EDGE DESIGN OF A FLAT STIFFENING STRUCTURE FOR A COMPONENT

Abstract

A component having a flat reinforcing element of a first stiffness and a flat material of a second stiffness. The first stiffness is higher than the second stiffness. The flat reinforcing element has a first end on a first narrow side. The flat material, on a second narrow side thereof, has a second end that bifurcates into two strips. The two strips of the second end enclose the first end on both sides in a zone of enclosure.

Claims

1. A component comprising: a flat reinforcing element of a first stiffness; and a flat material of a second stiffness, the first stiffness being higher than the second stiffness, the flat reinforcing element having a first end on a first narrow side, and the flat material on a second narrow side having a second end that bifurcates into two strips, and the two strips of the second end enclosing the first end on both sides in a zone of enclosure.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein the flat material runs in an arc over an entirety of the zone of enclosure.

3. The component according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the flat material is at a maximum at a position at which the first narrow side of the flat reinforcing element meets the second end of the flat material.

4. The component according to claim 1, wherein a maximum wall thickness of the flat reinforcing element is equal to or greater than half a wall thickness of the flat material outside the zone of enclosure.

5. The component according to claim 1, wherein a length of a zone of overlap between the flat reinforcing element and the flat material is 1.5 to 8 times a wall thickness of the flat material.

6. The component according to claim 1, wherein indentations are provided in at least one of the two strips on an end face thereof.

7. The component according to claim 6, wherein the indentations are provided in both of the two strips.

8. The component according to claim 7, wherein the indentations of a first strip of the two strips are arranged offset relative to the indentations of a second strip of the two strips.

9. The component according to claim 7, wherein the indentations of a first strip of the two strips are arranged opposite the indentations of a second strip of the two strips.

10. The component according to claim 6, wherein a length of all indentations is the same.

11. The component according to claim 6, wherein in one strip of the two strips, there is a first group of indentations having a first length and a second group of indentations having a second length, and the first length is greater than the second length.

12. The component according to claim 11, wherein the one strip is a first strip and the two strips includes a second strip, and wherein the first group of indentations and the second group of indentations are present both in the first strip and in the second strip.

13. The component according to claim 12, wherein the indentations of the second group in the first strip are opposite the indentations of the first group in the second strip, and wherein the indentations of the first group in the first strip are opposite the indentations of the second group in the second strip.

14. The component according to claim 12, wherein the indentations of the second group in the first strip are opposite the indentations of the second group in the second strip, and wherein the indentations of the first group of indentations in the first strip are opposite the indentations of the first group in the second strip.

15. The component according to claim 1, wherein the flat reinforcing element is a plastic, a fiber composite of a thermoplastic or duroplastic type, a metal plate, or a wooden panel.

16. The component according to claim 1, wherein the flat material is formed of: an injection molded material of a thermoplastic type, or an extrusion molded material of a thermoplastic or a duroplastic type.

17. The component according to claim 1, wherein the two strips of the flat material completely enclose: an edge of the flat reinforcing element that contains an entirety of the first narrow side of the flat reinforcing element, or only a partial region of the edge of the flat reinforcing element

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0064] FIG. 1 illustrates the component according to the invention in a cross-sectional view.

[0065] FIG. 2 illustrates the component according to the invention in a plan view.

[0066] FIG. 3 illustrates the flat material of the component according to the invention in a perspective view in which indentations are visible.

EXAMPLE

[0067] In the description that follows, the same reference signs denote the same components or the same elements, so that a description made with reference to a figure with regard to a component also applies to the other figures so as to avoid repeating the description. Furthermore, individual features that have been described in connection with one embodiment can also be used separately in other embodiments.

[0068] FIG. 1 illustrates the component 1 according to the invention in a cross-sectional view.

[0069] The component 1 comprises a reinforcing element 2 that is flat and has a high level of stiffness. Fiber-reinforced composite materials of a thermoplastic or duroplastic type, but also metal plates and other plates, are suitable here.

[0070] At a first end 4 (shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 1), the reinforcing element 2 has a narrow side 5a that is delimited by an upper side 5b and an underside 5c. The opposite end of the reinforcing element is not shown in the drawing.

[0071] This reinforcing element 2 is overmolded on both sides with a less stiff (injection molding) material 3 in a zone of enclosure U having the length u. This material 3 is also largely flat. Due to the overmolding on both sides, the material 3 forms two strips 8, 9 made of the material 3 at a second end 6 (on the left side of the material 3 in FIG. 1), which strips are in contact with the reinforcing element 2 in a zone of overlap L (directly, i.e., without the formation of cavities). The opposite end of the material 3 is not shown in the drawing. A representation of the material 3 having the two strips 8, 9 without the reinforcing element 2 can be found in FIG. 3. It can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the two strips are located one above the other on the narrow side of the material 3 and project approximately equally over the reinforcing element 2.

[0072] The zone of enclosure U comprises the zone in which the material 3 initially thickens in a ramp zone R in relation to a base material zone A and starting from said base material zone, but does not yet overlap with the reinforcing plate, and a zone of overlap L in which the material 3 overlaps with the reinforcing plate.

[0073] The flat material 3 can run in an arc over the entire zone of enclosure U (in a cross section, i.e., transverse to the extension of the surface of the material 3), as shown in FIG. 1.

