ADD-ON PART OF A VEHICLE BODY

Abstract

An add-on part (1) of a vehicle body, such as a door (1) or tailgate, has interconnected inner and outer parts (2, 4) and reinforced portions (5, 6) and a reinforcing device (7) connecting said reinforced portions (5, 6). The reinforcing device (7) has arms (8, 9, 18, 19), and, in the region of the ends of the arms (8, 9, 18, 19), the reinforcing device (7) is connected in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner to the reinforced portions (5, 6). Such an add-on part, while having a structurally simple design and relatively low weight, ensures particularly good stiffening properties.

Claims

1. An add-on part of a vehicle body, wherein the add-on part has interconnected inner and outer parts and reinforced portions and a reinforcing device connecting said reinforced portions, the reinforcing device has a plurality of arms, and, in the region of ends of the arms, the reinforcing device is connected in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner to the reinforced portions.

2. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing device is composed of metal or plastic.

3. The add-on part of claim 1, further comprising a material having a damping effect or a permanently elastic material applied in a region of mounting the reinforcing device in the reinforced portions and/or in contact regions with the inner part and/or the outer part.

4. The add-on part of claim 3, wherein the material is a plastics layer, or a butyl material, in particular in the manner of a butyl layer.

5. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein the reinforced portions are portions of the inner part and/or outer part.

6. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein the add-on part has two supports that form the reinforced portions.

7. The add-on part of claim 6, wherein the two supports are connected to the inner part and/or to the outer part.

8. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing device has a plurality of arms that are stiffened with one another.

9. The add-on part of claims 1, wherein the reinforcing device is a reinforcing support with four arms.

10. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein the arms have, in a region of the free ends thereof, fork-shaped fastening elements for fastening to a reinforced portion facing the respective arm.

11. The add-on part of claim 1, further comprising at least one support element arranged on the reinforcing device and defining a contact point with one of the reinforced portions or with the inner part or the outer part.

12. The add-on part of claim 11, wherein the support element is a fin.

13. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein, for stiffening of the arms with one another, the reinforcing device has two further intersecting arms that are connected on the end sides to the arms of the reinforcing device that are connected to the reinforced portions.

14. The add-on part of claim 6, wherein the two supports are arranged in a non-curved plane.

15. The add-on part of claim 6, wherein the two supports are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

16. The add-on part of claim 1, wherein the add-on part is a door or tailgate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an outer view of a body of a door of a passenger vehicle, wherein the door is provided with a reinforcing device.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a partial region of the door shown in FIG. 1, for the region of the reinforcing device.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a first view of the reinforcing device for a lower end of an arm of the reinforcing device.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a different view of the arm end shown in FIG. 3.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a first view of the reinforcing device for an upper end of an arm of the reinforcing device.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows a different view of the arm end shown in FIG. 5.

[0031] FIG. 7 shows a first view of a connecting region of lower arm end to a support.

[0032] FIG. 8 shows a different view of the connecting region shown in FIG. 7.

[0033] FIG. 9 shows a first view of a connecting region of upper arm end to a support.

[0034] FIG. 10 shows a different view of the connecting region shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows an add-on part 1 of a vehicle body, wherein said add-on part is a rear door 1 of a passenger vehicle. The add-on part or the door 1 has an inner part 2 with an integrated window frame 3 and an outer part 4. Outside the region of the window frame 3, the inner part 2 and the outer part 4 are connected to each other. The inner part 2 and the outer part 3 are pressed parts composed of sheet metal. Two supports 5 and 6 are connected to the inner part 2, on the side thereof facing the outer part 4. The supports 5, 6 are composed of metal and are screwed or welded to the inner part 2. The upper support 5 is curved and the lower support 6 is configured rectilinearly. The supports 5 and 6 are arranged in a diverging manner, as seen from the front to the rear. Therefore, because of the design with the two supports 5, 6, the door 1 has reinforced portions formed by the two supports 5, 6. The reinforced portions could also be formed by the inner part 2 and/or the outer part 4, optionally in a connecting region of said parts.

[0036] The door 1 also has a reinforcing device 7 connecting the two reinforced portions or the two supports 5, 6.

