MOUNTING SYSTEM

Abstract

In order to improve a mounting system for a load carrier or a trailer coupling, comprising at least one mounting receptacle, which can be mounted on a rear section of a motor vehicle body, in such a way that a high weight saving is made possible, in particular in the case when a load carrier or a trailer coupling is not being used, it is proposed that the mounting system has a set of two mounting receptacles, which is configured such that each of the mounting receptacles in the mounted state is connected to the motor vehicle body by means of a mounting region for a rear-side impact or crash element provided on the motor vehicle body.

Claims

1. A mounting system for a load carrier or a trailer coupling, comprising at least one mounting receptacle, which is mountable on a rear section of a motor vehicle body, the mounting system has a set of two mounting receptacles, which is configured such that each of the mounting receptacles in the mounted state is connected to the motor vehicle body by means of a mounting region for a rear-side impact or crash element provided on the motor vehicle body.

2. A mounting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the impact or crash element has a carrier that is deformable in the event of an impact or crash and that is connected by means of mounting attachments to the mounting regions of the motor vehicle body.

3. A mounting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each mounting receptacle is connectable or, in the mounted state, is connected to the corresponding mounting region by means of a mounting carrier.

4. A mounting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting receptacles are arranged next to the mounting attachments of the impact or crash element by the mounting carrier.

5. A mounting system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the mounting receptacles are arranged, by means of the mounting carrier, below the mounting attachments of the impact or crash element in the direction of the force of gravity.

6. A mounting system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the mounting carrier for connection to the mounting regions of the motor vehicle body is fixed between a mounting attachment of the impact or crash element and the corresponding mounting region of the motor vehicle body.

7. A mounting system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the particular mounting carrier has a central body, which is stabilized by at least one reinforcement.

8. A mounting system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the central body has a support region, which is fixable between the mounting region and the corresponding mounting attachment.

9. A mounting system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the central body has a holding region, which carries the mounting receptacle.

10. A mounting system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the support region and the holding region are connected to one another in a rigid manner by the at least one reinforcement.

11. A mounting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the mounting receptacles is connectable to a mounting element.

12. A mounting system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the mounting receptacles are sleeve-like.

13. A mounting system in accordance with claim 11, wherein mounting elements are insertable into the mounting receptacles or placeable thereon and fixable thereto, which mounting elements are in turn provided with load receptacles, which allow a connection to a load carrier or a trailer coupling.

14. A mounting system in accordance with claim 12, wherein each mounting element has a guide body, by means of which the mounting element is insertable in an insertion direction into the mounting receptacle or is placeable thereon and is fixable thereto against transverse movements and/or rotations about the insertion direction.

15. A mounting system in accordance with claim 12, wherein, by means of stops, each mounting element is positionable in a defined manner in the insertion direction relative to the corresponding mounting receptacle.

16. A mounting system in accordance with claim 12, wherein each mounting element is provided with a securing unit, by means of which the mounting element is fixable, in the position inserted into the mounting receptacle, against a movement opposite the insertion direction.

17. A mounting system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the securing unit has a securing body, which is configured to be brought into engagement with a securing receptacle of the mounting receptacle.

18. A mounting system in accordance with claim 12, wherein a carrier base of a load carrier or of a trailer coupling is fixable or, in the operating state, is fixed in the load receptacle of each mounting element.

19. A mounting system in accordance with claim 18, wherein there are associated with each load receptacle clamping elements, by means of which the carrier base is fixable in a force-locking manner in the respective load receptacle.

20. A mounting system in accordance with claim 18, wherein each load receptacle is U-shaped, for example in order to receive the carrier base.

21. A mounting system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the securing body is blocked by a blocking element against a movement out from the securing receptacle when the load carrier or the trailer coupling is held in the corresponding load receptacle.

22. A mounting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the set of two mounting receptacles is held on the impact or crash element.

23. A mounting system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the mounting receptacles are connected to the carrier of the impact or crash element.

