Method for the Production of Fiber Composite Component

Abstract

A method produces a fiber composite component according to which a fiber arrangement having carbon fibers as reinforcing fibers is arranged on a carrier material having a fibrous material in order to form a structure. A covering layer having a non-conductive material is arranged on the structure. The carbon fibers are arranged largely in the load path direction of the fiber composite component to be produced, and regions of the fiber composite component to be penetrated by electromagnetic signals and/or waves are configured such that they are largely free of carbon fibers.

Claims

1.-6. (canceled)

7. A method for producing a fiber composite component, comprising: arranging a fiber arrangement comprising carbon fibers as reinforcing fibers, on a carrier material, the carrier material comprising fiber material, for forming a structure; arranging a cover layer having a non-conducting material on the structure, wherein the carbon fibers are arranged largely in a load path direction of the fiber composite component that is to be manufactured, and any regions of the fiber composite component which are designated as to be penetrated with electromagnetic signals and/or waves are configured to be free from the carbon fibers.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the carbon fibers are arranged in a form of fiber bundles, fiber bundle matting, or fiber matting, at a clear distance from the regions.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the carbon fibers are arranged on the carrier material in a form of a closed surround enclosing a region.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: integrating, on or into the structure, retention devices that retain components that receive and/or transmit electromagnetic signals.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the components comprise sensors and/or antennas.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein load introduction elements are integrated into the structure.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein SMC fiber semi-finished products are used as the carrier material for forming the fiber composite component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fiber composite component in the form of a body component having two signal transmission devices arranged thereon in the form of a sensor and an antenna.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a side view of the fiber composite component according to FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an illustration similar to that of FIG. 1, which schematically shows the region of the fiber composite component that is designed to be penetrated by electromagnetic waves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 of the drawing shows a fiber composite component 1 in the form of a body component 2 for a vehicle, the latter not being illustrated further. The body component 2 is part of a tailgate of the vehicle.

[0027] To produce the body component 2, a near-net-shape carrier material 3 with glass fiber material is provided, on which schematically illustrated reinforcing fibers made from carbon fiber bundles 4 arranged in the load path direction of the fiber composite component 1 to be manufactured are arranged. The carrier material 3 can be dry fiber material or fiber material already soaked with resin.

[0028] As is easily apparent from FIG. 1, the reinforcing fibers 4 are not applied as a material that covers the carrier material 3 extensively or completely, but are applied in a targeted fashion only in places that are located in the load path direction of the manufactured fiber composite component 1 and, in addition, leave regions 5, 6, which are provided for the arrangement of an antenna 7 and a sensor 8, free.

[0029] The antenna 7 can be for example an antenna that serves for the measurement of the distance of a following vehicle by way of radar waves, and the sensor 8 serves for capturing the surface condition of the road.

[0030] The antenna 7 can thus be used to emit and receive electromagnetic waves, and the sensor 8 captures the road condition based on electromagnetic signals, wherein both the antenna 7 and the sensor 8 are intended to represent merely examples of transmission and reception devices.

[0031] As is apparent from FIG. 1, both transmission and reception devices 7, 8 are enclosed by the reinforcing fibers 4 in the form of carbon fibers 9, but the carbon fibers 9 extend in each case at a distance from the regions of the arrangement of the antenna 7 and of the sensor 8, which means that a shielding effect of the antenna 7 and of the sensor 8, as would occur if the carbon fibers 9 were to completely cover the regions 5 and 6, is not present here.

[0032] As is moreover likewise apparent from FIG. 1, a carbon fiber bundle 9 also extends between the regions 5 and 6, but in a portion 10 between the regions 5 and 6, such that likewise no shielding effect that could significantly impair the signal transmission occurs owing to this arrangement of the carbon fiber bundle 9 in the portion 10.

[0033] In the structure 13 which is formed in this way, it is also possible for structures 14 for the arrangement or retaining of the antenna 7 and the sensor 8 to be integrated, which structures are illustrated merely schematically in FIG. 1 of the drawing. In the same way, load introduction elements, which are not illustrated further, can be integrated into the structure 13 during the production process of the fiber composite component 1 produced according to the invention.

[0034] FIG. 2 of the drawing shows a side view of the body component 2 illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0035] As is easily apparent from FIG. 2, the body component 2 has a height extent in the direction of the double-headed arrow H, that is to say it has a spatial structure. The regions 5, 6, in which the antenna 7 and the sensor 8 are arranged, are not covered by the carbon fiber bundles 9 in the direction of the transmission of the electromagnetic waves and/or signals, with the result that the signal transmission is not negatively impaired by the carbon fibers.

[0036] For this purpose, the carbon fiber bundles 9 are arranged at a clear distance from the regions 5 and 6, specifically in the direction of the height extent H of the body component 2.

[0037] FIG. 3 of the drawing, finally, shows a schematic illustration of the region of the fiber composite component 2 which is formed to be penetrated by electromagnetic waves and/or signals. This region is formed in FIG. 3 schematically as a hatched rectangle 11 and represents an area that is made up of the regions 5 and 6.

[0038] As is easily apparent from FIG. 3, the carbon fiber bundle 9 extends in a direction into the drawing plane behind the rectangle 11, which is intended to express that such an arrangement of the carbon fiber bundle 9 is non-detrimental, since the main emission direction and main reception direction of the antenna 7 and of the sensor 8 extend in the direction out of the drawing plane of FIG. 3, and the arrangement of the carbon fiber bundle 9 in the drawing plane behind or under the rectangle 11 is thus non-detrimental.

[0039] Finally, it is also possible for a cover layer 12 (see FIG. 2) made from a non-conducting material to be fastened to the upper side of the fiber composite component 1, which cover layer 12 may be for example a thin layer made from glass fiber matting which can be provided with an application of paint in the further production process of a vehicle that is provided with the fiber composite component 1 produced according to the invention. By forming the cover layer 12 from a non-conducting material, a shielding effect is avoided.

[0040] The method according to the invention for producing a fiber composite component is characterized by a high lightweight design grade, and a stiffness and stability of the fiber composite component to be produced that is excellent for the corresponding use is achieved owing to the arrangement of the carbon fibers as reinforcing fibers, even though the content of carrier material having fiber material can be decreased and thus the net mass of the fiber composite component can be reduced.

[0041] Owing to the application of the carbon fibers only largely in the load path direction of the fiber composite component to be produced, a reduction in production costs is achieved and, owing to the arrangement of the carbon fibers according to the invention largely outside the regions that are provided to be penetrated by electromagnetic signals and/or waves, a viewing window for the antennas and/or sensors integrated there is provided, which ensures that the signal transmission is not negatively influenced despite the integration of the carbon fibers. In addition, the method according to the invention has the advantage that it comprises the integration of retaining devices for the antennas and/or sensors to be fastened, with the result that a complicated retroactive arrangement of such retaining devices after the production of the fiber composite component is dispensed with.

[0042] With respect to features of the invention which were not explained above in more detail, reference is expressly made to the claims and the drawing.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0043] 1. Fiber composite component [0044] 2. Body component [0045] 3. Carrier material [0046] 4. Reinforcing fibers [0047] 5. Region [0048] 6. Region [0049] 7. Antenna [0050] 8. Sensor [0051] 9. Carbon fiber bundle [0052] 10. Antenna [0053] 11. Rectangle [0054] 12. Cover layer [0055] 13. Structure [0056] 14. Retaining structure