Tailgate for a motor vehicle, and method for producing such a tailgate

Abstract

A tailgate for a motor vehicle includes a metallic main body and at least one fiber-reinforced tape disposed on and/or in the metallic main body. The at least one fiber-reinforced tape has reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix material composed at least in part of a metallic material. The tailgate can include at least one additional component that is at least in part embedded in the main body. The at least one additional component can have at least one connection portion and a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape can be guided around the at least one connection portion.

Claims

1. A tailgate for a motor vehicle comprising: a metallic main tailgate body; at least one additional component with at least one connection portion, wherein the at least one additional component is at least in part embedded in the metallic main tailgate body; and at least one fiber-reinforced tape with reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix material, wherein a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape is guided through the at least one connection portion of the at least one additional component and the at least one fiber-reinforced tape is one of disposed on the metallic main tailgate body, disposed in the metallic main tailgate body, or disposed on the metallic main tailgate body and in the metallic main tailgate body, and the matrix material is at least in part composed of a metallic material.

2. The tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the metallic material is aluminum or magnesium.

3. The tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced tape is connected indirectly to the metallic main tailgate body by an adhesive.

4. The tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-reinforced tape is connected directly to the metallic main tailgate body in a materially integral manner.

5. The tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the matrix material is die cast to the metallic main tailgate body.

6. The tailgate according to claim 1 further comprising another additional component with at least one connection portion, wherein the another additional component is at least in part embedded in the metallic main tailgate body and a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape is guided through the at least one connection portion of the another additional component.

7. The tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additional component comprises a fastening element for a tailgate lock, wherein the fastening element comprises two laterally disposed connection portions, the fastening element is at least in part embedded in the metallic main tailgate body, and a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape is guided through the at least one connection portion.

8. The tailgate according to claim 7, wherein the fastening element is partially or completely produced from a metal or a metal alloy.

9. The tailgate according to claim 7, wherein the fastening element and the matrix material are die cast to the metallic main tailgate body.

10. The tailgate according to claim 7, wherein the matrix material is die cast to the metallic main tailgate body.

11. The tailgate according to claim 1, wherein the matrix material is completely composed of the metallic material.

12. The tailgate according to claim 11, wherein the metallic material is aluminum or magnesium.

13. The tailgate according to claim 1 further comprising a window opening, wherein the fiber-reinforced tape is disposed so as to encircle the window opening.

14. The tailgate according to claim 13, wherein the fiber-reinforced tape encircles a peripheral region of the metallic main tailgate body.

15. A tailgate for a motor vehicle comprising: a metallic main tailgate body; at least one additional component at least in part embedded in the metallic main tailgate body, the at least one additional component comprising at least one connection portion; and at least one fiber-reinforced tape with reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix material, wherein the matrix material is at least in part composed of a metallic material, a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape is guided through the at least one connection portion, and the at least one fiber-reinforced tape is one of disposed on the metallic main tailgate body, disposed in the metallic main tailgate body, or disposed on the metallic main tailgate body and in the metallic main tailgate body.

16. The tailgate according to claim 15, wherein the metallic material is aluminum or magnesium.

17. The tailgate according to claim 15, wherein the fiber-reinforced tape is connected indirectly to the metallic main tailgate body by an adhesive.

18. The tailgate according to claim 15, wherein the fiber-reinforced tape is connected directly to the metallic main tailgate body in a materially integral manner.

19. A tailgate for a motor vehicle comprising: a metallic main tailgate body with a window opening; a fastening element for a tailgate lock connected directly to the metallic main tailgate body in a materially integral manner, the fastening element comprising two laterally disposed connection portions; and at least one fiber-reinforced tape with reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix material and disposed so as to encircle the window opening, wherein the matrix material is at least in part composed of a metallic material, the at least one fiber-reinforced tape is connected directly to the metallic main tailgate body in a materially integral manner, and a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape is guided through the two laterally disposed connection portions.

20. The tailgate according to claim 19, wherein the matrix material is die cast to the metallic main tailgate body.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary form of a tailgate according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a further exemplary form of a tailgate according to the teachings of the present disclosure; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a further exemplary form of a tailgate according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

(5) In the different figures, identical parts are always provided with the same reference signs, and thus said parts are typically also described only once.

(6) The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary form of a tailgate 1 for a motor vehicle (not shown) according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

(9) The tailgate 1 has a metallic main body 2 formed from a die-cast metallic material. A window opening 3 for receiving a rear window (not shown) is configured on the main body 2.

(10) The tailgate 1 moreover has a fiber-reinforced tape 4 that is disposed on and/or in the main body 2. The fiber-reinforced tape 4 is disposed so as to encircle the window opening 3 and to be in an encircling peripheral region of the main body 2. The fiber-reinforced tape 4 has reinforcement fibers embedded in a matrix material, wherein the matrix material is partially or completely composed of a metallic material such as, for example, aluminum or magnesium. The fiber-reinforced tape 4 is connected indirectly to the main body 2 by way of an adhesive, or directly to the main body 2 in a materially integral manner.

(11) The tailgate 1 furthermore has an additional component 5 which is at least in part embedded in the main body 2 and which serves for fastening a tailgate lock (not shown) to the tailgate 1, and which has two laterally disposed connection portions 6 and 7 around which in each case a loop of the fiber-reinforced tape 4 is guided. To this end, two rectangular breakouts 8 and 9 through which the fiber-reinforced tape 4 is guided are configured on the additional component 5. The additional component 5 is thus a fastening element to which the tailgate lock can be fastened. The additional component 5 is partially or completely produced from a metal or a metal alloy.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a further exemplary form of a tailgate 10 according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The tailgate 10 differs from the exemplary form shown in FIG. 1 in that three additional fiber-reinforced tapes 11, 12, 13 are present, wherein the two tapes 11 and 12 run in an inclined manner, intersect one another, and at the end side are connected to the tape 4, and the tape 13 runs in a horizontal manner and at the end side is connected to the tape 4. To avoid repetitions, reference is made in other respects to the above description of FIG. 1.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a further exemplary form of a tailgate 14 according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The tailgate 14 differs from the exemplary form shown in FIG. 1 in that four further additional components 15 are disposed on the main body 2, and in that two additional components 5 or 15, respectively, are in each case connected to one another by way of a fiber-reinforced tape 4. Each further additional component 15 also has two laterally disposed connection portions 6 and 7, a loop of the respective fiber-reinforced tape 4 being in each case guided around said connection portions 6 and 7. To this end, two rectangular breakouts 8 and 9 through which the respective fiber-reinforced tape 4 is guided are configured on each additional component 15. The respective additional component 15 is partially or completely produced from a metal, a metal alloy, or a fiber-composite material. To avoid repetitions, reference is made in other respects to the above description of FIG. 1.

(14) Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word about or approximately in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, manufacturing technology, and testing capability.

(15) As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.

(16) The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.