ADAPTER FOR A GRAB HANDLE IN THE INTERIOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

An adapter for a grab handle in the interior of a motor vehicle, having an attachment portion for attaching the adapter to a vehicle body frame and having a retaining portion, which in the mounted state of the adapter, extends starting from the attachment portion in the direction of the vehicle interior and has a region to which a grab handle can be attached, is characterized in that the retaining portion between the attachment portion and the region to which a grab handle can be attached has a plastic formation or a plurality of plastic formations, so that with the forming of a first predetermined buckling line, a bending strength of the retaining portion in a first direction, in which the adapter is typically stressed in an accident situation, is reduced relative to a bending strength in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Claims

1. An adapter for a grab handle in the interior of a motor vehicle, the adapter comprising: an attachment portion to attach the adapter to a vehicle body frame; a retaining portion, which in a mounted state of the adapter, extends, starting from the attachment portion, in a direction of the vehicle interior and has a region to which a grab handle is adapted to be attached; and a plastic formation or a plurality of plastic formations disposed on the retaining portion between the attachment portion and a region to which a grab handle is adapted to be attached so that with the forming of a first predetermined buckling line, a bending strength of the retaining portion in a first direction, in which the adapter is typically stressed in an accident situation, is reduced relative to a bending strength in a second direction opposite the first direction.

2. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion and the retaining portion form an angle between 40 and 120, or between 70 and 100, with one another.

3. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is substantially planar.

4. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein a plastic formation is disposed on the retaining portion or on the retaining portions both on a front side as seen in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle in the vehicle-installed state and on a rear side in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

5. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the plastic formation is designed three-dimensional and curves convexly toward the motor vehicle interior.

6. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the retaining portion or retaining portions have at least one slot-shaped recess between the plastic formations.

7. The adapter according to claim 6, wherein the slot-shaped recess is adapted to attach an electrical cable to the adapter and/or to the vehicle body frame.

8. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion has recesses in a vicinity of the retaining portion or retaining portions in each case as seen in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle in the vehicle-installed state before and behind the retaining portion or retaining portions.

9. The adapter according to claim 8, wherein the recesses bring about a formation of a second predetermined buckling line.

10. A motor vehicle comprising an adapter according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an adapter of the invention in a view obliquely from above;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the adapter in a further view; and

[0027] FIG. 3 shows an adapter of the invention in an installed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an adapter 2 of the invention in a view obliquely from above. Adapter 2 has a attachment portion 4, with which the adapter can be attached to a vehicle body structure. Further, adapter 2 has a first retaining portion 6 and a second retaining portion 8, which are integrally formed on attachment portion 4 and extend from it at an angle of approximately 90 toward the vehicle interior. Attachment portion 4 has the shape of an elongated, flat metal sheet. In particular, middle section 10, which is disposed between first retaining portion 6 and second retaining portion 8, as well as the two outer sections 12 extend substantially in a planar manner.

[0029] Attachment portion 4 is connected to the body frame at attachment points 14. A screw connection, a welded connection, or another conventional connection can be made for this purpose.

[0030] Retaining portions 6,8 extend as already described into the space of the vehicle interior. They are designed accordingly as tabs, which protrude into the vehicle interior and have a flat base area and a substantially perpendicular side wall which is circumferential on three sides. The corners of retaining portions 6, 8 which corners point toward the vehicle interior, are formed rounded. Likewise, the transition region between the flat base area and the side walls is formed rounded. Retaining portions 6, 8 each have a receiving cutout 22, to which the actual grab handle can be attached.

