System of a sealed and reinforced structural element

Abstract

A system of a sealed and reinforced structural element of a motor vehicle includes: a structural element, which has a cavity with a longitudinal axis; a carrier. A first material for reinforcing the structural element, wherein the first material has a modulus of elasticity of at least 100 MPa; and a second material for sealing the structural element, wherein the second material has a modulus of elasticity of at most 20 MPa.

Claims

1. A system of a sealed and reinforced structural element of a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a structural element, which has a cavity with a longitudinal axis; a carrier with a first side and a second side and with a first edge region and a second edge region, wherein the edge regions are each facing the structural element, and wherein the first side and the second side are each arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the structural element; a first material for reinforcing the structural element, which is arranged at least between the first edge region of the carrier and the structural element, wherein the first material has a modulus of elasticity of at least 100 MPa; and a second material for sealing the structural element, which is arranged at least between the second edge region of the carrier and the structural element, wherein the second material has a modulus of elasticity of at most 20 MPa.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier has a thickness, measured in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cavity, of 5 to 50 mm.

3. The system as claimed claim 1, wherein the first side and the second side of the carrier each form a closed surface, or wherein the first side and the second side have passages which are sealed by the first material and/or the second material.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cross section of the structural element is completely sealed by the carrier, the first material and the second material.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier has ribs for mechanically reinforcing the carrier.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier consists at least partially of plastic or of glass-fiber reinforced plastic or of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material comprises an adhesive that is curable by a temperature of more than 120° C. and/or wherein the first material has an expansion rate of less than 500% or is a non-expandable material.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second material comprises an adhesive that is curable by a temperature of more than 120° C. and wherein the second material is a non-expandable material; or wherein the second material has an expansion rate of more than 500%.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material is arranged in a first region of the structural element, which forms a non-visible surface of the motor vehicle, and/or wherein the second material is arranged at least in a second region of the structural element, which forms a visible surface of the motor vehicle.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are each expandable materials, and wherein the carrier has a separating element, which separates the first material and the second material from one another prior to expansion of the first material and the second material.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first material and the second material are at least 2 to 20 mm apart prior to expansion.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at the first edge region and/or at the second edge region, the carrier forms an extension, which runs substantially parallel to the first side and the second side of the carrier.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structural element is a component part of a C pillar, a D-pillar or a wheel arch of a body of the motor vehicle.

14. An element for sealing and reinforcing a structural element, wherein the element is suitable for use in a system as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the element comprises a carrier with a first side and a second side and with a first edge region and a second edge region, wherein the edge regions are each facing the structural element, and wherein the first side and the second side are each arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the structural element; a first material for reinforcing the structural element, which is arranged at least between the first edge region of the carrier and the structural element, wherein the first material has a modulus of elasticity of at least 100 MPa; and a second material for sealing the structural element, which is arranged at least between the second edge region of the carrier and the structural element, wherein the second material has a modulus of elasticity of at most 20 MPa.

Description

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

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation, given by way of example, of a body of a motor vehicle;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic portion of a structural element, given by way of example, of a motor vehicle;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section through a system, given by way of example, of a sealed and reinforced structural element; and

(5) FIGS. 4a to 6b show schematic embodiments, given by way of example, of an element for sealing and reinforcing a structural element.

(6) In FIG. 1, a body 10 of an automobile is schematically shown. The body 10 has in this case various structures with cavities, such as for example the A-pillar 11, the B-pillar 12, the C-pillar 13 or the wheel arch 14. Such structures with cavities may then be sealed and reinforced by elements 16.

(7) In FIG. 2, a portion of a structural element 2, given by way of example, is schematically shown. In this case, the structural element 2 has a cavity 6, which lies between a first region 4 and a second region 5. The first region 4 may be for example a first metal sheet and the second region 5 may be for example a second metal sheet. In this case, the sheets may be connected to one another at joining locations, as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the cavity 6 or the structural element 2 has a longitudinal axis 3.

(8) In FIG. 3, a system 1 of a sealed and reinforced structural element 2 is then shown. In this case, a carrier 20 is arranged in the cavity of the structural element 2, the carrier 20 comprising a first side 21, a second side (not visible in this representation), a first edge region 23 and a second edge region 24. The first material 7 is arranged between the first edge region 23 and the structural element 2, and the second material 8 is arranged between the second edge region 24 and the structural element 2.

(9) In this exemplary embodiment, the first material 7 is only in contact with the first region 4 of the structural element 2, whereas the second material 8 is in contact both with the first region 4 and with the second region 5 of the structural element. For example, the first region 4 may be a non-visible region of the body, and the second region 5 may be a visible region of the body.

(10) Various exemplary embodiments of elements 16 for sealing and reinforcing structural elements are shown in FIGS. 4a to 6b. In this case, the elements 16 each comprise a carrier 20 and a first material 7 and second material 8 arranged thereon. The first material 7 and the second material 8 are in this case each shown in an unexpanded and uncured state. The carrier 20 has in each case a first side 21 and a second side 22 opposite from the first side 21. Moreover, the carrier 20 has in each case a first edge region 23, at which the first material 7 is arranged, and a second edge region 24, at which the second material 8 is arranged.

(11) Furthermore, the carrier 20 has a fastening element 25, which may be designed in particular as a clip. This fastening element 25 allows the element 16 to be fastened in the structural element before the first material 7 and the second material 8 expand and/or cure.

(12) Moreover, it can be seen in the exemplary embodiments shown that the carrier 20 may have at the edge regions 23, 24 an extension 26, on which the first material 7 and/or the second material 8 is supported. This extension 26 also serves in particular for guiding the first material 7 and/or the second material 8 during their expansion.

(13) The exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b comprises a carrier 20, which is formed as elongate and which lies substantially in one plane.

(14) The exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b also includes an elongate carrier. In this exemplary embodiment, the carrier is formed as flattened at its ends.

(15) The exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b comprises a carrier 20, which is not arranged in one plane. The carrier 20 in this exemplary embodiment has in particular a corner, which is designed as angled out of the general plane of the carrier. Moreover, the carrier in FIGS. 6a and 6b is provided with ribs 28. It can also be seen in FIG. 6b that the extension 26 can extend around the entire periphery of the carrier 20. It can also be seen in FIG. 6a that the carrier 20 can have passages, which however are closed by the first material 7 and/or the second material 8 in their expanded state.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(16) 1 System

(17) 2 Structural element

(18) 3 Longitudinal axis of the structural element

(19) 4 First region (not visible)

(20) 5 Second region (visible)

(21) 6 Cavity

(22) 7 First material

(23) 8 Second material

(24) 10 Body

(25) 11 A-pillar

(26) 12 B-pillar

(27) 13 C-pillar

(28) 14 Wheel arch

(29) 16 Element

(30) 20 Carrier

(31) 21 First side

(32) 22 Second side

(33) 23 First edge region

(34) 24 Second edge region

(35) 25 Fastening element

(36) 26 Extension

(37) 27 Separating element

(38) 28 Ribs