Device for reinforcing a structural element

Abstract

A device for reinforcing a structural element in a motor vehicle including a reinforcing element, which has a longitudinal axis and which can be arranged in a cavity of the structural element. The reinforcing element includes walls which extend substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The reinforcing element additionally includes at least one open side, which likewise extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The walls directly adjoining the open side are designed in a convergent manner in that extensions of said adjoining walls running in the direction of the open side and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis intersect.

Claims

1. A device for reinforcing a structural element in a motor vehicle, the device comprising: a reinforcing element having a longitudinal axis and configured to be arranged in a cavity of the structural element, the reinforcing element comprising walls that extend substantially in a direction of the longitudinal axis, and at least one open side that extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein adjoining walls of the walls that directly adjoin the open side are disposed such that extensions of the adjoining walls running in the direction of the open side and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis converge and intersect.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing element has a first side wall and a second side wall, and a connecting wall that connects the side walls.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of (i) the first side wall comprises a first partial wall and a second partial wall, the partial walls being not in the same plane, and (ii) the second side wall comprises a first partial wall and a second partial wall, the partial walls being not in the same plane.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connecting wall is arranged such that the side walls extend on a same side of the connecting wall.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connecting wall is arranged such that the side walls extend on different sides of the connecting wall.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an angle which is formed by the converging extensions is between 0° and 120°.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing element further comprises ribs that are oriented substantially orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the reinforcing element, and that interconnect the first side wall and the second side wall.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the walls are formed from a same material.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing element comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of metal, steel, aluminum, magnesium, plastics material, fiber-reinforced plastics material, and organic sheet material.

10. A system of a reinforced structural element in a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a structural element; a reinforcing element as claimed in claim 1, the reinforcing element being disposed in the structural element; and an adhesive, the adhesive interconnecting the reinforcing element and the structural element.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the adhesive is a non-expandable adhesive or an expandable adhesive.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the adhesive connects at least the first side wall and the second side wall to the structural element.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the adhesive connects the connecting wall to the structural element.

14. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the adhesive in a region of at least one of a first joint and a second joint of the structural element forms a continuous layer such that the reinforcing element in the region is connected to both a first panel sheet and a second panel sheet.

15. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least 50% of an inner circumference of the structural element, formed from a first panel sheet and a second panel sheet, in a cross section of the structural element is connected to the reinforcing element by the adhesive.

Description

(1) Details and advantages of the invention will be described below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and with reference to schematic drawings.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1a shows a schematic illustration of a body;

(4) FIG. 1b shows a schematic illustration of a cross section through a structural element;

(5) FIGS. 2a and 2b show a schematic illustration of a reinforcing element; and

(6) FIGS. 3a to 4d show a schematic illustration of a system of a reinforced structural element.

(7) An exemplary reinforcing element 20 is shown in three dimensions in FIGS. 2a and 2b. Here, the reinforcing element 20 has a longitudinal axis 26 and walls 21, 22, 23, which extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis 26. In this case, a first side wall 21, a connecting wall 23 and a second side wall 22 are arranged adjacent to one another. In this exemplary embodiment, the second side wall 22 is divided into a first partial wall 22.1 and a second partial wall 22.2. The reinforcing element 20 has an open side, which, in this exemplary embodiment, is situated between the first side wall 21 and the second partial wall 22.2 of the second side wall 22. The reinforcing element 20 moreover has a front and a rear wall 24. Moreover, the reinforcing element 20 comprises ribs 17, which, in this exemplary embodiment, are arranged parallel to the front and rear walls 24. In this exemplary embodiment, the ribs 17 interconnect all the walls 21, 22, 23 oriented along the longitudinal axis 26.

(8) Various cross sections through a system 1 of a reinforced structural element 12, 14 are illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 4b. One reinforcing element 20 herein is in each case disposed in a cavity 3 of the structural element 12, 14. The reinforcing element 20 herein is connected to the structural element 12, 14 by way of an adhesive 13.

(9) FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate two different exemplary embodiments, in which the walls 21, 22 directly adjoining the open side are designed in a non-convergent manner. This is evident particularly from the fact that the extension 31 of the first side wall 21, the extension 32 of the second side wall 22 and the extension 33 of the connecting wall 23, which each run in the direction of the open side perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the reinforcing element 20, do not intersect.

(10) In FIGS. 4a to 4d, in contrast, four different exemplary embodiments in which the extensions 31, 32, 33 of the adjoining side walls 21, 22, 23 intersect are illustrated schematically. In these exemplary embodiments, accordingly, the walls 21, 22, 23 adjoining the directly open side are designed in a convergent manner.

(11) In FIG. 4a, the first partial wall 21.2 of the first side wall 21 and the second side wall 22 directly adjoins the open side. The extension 31 of the first side wall 21 and the extension 32 of the second side wall 22 intersect one another. In comparison with the embodiment shown in FIG. 3a, the reinforcing element 20 in this exemplary embodiment has a larger surface area for adhesive bonding to the structural element 12, 14.

(12) Another exemplary embodiment having converging walls 21, 22, 23 is illustrated in FIG. 4b. In this exemplary embodiment, the connecting wall 23 is arranged substantially diagonally. Here, the second partial wall 21.2 of the first side wall 21 and the connecting wall 23 are the walls directly adjoining the open side. Since the extensions 31, 33 of these directly adjoining walls 21.2, 23 intersect, these directly adjoining walls 21.2, 23 are designed in a convergent manner.

(13) Another embodiment having converging walls 21, 22, 23 is illustrated in FIG. 4c. Here, the second partial wall 21.2 of the first side wall 21 and the second partial wall 22.2 of the second side wall 22 are the walls directly adjoining the open side. Once again, the extensions 31, 32 of the corresponding walls 21.2, 22.2 intersect one another.

(14) Another exemplary embodiment having converging walls 21, 22, 23 is illustrated in FIG. 4d. Here, in contrast to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4c, the open side of the reinforcing element 20 is arranged in a different region of the structural element 12, 14. Once again, the extensions 31, 32 of the walls 21.2, 22.2 directly adjoining the open side intersect one another. Thus, here too, the walls 21.2, 22.2 directly adjoining the open side are designed in a convergent manner.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(15) 1 System

(16) 3 Cavity

(17) 4 First panel sheet

(18) 5 Second panel sheet

(19) 6 First joint

(20) 7 Second joint

(21) 10 Body

(22) 12 Structural element

(23) 13 Adhesive

(24) 14 Structural element

(25) 16 Device

(26) 20 Reinforcing element

(27) 21 First side wall

(28) 22 Second side wall

(29) 23 Connecting wall

(30) 24 Front/rear wall

(31) 26 Longitudinal axis

(32) 31 Extension of the first side wall

(33) 32 Extension of the second side wall

(34) 33 Extension of the connecting wall