Dashboard Support

Abstract

A dashboard support for a motor vehicle to be installed between and connected to two pillars located on opposite vehicle sides. The dashboard support has a support structure provided by a hollow profile, which support structure has at least one support portion having a curvature. A planar reinforcement part spanning this curved support portion on the inside of the curvature is arranged on the outside of the support structure. The planar extension of the reinforcement part faces toward the curvature and the ends of the reinforcement part facing in the spanning direction are connected to the outer surface of the support structure.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A dashboard support for a motor vehicle, configured to be installed between and connected to two pillars located on opposite vehicle sides, comprising: a support structure provided by a hollow profile, wherein the support structure has at least one curved support portion with a curvature, and one end of the curved support portion is offset transversely to a longitudinal extent of the support structure relative to the other end of the curved support portion, such that an offset of portions of the support structure transversely to the longitudinal extent of the support structure is provided, and a reinforcement part arranged on the support structure, wherein the reinforcement part spans the curved support portion on the inside of the curvature in the manner of a chord, a planar extension of the reinforcement part faces toward the curvature, and ends of the reinforcement part facing in the spanning direction are connected to the outer surface of the support structure.

14. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein at least the curved support portion of the support structure is a tube.

15. The dashboard support of claim 14, wherein the tube is a round tube.

16. The dashboard support of claim 14, wherein the reinforcement part has at least one connecting recess facing towards the tube with a shape adapted to a geometry of the outer surface of the tube.

17. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein the shape of the connecting recess is complementary to the geometry of the outer surface of the tube.

18. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein at least parts of the ends of the reinforcement part connected to the outer surface of the support structure are arranged outside the curved support portion along the support structure.

19. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein the reinforcement part additionally has at least one connection portion with which the planar extension of the reinforcement part is connected to at least one neutral line of the curved support portion.

20. The dashboard support of claim 19, wherein the at least one connection portion extends along the neutral line over the entire curved support portion.

21. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein the reinforcement part is materially connected to the support structure.

22. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein the reinforcement part has an elongate embossing which rises from the planar extension of the reinforcement part, and a longitudinal direction of the elongate embossing points in the spanning direction of the reinforcement part.

23. The dashboard support of claim 22, wherein the elongate embossing points away from the curved support portion with regard to an embossing direction of the elongate embossing.

24. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein the entire support structure is a round tube.

25. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein connecting elements for connecting the dashboard support to A-pillars of a vehicle are connected to respective ends of the support structure.

26. The dashboard support of claim 13, wherein the dashboard support is only provided with the reinforcement part spanning the curved support portion on a side of the support structure to which a steering column is connected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present disclosure is described below on the basis of example embodiments with reference to the figures, wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a dashboard support with a reinforcement part according to a first embodiment,

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the reinforcement part of FIG. 1 in a front view,

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the dashboard support of FIG. 1 taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1, and

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a dashboard support with a reinforcement part according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a dashboard support 1 for a motor vehicle. It is intended that the dashboard support is connected to the A-pillars of a motor vehicle between two opposite sides of the vehicle by means of connection elements 2, 3. The dashboard support 1 has a support structure 4. The support structure 4 is a hollow profile. In the illustrated embodiment, the support structure 4 is a round tube. In addition to the two connection elements 2, 3 connected at the ends to the support structure 4, the support structure 4 carries floor supports 5, 6, with which the support structure 4 is connected in its central portion to a floor of a motor vehicle, not shown in detail.

[0024] The support structure 4 has a curvature in a curved support portion 7. The support portion 7 together with other curved and straight support portions (not designated in more detail) forms a U-shape located in the central region of the support structure. In the illustrated embodiment, the dashboard support 1 is provided for a left-hand drive motor vehicle. A steering column, not shown in detail, is connected to the dashboard support 1 or its support structure 4 between the connection element 2 and the curved portion 7.

