies the stamping operations, given its reduced dimensions compared to those of the apron. With a plate according to the invention, two aprons can be obtained, one intended for a right-hand drive vehicle and the other for a left-hand drive vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the plate, the plurality of orifices allows the passage through the apron of a braking system, an air conditioning system and/or an electrical harness.

According to one possibility, the plate is formed from a stamped sheet metal.

According to one embodiment, the plate has a rectangular outline.

According to a possibility of the apron sheet, faces A and B are designed to be fixed to a vehicle apron cross member.

Advantageously, the plate is fixed to the deck sheet by a plurality of weld points.

The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

there represents a schematic view of an apron according to the invention adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle and implementing a plate according to the invention;

there represents a schematic view of an apron according to the invention adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle and implementing a plate according to the invention;

there represents a schematic view of a reversible plate according to the invention used to produce the decks illustrated in figures 1 and 2.

In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

A reversible turntable 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the , is designed to form aprons 2a, 2b for a motor vehicle, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, using an apron sheet 3, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The aprons 2a, 2b are used to separate an engine compartment from a passenger compartment of the vehicle. One 2a of the aprons 2a, 2b is adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle while the other apron 2b is adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the apron sheet 3 extends between a face A (visible on the ) and a B side (visible on the ). The apron sheet 3 has at least one cutout 4 allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle, not illustrated. The faces A and B of the apron sheet 3 are designed to be fixed to a cross member 5 of the vehicle apron.

The plate 1 is designed to cover an opening 6 made in the apron sheet 3. The opening 6 has, for example, a rectangular shape. The opening 6 is made in an area of the apron 2a, 2b which accommodates the passages of the components through the apron 2a, 2b.

For this purpose, the plate 1 extends between a first face 7 and a second face 8. The plate 1 is, for example, formed from a stamped sheet metal. As illustrated in the , the plate 1 has a rectangular outline. For example, the plate 1 has a rectangular outline. The plate 1 is, for example, formed from a stamped sheet metal.

As illustrated in the figures, the plate 1 has a plurality of through holes 9, each designed to allow the passage through the plate 1 of a specific component, not illustrated. As examples of specific components, the plurality of holes 9 allows the passage through the apron 2a, 2b of a braking system, an air conditioning system and/or an electrical harness. The components pass through the apron 2a, 2b by means of at least one hole 9 whose shape is adapted to the contour of the component, advantageously ensuring an airtight seal around the component. According to one possibility, the component has at least two parts each fixed to the plate 1 by means of fixing holes 10 arranged around the hole 9. Thus, two parts are connected together at an hole 9, on each of the two faces A and B of the apron sheet 3.

The plate 1 is shaped to form an apron 2a suitable for a left-hand drive vehicle, when the first face 7 is fixed to the apron sheet 3, as illustrated in the , (in this case on its face A). The second face 8 allows, for its part, to form an apron 2b (illustrated on the ) adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with the same apron sheet 3. In this case, in the apron 2b, the plate 1 is fixed on the face B of the apron sheet 3.

Thus, in the apron 2a, 2b, the plate 1 is fixed to the apron sheet 3 in order to cover the opening 6 of the apron sheet 3. The apron 2a, suitable for a left-hand drive vehicle, is obtained by fixing the first face 7 of the plate 1 to face A. The apron 2b is suitable for a right-hand drive vehicle and is obtained by fixing the second face 8 to face B. Advantageously, the plate 1 is fixed to the apron sheet 3 by a plurality of weld points 11, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Thus, the plate 1, thanks to the plurality of orifices 9, allows simple adaptation to the diversity of components passing through the apron 2a, 2b, in particular the diversity of braking and/or air conditioning systems or even the electrical harness. The orifices 9 are in fact easily obtained by stamping and the plate 1 is of smaller dimensions than those of the apron 2a, 2b. The plate 1 being reversible, the same plate 1 therefore makes it possible to obtain two different aprons 2a, 2b.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments of the reversible plate and/or the apron sheet described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

Reversible plate (1) designed to cover an opening (6) made in an apron sheet (3) of a motor vehicle, the plate (1) extending between a first face (7) and a second face (8), the plate (1) having a plurality of through holes (9), each designed to allow the passage through the plate (1) of a specific component, the plate (1) being shaped to form an apron (2a, 2b) adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face (7) is fixed to the apron sheet (3), the second face (8) making it possible to form an apron (2a, 2b) adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle with an apron sheet (3). Plate (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of orifices (9) allows the passage through the apron (2a, 2b) of a braking system, an air conditioning system and/or an electrical harness. Plate (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is formed from a stamped sheet metal. Plate (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plate (1) has a rectangular outline. An apron sheet (3) designed to form, with a plate (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, an apron (2a, 2b) of a motor vehicle, the apron sheet (3) extending between a face A and a face B, the apron sheet (3) having at least one opening (6) designed to be covered by the plate (1), the apron sheet (3) having at least one cutout (4) allowing the passage of a steering column of the vehicle, the apron sheet (3) allowing the fixing of the first face (7) of the plate (1) on its face A to form an apron (2a) adapted to a left-hand drive vehicle, the fixing of the second face (8) of the plate (1) on face B making it possible to form an apron (2b) adapted to a right-hand drive vehicle. Apron sheet (3) according to claim 5, characterized in that the faces A and B are designed to be fixed to an apron crossmember of the vehicle. Motor vehicle apron (2a, 2b) for separating an engine compartment from a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the apron (2a, 2b) comprising an apron sheet (3) according to claim 5 or 6 and a plate (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4 fixed to the apron sheet (3) in order to cover the opening (6) of the apron sheet (3), the apron (2a, 2b) being suitable for a left-hand drive vehicle when the first face (7) is fixed to face A and suitable for a right-hand drive vehicle when the second face (8) is fixed to face B. Apron (2a, 2b) according to claim 7, characterized in that the plate (1) is fixed to the apron sheet (3) by a plurality of welding points (11). Motor vehicle comprising an apron (2a, 2b) according to one of claims 7 or 8.