24. A mounting system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the mounting receptacles are arranged on the carrier in continuation of the mounting attachments.

25. A mounting system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the mounting receptacles are arranged offset relative to the mounting attachments of the impact or crash element.

26. A mounting system in accordance with claim 22, wherein the mounting receptacles are connected non-releasably to the carrier of the impact or crash element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] FIG. 1 a side view of a rear section of a motor vehicle with an impact or crash element mounted thereon below a bumper unit;

[0079] FIG. 2 a first exemplary embodiment of a mounting system according to the invention, comprising two mounting receptacles, which are connected to the mounting regions and the mounting attachments by means of mounting carriers, which engage between mounting attachments of the impact or crash element and the mounting regions of the motor vehicle body;

[0080] FIG. 3 a longitudinal section along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

[0081] FIG. 4 a perspective view of a mounting receptacle with the associated mounting carrier;

[0082] FIG. 5 a representation similar to FIG. 2 prior to insertion of mounting elements into the mounting receptacles;

[0083] FIG. 6 a perspective representation of a mounting element with a view in the direction of an arrow A in FIG. 5;

[0084] FIG. 7 a plan view of the mounting element with a view in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 6;

[0085] FIG. 8 a plan view of the mounting element with a view in the direction of the arrow C in FIG. 7;

[0086] FIG. 9 a representation similar to FIG. 5 with mounting elements inserted into the mounting receptacles;

[0087] FIG. 10 a representation similar to FIG. 9 with a load carrier held in the mounting elements;

[0088] FIG. 11 a side view in the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 10;

[0089] FIG. 12 a representation of a second exemplary embodiment of a mounting system according to the invention with a trailer coupling held by the mounting elements;

[0090] FIG. 13 a perspective representation similar to FIG. 2 of a third exemplary embodiment of a mounting system according to the invention with mounting receptacles arranged on a carrier of the impact or crash element;

[0091] FIG. 14 a representation of a load carrier held by means of mounting elements in the mounting receptacles of the third exemplary embodiment;

[0092] FIG. 15 a perspective representation of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a mounting system according to the invention with mounting receptacles likewise held on the carrier of the impact or crash element; and

[0093] FIG. 16 a representation of the fourth exemplary embodiment of the mounting system according to the invention with mounting elements inserted into the mounting receptacles according to FIG. 14 for receiving a load carrier or a trailer coupling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0094] An exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, of a motor vehicle 10 suitable for the invention comprises a motor vehicle body 12; an impact or crash element 16 is arranged on the rear section 14 of said motor vehicle body, which impact or crash element, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a carrier 22 transverse to a vehicle longitudinal direction 18 for absorbing an impact, which carrier is supported at two mounting regions 26 of the rear section 14 by means of two mounting attachments 24.

[0095] Each mounting region 26 of the rear section 14 is formed for example by one of two side members 28 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction 18 on opposite longitudinal sides of the motor vehicle body 12, which side members for example each also carry a termination plate 32, wherein the termination plate 32, with its side facing the mounting attachment 24, forms the mounting region 26 on the rear section 14.

[0096] Each of the mounting attachments 24 preferably comprises a flange plate 34 and a support arm 36, which extends from the flange plate to the carrier 22 and holds the carrier 22 at a spacing from the rear section 14 so that the carrier 22, in the event of a rear-side impact on the motor vehicle body 12, can deform at least initially independently thereof.

[0097] The impact and crash element 16 is also preferably covered by a bumper unit 38, which is held on the rear section 14 so as to be visible and is provided fundamentally for the visual design of the rear section, but for example in the event of a rear impact on the motor vehicle 10 has an insignificant influence on the absorption of forces.

[0098] In order to be able to mount a load carrier or a trailer coupling on a motor vehicle 10 of this kind, in particular the motor vehicle body 12 thereof on its rear section 14, a set 40 of mounting receptacles 42 is provided for releasable fixing of a load carrier or of a trailer coupling, which mounting receptacles for example each have a receiving sleeve 44, which are used to receive mounting elements described hereinafter in detail.

