Front Section of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A front section of a motor vehicle includes an engine hood and a chassis. Support parts of the chassis are arranged in a receiving space of the front section body, at least partly below the engine hood. A water-fillable multi-chamber pad is arranged at least in a first partial region of the receiving space.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A front section of a motor vehicle, comprising: a front section body which has a front hood; a chassis having structural parts disposed in a receptacle space of the front section body so as to be at least in part under the front hood; and a multi-chamber pad which is fillable with water, the multi-chamber pad being disposed at least in a first sub-region of the receptacle space.

17. The front section according to claim 16, further comprising: a branching water line system fluidically connected to the at least one multi-chamber pad, the branching water line system being disposed in the first sub-region.

18. The front section according to claim 17, wherein only those chambers of the multi-chamber pad that are disposed in a central region are fluidically connected to the branching system.

19. The front section according to claim 17, wherein the branching system is able to be filled with water by way of a central filling device.

20. The front section according to claim 19, wherein the central filling device is in the form of a filler neck.

21. The front section according to claim 19, wherein the central filling device is configured as a filler neck having a valve and a controller.

22. The front section according to claim 17, wherein the multi-chamber pad and/or the branching system is disposed under the front hood on an internal surface of the front hood that faces toward the receptacle space.

23. The front section according to claim 19, further comprising: at least one further branching water line system provided in a second sub-region.

24. The front section according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the branching systems and/or the multi-chamber pad is produced from a material that permits deformations.

25. The front section according to claim 23, wherein the filling device is a central filling device for both branching systems.

26. The front section according to claim 17, wherein a material of the branching system and/or of the multi-chamber pad is an inflatable 3D-printed material.

27. The front section according to claim 16, wherein the front hood is configured as an active or passive front hood.

28. A motor vehicle, comprising: a body comprising a front section body, adjacent thereto a passenger cabin, and adjacent to the passenger cabin a rear section body, and at least one multi-chamber pad disposed in at least one receptacle space of the front section body, of the passenger cabin and/or of the rear section body.

29. The motor vehicle according to claim 28, further comprising: a branching water line system fluidically connected to the at least one multi-chamber pad, the branching water line system being disposed in a first sub-region of the receptacle space.

30. The motor vehicle according to claim 29, wherein only those chambers of the multi-chamber pad that are disposed in a central region are fluidically connected to the branching system.

31. The motor vehicle according to claim 29, wherein the branching system is able to be filled with water by way of a central filling device.

32. The motor vehicle according to claim 31, wherein the central filling device is configured as a filler neck having a valve and a controller.

33. The motor vehicle according to claim 29, wherein the multi-chamber pad and/or the branching system is disposed under a front hood on an internal surface of the front hood that faces toward the receptacle space.

34. A branching water line system, comprising: at least one main line; at least one branch line which is fluidically connected to the main line; and a filling device.

35. The branching water line system according to claim 34, wherein the main line and/or the at least one branch line is fluidically connected to at least one multi-chamber pad.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a schematically highly simplified plan view of a front section according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a schematically simplified plan view of a first embodiment of a multi-chamber pad in a state partially filled with water and air;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an illustration of the multi-chamber pad, corresponding to that of FIG. 2, in a state filled completely with water;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of a further embodiment of the multi-chamber pad, corresponding to that of FIGS. 2 and 3, having layers disposed on top of one another, wherein only chambers of a central region are partially filled with water;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of the multi-chamber pad, corresponding to that of FIG. 4, in a state in which the chambers of the central region are completely filled with water; and

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the multi-chamber pad in the form of a leaf structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematically heavily simplified illustration of a front section 1 of a motor vehicle, the front section 1 having a front section body 2 with a front hood 3. A chassis 4, indicated by dashed lines, is disposed in a receptacle space 7 of the front section body 2. The structural parts of the chassis 4 which are disposed in the receptacle space 3 are symbolized by the reference signs 5, 6, wherein the structural parts 5 and 6 are parts which are disposed under the front hood 3.

[0046] As has been mentioned at the outset, it is possible according to the invention for a multi-chamber pad (multi-chamber cushion) 10 which is able to be filled with water to be disposed in a first sub-region 7A of the receptacle space 7.

