Vehicle body

Abstract

A vehicle body, preferably for a motor vehicle with four wheels, includes two side members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, at least one support, which extends in the vehicle transverse direction between the two side members, and at least one molded foam part that reinforces the vehicle body. The foam part is arranged in a lateral structure of the vehicle body at the height level of the support.

Claims

1. A vehicle body for a motor vehicle, comprising: two side members extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; at least one support extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle between the two sides members; and at least one molded foam component that reinforces the vehicle body, the molded foam component being arranged laterally outside of a respective side member with respect to a transverse direction of the vehicle in a lateral structure of the vehicle body at a level of the support, wherein a hardened foam completely fills a part of the side member and a part of the support.

2. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle, the part of the side member and the part of the support filled with the hardened foam, and the molded foam component, are aligned to provide a path of force through the molded foam component, the foam in the side member and the foam in the support.

3. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the at least one molded foam component is arranged in a door of the vehicle body.

4. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein each face-side end of the support rests against an interior side of a respective one of the two side members.

5. The vehicle body according to claim 4, wherein the hardened foam in the support extends to the face-side ends.

6. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the support is arranged higher than a floor pan of the vehicle body.

7. The vehicle body according to claim 6, wherein the support extends under a rear seat bench of the motor vehicle.

8. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the support is constructed as a heel plate of the motor vehicle.

9. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the support and/or the two side members are produced of fiber-reinforced plastic material or as a sheet metal shell construction.

10. The vehicle body according to claim 9, wherein the hardened foam and/or the molded foam component are produced of expanded polypropylene or polyurethane.

11. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the hardened foam and/or the molded foam component are produced of expanded polypropylene or polyurethane.

12. A vehicle body for a motor vehicle, comprising: two side members extending in a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle; at least one support extending in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle between the two side members; and at least one molded foam component that reinforces the vehicle body, the at least one molded foam component being arranged laterally outside of a respective side member with respect to a transverse direction of the vehicle in a lateral structure of the vehicle body at a level of the support, wherein at least one of the two side members comprises several profiles, at the level of the support, the profiles are at least partially filled with hardened foam, and/or the support forms a profile and is at least partially filled with hardened foam.

13. The vehicle body according to claim 12, wherein the at least one molded foam component is arranged in a door of the vehicle body.

14. The vehicle body according to claim 12, wherein each face-side end of the support rests against an interior side of a respective one of the two side members.

15. The vehicle body according to claim 14, wherein the hardened foam in the support extends to the face-side ends.

16. The vehicle body according to claim 12, wherein the support is arranged higher than a floor pan of the vehicle body.

17. The vehicle body according to claim 12, wherein the support is constructed as a heel plate of the motor vehicle.

18. The vehicle body according to claim 12, wherein the support and/or the two side members are produced of fiber-reinforced plastic material or as a sheet metal shell construction.

19. A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body, comprising: two side members extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; at least one support extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle between the two sides members; and at least one molded foam component that reinforces the vehicle body, the molded foam component being arranged laterally outside of a respective side member with respect to a transverse direction of the vehicle in a lateral structure of the vehicle body at a level of the support, wherein a hardened foam completely fills a part of the side member and a part of the support.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a sectional lateral view of a vehicle body of the invention according to an embodiment;

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematically simplified, sectional lateral view of the vehicle body of the invention according to the embodiment;

(3) FIG. 3 is the sectional view taken along line A-A marked in FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a sectional top view of the vehicle body of the invention according to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(5) In the following, an embodiment of a vehicle body 1 will be described by means of FIGS. 1 to 4.

(6) FIG. 1 is a sectional lateral view of the vehicle body 1. FIG. 2 illustrates the sectional view in a schematically simplified manner. A longitudinal direction 8 of the vehicle is defined. The longitudinal direction 8 of the vehicle corresponds to the traveling direction of the respective vehicle. A transverse direction 12 (see FIG. 4) of the vehicle extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction 8 of the vehicle.

(7) The vehicle body 1 includes a support 2 which extends in the transverse direction 12 of the vehicle. Further, a roof frame 3, a windshield frame 7 and a side frame 4 are provided. A recess 5 for receiving a rear seat bench is situated behind the support 2 viewed in the longitudinal direction 8 of the vehicle. The vehicle body 1 is closed off on the bottom by a floor pan 6.

(8) In FIG. 2, a sectional view is marked A-A. FIG. 3 is the corresponding sectional view. FIG. 3 illustrates a side member 9 as an additional component of the vehicle body 1. It is understood that one side member 9 respectively extends on both sides of the vehicle body 1. A molded foam component 10 is arranged in the vehicle body 1 laterally outside the respective side member. The molded foam component 10 is situated in the clearance between the exterior side of the respective side member 9 and the lateral frame 4 of the vehicle body 1.

(9) In addition, the sectional view A-A in FIG. 3 indicates that the face-side ends 13 of the support 2 rest against the interior side of the respective side member 9.

(10) The support 2 is the so-called “heel plate” in the vehicle body 1. This heel plate is situated far above the floor panel 6. In the event of a lateral crash, the other party 14 involved in the crash, which is illustrated in FIG. 4, will impact the vehicle body 1 approximately at the level of the support 2 constructed as the heel plate. In particular, the other party 14 involved in the crash has a relatively high bumper system. Particularly in this crash case, it is desirable that the vehicle body is deformed as little as possible and the crash energy is dissipated in the other party 14 involved in the crash. It is therefore provided that, in addition to the molded foam component 10, one part of the side member 9 and one part of the support 2 are completely filled with a hardened foam 11. As illustrated particularly in FIG. 3, the parts with the foam 11 and the molded foam component 10 are substantially aligned when viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle 1. This results in a force path through the molded foam component 10, the foam 11 in the side member 9 and the foam 11 in the support 2.

(11) The foams 11 and the molded foam component 10 are preferably produced of PU foam or EPP foam. Either the sheet metal shell construction or a fiber-reinforced plastic material are selected for the different components of the vehicle body 1. As a result of the reinforcement of the support 2 and of the side member 9 by way of the foam 11, usage of a fiber-reinforced plastic material can be used very well here, because the rigid further development prevents a breaking of the fiber-reinforced plastic parts.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(12) 1 Vehicle body 2 Support (heel plate) 3 Roof frame 4 Side frame 5 Recess for rear seat bench 6 Floor pan 7 Windshield frame 8 Longitudinal direction of the vehicle 9 Side member 10 Molded foam component 11 Hardened foam 12 Transverse direction of the vehicle 13 Face-side ends 14 Other party involved in the crash

(13) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.