[0025] On the outside of the support structure 4 there is a reinforcement part 8 spanning the curved support portion 7 on the inside. The reinforcement part 8 is arranged opposite the curved support portion 7 on the inside of the curvature in the manner of a chord. The reinforcement part 8 is connected to the curved outer surface of the support structure 4 with its ends 9, 10 pointing in the spanning direction. For this purpose, the reinforcement part 8 has connection recesses 11, 12, which can be seen in FIG. 2. These are adapted to the cross-sectional geometry of the round tube forming the support structure 4 and thus also to its diameter. They are materially connected along their contact surface to the outer surface of the support structure 4 designed as a round tube.

[0026] The reinforcement part 8 also has connection portions, with only the upper connection portion 13 being visible in FIG. 1. The second connection portion 14 can be seen in the sectional view of FIG. 3. From the sectional representation of FIG. 3, it can also be seen that the connection portions 13, 14 reach up to the neutral line 15 (wherein the longitudinal plane through the curved support portion is at right angles to the direction of curvature). In the region of the neutral line 15, the ends of the connection portions 13, 14 are materially connected to the curved support portion by welding. With regard to the connection of the connection portions 13, 14 to the curved support portion, the neutral line 15 is the upper or lower vertex of the round tube shown in FIG. 3 and represents the transition from the inside of the curve (where the reinforcement part 8 is located) to the outside of the curve. An intermittent or interrupted weld seam, also known as a stitched or step weld seam, is sufficient for connecting the support portions 13, 14 to the support portion 7.

[0027] The reinforcement part 8 also has a bead-like embossing 16. This rises from the planar extent of the reinforcement part 8, in this case pointing away from the curved support portion 7, and points with its longitudinal direction in the spanning direction (see also FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0028] As can be seen in FIG. 3, the reinforcement part 8 increases the effective diameter 17 in the direction of curvature of the curved support part 7 compared to the actual diameter 18 of the support portion 7. As a result, the section modulus of the tube cross section is significantly increased, which effectively prevents an opening or closing bending movement of the curvature caused by the forces in question. In addition, due to the planar extension of the reinforcement part 8 in the direction of the center line of curvature, the section modulus is also increased in this direction. It is clear from the sectional view in FIG. 3 that the reinforcement part 8 has a height or an extent in the direction of its narrow sides that corresponds to the diameter 18 of the support portion 7. By increasing the section modulus in this arrangement, vibration is prevented; the provided support structure 4 is thus effectively stiffened.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a detail of another dashboard support 1, which in principle corresponds to the dashboard support 1 of the preceding figures. In the detail shown in FIG. 4, the curved support portion 7.1 is spanned by another reinforcement part 8.1 and is thus stiffened. In contrast to the reinforcement part 8, the reinforcement part 8.1 does not have connection portions. It can be clearly seen in this figure that the reinforcement part 8.1 spans the curved support portion 7.1 on the inside of the curvature. It is connected with its ends 9.1, 10.1 pointing in the spanning direction before the beginning of the curved support portion 7.1 to the outer surface of the support structure 4.1, also with a material connection. The welding seam is not shown in this figure. The above-mentioned advantages with regard to the increase in the section modulus are also achieved by this configuration. If the extension in the spanning direction is sufficiently short, the embossing 16.1, which is identical to the previously described, can be sufficient to stiffen the reinforcement part in order to sufficiently increase the section modulus also transversely to the planar extension of the reinforcement part 8.1.

[0030] The invention has been described on the basis of example embodiments. Without departing from the scope of protection described by the claims, numerous further ways and embodiments for implementing the subject matter of the invention are apparent to a person skilled in the art, without these having to be explained or shown in more detail within the context of this disclosure.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0031] 1 dashboard support [0032] 2, 3 connection element [0033] 4, 4.1 support structure [0034] 5, 6 floor supports [0035] 7, 7.1 curved support portion [0036] 8, 8.1 reinforcement part [0037] 9, 9.1, 10, 10.1 ends of the reinforcement part [0038] 11, 12 connection recess [0039] 13, 14 connection portion [0040] 15 neutral line [0041] 16, 16.1 embossing [0042] 17 effective diameter [0043] 18 diameter