[0047] In the particularly preferred embodiment of the front section according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, a branching water line system 9A is disposed in the first sub-region 7A next to the multi-chamber pad 10, or in this case a plurality of multi-chamber pads 10, respectively. This branching system 9A comprises a main or central line 16, six branch lines 17 to 22 branching off from the latter in the exemplary case illustrated. This however represents only one potential example because it is possible for more or fewer branch lines of this type to be provided.

[0048] Because a total of five multi-chamber pads 10 are provided in the embodiment of FIG. 1, which is to be understood to be only exemplary, all of the branch lines 17 to 22 can be fluidically connected to these multi-chamber pads 10. However, it is also contemplated that not all multi-chamber pads 10 of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 are fluidically connected to the assigned branch lines 17 to 22, for example should it be advantageous for one or a plurality of these multi-chamber pads 10 to be filled only with air.

[0049] As has been mentioned at the outset, it is furthermore possible for the multi-chamber pads 10 to be only partially filled with water, this being highlighted by means of the uppermost multi-chamber pad 10 in FIG. 1. In this multi-chamber pad 10 a central region MB of six chambers 11.sub.MB which is surrounded by 14 outer chambers 11 is provided, wherein it is preferably provided in this case that only the central chambers 11.sub.MB are filled with water since it is in this case possible for the water to be displaced from the central chambers 11.sub.MB into the outer chambers 11 so as to absorb crash energy in the event of a crash.

[0050] In the particularly preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a further branching system 9B which can likewise be constructed from a main line and branch lines is furthermore disposed in a second sub-region 7B of the receptacle space 7. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, this second branching system 9B is not connected to multi-chamber pads, this however being likewise possible in principle. Of course, it would also be contemplated for only one of the branching systems 9A or 9B to be disposed with or without multi-chamber pads 10 in the receptacle space.

[0051] FIG. 1 in a schematically heavily simplified manner furthermore highlights a feeding device 12, which in the case of two branching systems 9A and 9B represents a central feeding device, for example in the form of a filler neck.

[0052] FIG. 2 highlights a schematically simplified plan view of a potential embodiment of a multi-chamber pad 10 which in this exemplary case is a single-layer multi-chamber pad 10 having 20 chambers 11, for example. In a manner representative for all chambers, two of the chambers are identified by the reference sign 11, wherein a throttle 13 is disposed between these chambers 11. This throttle 13 can be, for example, a throttle valve or else a crease of the material of the multi-chamber pad 10, the throttle having the effect that water filled in the respective chambers remains in said chambers until the resistance built-up by the throttle 13 can be overcome by applying pressure, such as in the event of a crash, for example, such that all of the chambers and optionally connecting lines are filled with water, as is highlighted in FIG. 3.

[0053] Provided in such a case is not only one throttle 13 but of course a number of throttles corresponding to the number of chambers to be throttled.

[0054] FIGS. 4 and 5 highlight an embodiment of a multi-layer multi-chamber pad 10, wherein the central region MB which can also be seen in FIG. 1 is in each case identified in FIGS. 4 and 5, the central region MB having chambers filled with water, one of these chambers being identified by the reference sign 11.sub.MB. Also in this case, corresponding throttles are of course provided in order for the water to be retained in the central region MB until an external application of pressure causes the distribution of the water into all of the chambers of the central region MB, this being highlighted in FIG. 5.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a multi-chamber pad 9C in the form of a leaf structure, similar to a spider's web, which can be constructed from hoses which are fluidically connected to one another and be provided with a central filling device 12, as is likewise shown in a purely exemplary manner in FIG. 6.

[0056] In addition to the above written disclosure of the invention, reference is hereby explicitly also made to the illustrative disclosure of the invention in FIGS. 1 to 6 to supplement the disclosure.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0057] 1 Front section [0058] 2 Front section body [0059] 3 Front hood [0060] 4 Chassis [0061] 5, 6 Structural parts of the chassis 4 [0062] 7 Receptacle space [0063] 7A First sub-region [0064] 7B Second sub-region [0065] 8 Structural parts which are not disposed under the front hood 3 [0066] 9A, 9B Branching water line system [0067] 10 Multi-chamber pad [0068] 11 Chambers [0069] 11 MB Chambers in a central region MB of the multi-chamberpad 10 [0070] 12 Filling device [0071] 13 Throttle [0072] 14, 15 Wheels [0073] 16 Main line [0074] 17 to 22 Branch lines