[0074] For the purposes of the invention, “arc-like” can denote a continuously steady increase/decrease in the wall thickness of the material 3 in the zone of enclosure U, i.e., an actual arc shape. However, “arc-like” can mean that there is a shape that consists of a plurality of straight portions, the transitions between the plurality of straight portions being angular and/or being formed by an arc, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0075] In particular, the maximum wall thickness h.sub.1, h.sub.2 of the material 3 or of the strips 8, 9 can be in the region above the interface between the reinforcing element 2 and the material 3. The wall thickness h.sub.1, h.sub.2 of the material 3 can therefore be at its maximum at the position at which the first end 4 forms a narrow side 5a of the flat reinforcing element 2. At this position, where the first end 4 forms a narrow side 5a of the flat reinforcing element 2, the surface (upper side 7b or underside 7c) of the material 3 is at the greatest distance from the opposite surface (upper side 5b or underside 5c) of the reinforcing element 2.

[0076] As a result, the wall thickness h.sub.1, h.sub.2 of the material 3, of the strip 8, 9 or of the strips 8, 9, which wall thickness the material 3 forms at this position, is highest in the transition region between the flat reinforcing element 2 and the flat material 3 (“maximum wall thickness”). This position is the one where the component 1 is most likely to break under load. The wall thickness of the material 3 at this position therefore counteracts breakage of the component 1 in a particularly effective manner.

[0077] Furthermore, said maximum wall thickness h.sub.1, h.sub.2 is equal to or greater than the base material wall thickness ½ a, i.e., the wall thickness of the material 3 outside the zone of enclosure U.

[0078] The wall thickness h.sub.1, h.sub.2 of the material 3 at this position therefore counteracts breakage of the component 1 in a particularly advantageous manner. This also ensures that, in the transition region, i.e., the region where the narrow side 5a of the reinforcing element meets the flat material 3, the wall thickness also corresponds at least to the wall thickness ½ a in the base material zone A, and the strength in this region therefore corresponds approximately to the strength that can be found in the rest of the component 1.

[0079] The length of the zone of overlap L is, for example, 2 to 4 times the base material wall thickness a.

[0080] It has been shown that this ratio between the length of the zone of overlap L and the material 3 ensures particularly high stability of the component 1, while at the same time preventing overuse of the material 3.

[0081] FIG. 2 illustrates the component 1 according to the invention in a plan view and FIG. 3 shows a perspective detailed view of the material 3 from FIG. 2.

[0082] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, indentations 12, 13 (i.e., cutouts, recesses) can be provided on the end face 11 of the strips 8, 9 from the zone of overlap.

[0083] These indentations 12, 13 can be produced by hold-down devices provided in the mold or in the tool that is used to produce the component 1. Hold-down devices can reduce or avoid displacement or “flaring” (e.g. loosening of the bond between the fabric layers in the case of an organosheet) of the reinforcing element 2 due to the inflowing (plastic) melt and the pressed-on material and stabilize the flat reinforcing element 2 against the melt flow, such that said melt flow is ideally held in the center with respect to the wall thickness of the material (or said melt flow is not pressed on one side toward the edge region of the wall).

[0084] In FIG. 3, indentations 12, 13 are provided in both strips 8, 9.

[0085] This offers the advantage that, during the production process, there is a largely symmetrical stabilization of the flat reinforcing element 2 in relation to the melt flow.

[0086] As shown by way of example in FIG. 3, the indentations 12, 13 of the first strip 8 can be arranged opposite the indentations of the second strip 9.

[0087] The respective indentations 12, 13 in the two strips 8, 9 are thus directly one above the other.

[0088] This offers the advantage that, during the production process, the flat reinforcing element 2 is stabilized very symmetrically in relation to the melt flow or the material pressed on.

[0089] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the indentations 12, 13 can have two different lengths, and the indentations 12, 13 having two different lengths can be arranged alternately. In this case, an indentation 13 having a long length in the upper strip 8, as in the case of the indentations that are arranged on the left and right in FIG. 3, can face an indentation 12 having a short length in the strip 9 located underneath. Correspondingly, an indentation 12 having a short length in the upper strip 8, as in the case of the indentation 12 that is arranged in the center in FIG. 3, can face an indentation 13 having a long length in the strip 9 located underneath.

[0090] This arrangement has the advantage that the finished component 1 is particularly impervious to the fluid when used, for example, in a fluid container. Furthermore, a visible weld line is avoided.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 2, the material 3 can completely enclose the narrow side 5a of a flat reinforcing element 2. However, it is also conceivable that the material 3 is only attached to one or more partial regions of the flat reinforcing element 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0092] 1: component [0093] 2: (flat) reinforcing element [0094] 3: (flat) material [0095] 4: first end of the flat reinforcing element [0096] 5a: narrow side of the flat reinforcing element [0097] 5b: upper side of the flat reinforcing element [0098] 5c: underside of the flat reinforcing element [0099] 6: second end of the flat material [0100] 7a: narrow side of the flat material [0101] 7b: upper side of the flat material [0102] 7c: underside of the flat material [0103] 8: first strip [0104] 9: second strip [0105] 10: position of the maximum wall thickness of the material [0106] 11: end face of the zone of overlap [0107] 12: indentation, short [0108] 13: indentation, long [0109] U, u: zone of enclosure, length of the zone of enclosure [0110] R, r: ramp zone [0111] A, a: base material zone, base material thickness [0112] L, l: zone of overlap, length of the zone of overlap [0113] h.sub.1: wall thickness of the first strip [0114] h.sub.2: wall thickness of the second strip