[0099] For example, the receiving sleeves 44 are formed here as sleeve bodies that are rectangular in cross section.

[0100] To connect these mounting receptacles 42 to the motor vehicle body 12, each of these mounting receptacles 42 is fixed to a mounting carrier 46, which, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, lies directly on the corresponding mounting region 26 of the rear section 14 and thus can be clamped between the corresponding mounting attachment 24 of the impact or crash element 16 and the mounting region 26, so that the corresponding mounting carrier 46 on the one hand can be supported on the corresponding mounting region 26 of the rear section 14 in order to absorb forces and on the other hand is connected to the mounting attachment 24 of the impact and crash element 16, which is likewise supported by means of the corresponding mounting carrier 46 on the mounting region 26 of the rear section 14.

[0101] The mounting carrier 46 is preferably formed not exclusively as a flat plate, but, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, has a central body 52, which for example is formed as a plate, which in order to save weight is provided with a recess, and also with reinforcements connected to the central body 52, in particular formed as reinforcements 54 molded integrally on the central body, which reinforcements in the shown case according to FIG. 4 are realized by turned-up edges 54 running laterally of the central body 52.

[0102] Instead of turned-up edges 54, it is also possible here to provide beads or folds, in particular laterally of the central body 52.

[0103] The central body 52 is formed here in particular such that it forms a central support region 56, on which the mounting attachments 24 of the impact or crash element 16, in particular with the flange plates 34, are supportable over the entire surface, which central support region can thus be clamped between the corresponding mounting attachment 24 and the corresponding mounting region 26.

[0104] The support region 56 furthermore also has openings 58, which are arranged congruently with corresponding openings 62 in the flange plates 34 and thus allow the corresponding flange plate 34 to be screwed to the central body 52 of the mounting carrier 46 and the mounting region 26.

[0105] Furthermore, in the solution according to the invention, the mounting receptacles 42 are welded by means of an end face 64 to a holding region 66 of the central body 52, wherein the reinforcements 54 extend both along the support region 56 and the holding region 66 in order to thus fix the holding region 66 relative to the support region 56 in a bend-proof manner, in particular rigidly.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 5, a mounting element 82 of a set 80 of mounting elements can be inserted into an inner receiving space 68 of each of the mounting receptacles 42 of the set 40 of mounting receptacles, wherein, as shown in detail in FIGS. 5 to 8, each of these mounting elements 82 has a guide body 84, which is insertable into the corresponding mounting receptacle 42, in particular the receiving sleeve 44 of the corresponding mounting receptacle 42, in an insertion direction 86 and is guided both against a movement transverse to the insertion direction 86 on account of its outer contour and against a rotation about the insertion direction 86 through the mounting receptacle 42, in particular the receiving sleeve 44 thereof.

[0107] In particular, the guide body 84 comprises a C-shaped main body 88 and a support body 92 inserted into the main body 88, so that the main body 88 with its middle limb 94 on the one hand and the support body 92 on the other hand forms a lateral guide for the mounting element 82 and with its two side limbs 96 and 98 secures the mounting element 82 in the receiving sleeve 44 of the mounting receptacle 42 against movements parallel to a vertical direction.

[0108] The guide body 84 is furthermore also provided with stops 102 protruding beyond the guide body on both sides, which stops delimit the insertion of the guide body 84 into the receiving space 68 of the corresponding mounting receptacle 42, in particular of the corresponding receiving sleeve 44, by abutting against the end face 104 furthest away from the mounting carrier 46.

[0109] To fix each mounting element 82 in the corresponding mounting receptacle 42, the mounting element 82 in question is provided with a securing unit 112, which has a securing body, for example a securing hook 114, which cooperates with a securing receptacle 116, for example formed in the manner of an aperture in the mounting receptacle 42, in particular the receiving sleeve 44 thereof, in order to be able to secure the mounting element 82, in its position inserted into the corresponding mounting receptacle 42, against a movement opposite the insertion direction.