[0031] Retaining portions 6, 8 have formations 20 which, starting from the just described basic structure of retaining portions 6, 8 represent convex bulges outwards towards the vehicle interior. Formations 20 lie on first predetermined buckling line 32, which is created by formations 20. In the case of an upwardly acting compressive load, which exceeds a critical magnitude, the part of retaining portion 8 that lies to the right of first predetermined buckling line 32, as seen in the figure, performs a rotational movement about first predetermined buckling line 32. This is indicated by arrow 30. This results in a plastic deformation of second retaining portion 8. The same applies, of course, to first retaining portion 6. In the case of a tensile load downwards, as indicated by arrow 28, in contrast, there is at most a short-term elastic deformation of second retention portion 8.

[0032] Retaining portions 6, 8 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment have cable carrier cutouts 24, which lie in the region of first predetermined buckling line 32. Cable carrier cutouts 24 can be used for a start to attach a cable holder or cable carrier and thus to use the adapter not only for holding the grab handle, but also for the electrical or electronic cabling. Furthermore, the bending strength of retaining portions 6, 8 is further reduced by these cable carrier cutouts, so that in addition to formations 20, a further adjustment parameter results, which can be used to adjust the behavior of adapter 2 in an accident situation.

[0033] The entire adapter 2 is designed in one piece. In this regard, sharp corners and edges have been largely avoided. Formation regions 26 are also formed rounded in the transition between attachment portion 4 and retaining portions 6, 8.

[0034] Recesses 16 and 18 are disposed in attachment portion 4. These recesses can also be referred to as separation cuts and cut through attachment portion 4 in each case partially starting from below. Separation cuts 16, 18 are respectively disposed between attachment points 14 and retaining elements 6, 8 or formation regions 26. In the case of a compressive force acting from below, a twisting of attachment portion 4 about a second predetermined buckling line 34 thus becomes possible. The largest part of middle section 10 and outer sections 12 of attachment portion 4 remains in contact with the interior wall. The region between one of the separation cuts 16 and 18, which in each case includes one of the retaining portions 6, 8 partly detaches from the vehicle inner wall, however, and then, together with the corresponding retaining portion 6, 8 executes a rotational movement about second predetermined breaking line 34.

[0035] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, two separate mechanisms are thus realized in principle, with which a controlled deformation of adapter 2 can be achieved in an accident situation.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a further view of adapter 2 from a perspective approximately perpendicular to the plane of attachment portion 4. In this illustration, all four attachment points 14 shown and separation cuts 16 and 18 are particularly clearly visible. It becomes clear that separation cuts 16 and 18 are disposed in the vicinity of attachment points 14, but somewhat closer to retaining elements 6, 8 than attachment points 14. Separation cuts 16, 18 are disposed in the lower region of attachment portion 4 and cut through attachment element 4 to slightly less than half of its vertical extent. Attachment points 14, in contrast, are disposed in the upper region of attachment portion 4 and thus opposite separation cuts 16, 18.

[0037] Furthermore, the design of plastic formations 20 is clearly visible. It can be seen that plastic formation 20 is visible in the contour of the side wall owing to an outward protrusion. The protrusion in the installed state of adapter 2 projects into the vehicle interior.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows adapter 2 when installed in the vehicle, wherein for the sake of clarity, a large part of the vehicle is not shown. Grab handle 38 consisting of a movable handle portion 40, which can be pivoted about pivot axis 44, and an immovable portion 42 is attached to retaining portions 6, 8 by means of retaining clips 46. Arrow 28 again indicates a load due to a tensile force when grab handle 38 is used, whereas arrow 30 describes the deformation of second retaining portion 8, when a compressive force is applied to it, about first predetermined buckling line 32 and about second predetermined buckling line 34.

[0039] Cable carriers 36, which are used to hold cable, are inserted in the previously described cable carrier cutouts. Further, head airbag 48 held by a retaining clip can be seen in the background. Likewise, the tub-like shape of retaining portions 6, 8 becomes clear once again. They each have a substantially flat base area 50, 52 and the side walls adjacent thereto, which are connected to these starting from base areas 50, 52 via a curvature with a relatively small radius. Plastic formations 20 are part of these side walls and have the shape of outwardly directed bulges.

[0040] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.