[0110] Here, the securing body 114 is acted on by means of a spring element 118 such that the securing body 114, when the mounting element 82 is inserted into the mounting receptacle 42, aims to come into engagement with the securing receptacle 116.

[0111] In the simplest case, the securing body 114 is mounted rotatably about a pin forming the stops 102 and is acted on by the spring element 118 in the direction of a pivoting movement into the position engaging in the securing receptacle 116.

[0112] As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 5 to 9, each mounting element 82 comprises an approximately U-shaped load receptacle 122 held on the guide body 84, wherein the load receptacles 122 in the set 80 of mounting elements 82, in the state inserted into the set 40 of mounting receptacles 42, are aligned with one another so that, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a carrier base 132 of a load carrier 130 having a carrier frame 134 is insertable into the load receptacles 122, and for example also comprises clamping elements 136 associated with the load receptacles 122, by means of which clamping elements, as shown in FIG. 7, the load receptacles 122 are fixable in a force-locking manner to the carrier base 132, which for example is formed as square tubes engaging in the load receptacles 132, by moving towards one another the load receptacle receiving limbs 142 and 144, which extend starting from a receptacle base 146.

[0113] In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, to actuate the securing body 114, in order to be able to move this out from the corresponding securing receptacle 116, a lever arrangement 152 is provided, which has on the one hand a manually actuatable engagement lever 154 and on the other hand a blocking lever 156, wherein the blocking lever 156 prevents a pivoting of the securing body 114 in the direction out from the corresponding securing receptacle 116 if the carrier base 132 of the load carrier 130 is held in the load receptacle 122, since specifically in this case the blocking lever 156, in the event of a pivoting movement of the securing body 114 in the direction out from the corresponding securing receptacle 116, is blocked by the carrier base 132, and the blocking is then canceled only if the carrier base 132 is no longer received in the load receptacle 122, as is shown in FIG. 8.

[0114] In a second exemplary embodiment, the carrier base 132 is not the carrier base of a load support 130, but of a trailer coupling 160, and carries a ball neck 162 with a coupling ball 164, to which a trailer can be coupled in the known manner (FIG. 12).

[0115] In a third exemplary embodiment, shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the set 40 of mounting receptacles 42 is arranged directly on the carrier 22 of the impact or crash element 16, more specifically in continuation of the support arms 36 extending starting from the flange plates 34, wherein, in the simplest case, the support arms 36 have the same cross section as the receiving sleeves 44 of the mounting receptacles 42, so that in the simplest case the receiving sleeves 44 and the support arms 36 constitute a one-piece part that passes through the corresponding carrier 22 and is welded thereto.

[0116] Furthermore, the mounting receptacles 42 are formed similarly to the first exemplary embodiment, so that, as shown in FIG. 14, the same mounting elements 82 as in the first exemplary embodiment are insertable into these mounting receptacles 42, and these mounting elements have load receptacles 122 as in the first exemplary embodiment, into which load receptacles the carrier base 132 of the load carrier denoted as a whole by 130 is insertable, which load carrier is likewise formed similarly to the first exemplary embodiment.

[0117] In a fourth exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the set 40 of mounting receptacles 42 is arranged on the carrier 22 of the impact or crash element 16, wherein, however, the mounting receptacles 42 are offset relative to the support arms 36 and thus have a different spacing form one another in the longitudinal direction of the carrier 22 as compared to the support arms 36 in the third exemplary embodiment.

[0118] In this exemplary embodiment as well, in particular the receiving sleeves 44 are formed similarly as in the preceding exemplary embodiments, so that the same mounting elements 82 as in the preceding exemplary embodiments can be inserted into these receiving sleeves 44, which mounting elements are provided with the load receptacles 122 similarly as in the preceding exemplary embodiments.

[0119] In the fourth exemplary embodiment as well, the carrier base 132 of the load carrier 130 or of the trailer coupling 160 is thus insertable into the load receptacles 122 and fixable therein.