[0037] The reinforcing device 7 has four arms 8, 9, 18, 19. The respective two arms 8 and 9 or 18 and 19 in each case form a bar. The two bars are arranged substantially parallel to each other and are stiffened by an X-shaped device in the manner of two interesting arms 10, 11. The ends of the two arms 10, 11 are connected to end regions ends of the arms 8, 9, 18 and 19. The reinforcing device 7 formed in this manner is an integral or single-part component made of metal or a plastic suitable for absorbing high forces.

[0038] The reinforcing device 7 is connected in a form-fitting manner to the supports 5, 6 in the region of the upper ends 13 of the arms 8, 18 and the lower ends 12 of the arms 9, 19. More particularly, identically configured fork-shaped fastening elements 14 are provided in the region of the lower ends 12 of the arms 9 and 19 for fastening to the lower support 6. The detailed configuration of the fork-shaped fastening elements 14 is illustrated FIGS. 3 and 4 and the interaction of the fork-shaped fastening elements 14 with the lower support 6 is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. It is shown that the lower end of the respective arm 9 and 19 has two shoulders 15 arranged parallel to each other and are curved in an S-shaped manner. A mating shoulder 13 is arranged between the two shoulders 15, at a distance from the shoulders 15. The lower end 13 of the respective arm 9 and 19 is fit by plugging the fork-shaped fastening elements 14 onto an upwardly projecting web 17 of the lower support 6 so that the two resiliently flexible shoulders 15 and the mating shoulder 16 clamp the web 17 between the shoulders 15 and the mating shoulder 16. In addition, the reinforcing device 7 is provided, in the region of the respective fork-shaped fastening element 14, with a support element 18 that additionally serves as a contact point with a door part, for example with the outer part 4.

[0039] FIGS. 5 and 6 show the reinforcing device 7 in the upper region thereof, and therefore in the region of the arms 8 and 18. In the same manner as the arms 9, 19, these arms also have fork-shaped fastening elements 14 with shoulders 15 and a mating shoulder 16 and a support element 20. However, these arms are designed in a modified manner corresponding to the modified geometrical proportions of the inner part 2 in the region of the reinforcing device 7. Thus, in comparison to the design of the arms 9 and 19, the mating shoulder 16 in the case of the arms 8 and 18 is longer and the support element 20 has a flatter profile, with a greater length. The shoulder 15 of the arm 8 or 18 also extends over a greater length, and therefore an insertion portion 21 running ahead in the mounting direction is formed on the respective shoulder 15.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 that the upper support 5 has, in the region of sheet-metal portions, two openings 22 for the passage of the insertion portions 21, and therefore the arms 8 and 18 in the inserted end position are supported in the region of the free ends of the insertion portions 21 on a sheet-metal portion 23 of the door. In this position, the arms 8 and 18 lie with their mating shoulders 16 against the upper support 5 and are supported there. FIGS. 9 and 10 show the arms 8 and 18 before this supporting end position is reached.

[0041] The reinforcing device 7 initially is mounted by the upper arms 8 and 18 being inserted into the holes 22 until the mating shoulders 16 thereof lie against the upper support 5. The lower end of the reinforcing device 7 then is pivoted in toward the lower support 6, and the lower support 6 makes contact with the support element 20 in the region of the slope facing the support element 20. Thus, the support element 20 slides along the lower support 6 during further pivoting of the reinforcing device 7 inward, and therefore the lower support 6 slides over the mating shoulder 16 and is transferred into its latching position between the mating shoulder 16 and the two shoulders 15 of the respective arm 9 and 19.

[0042] In the case of the add-on part that is described to this extent and in the present case is a door 1 of a passenger vehicle, the supports 5 and 6 serve for stiffening the door and the reinforcing device 7 serves for additional reinforcement of the door 1. To minimize or eliminate vibrations of the door 1 or of components of the door 1, additional measures are taken in the case of the door 1 to achieve this advantage. A material having a damping effect or a permanently elastic material thus is applied to the reinforcing device 7. In particular, this material is applied in the region of the mounting of the reinforcing device 7 in the two supports 5 and 6 and on contact regions of the reinforcing device 7 with other parts of the door, for example with the inner part 2. This material is in particular a plastics material applied as a plastics layer. A butyl material is also conceivable as the material and is applied as a butyl layer. FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate strips 24 of a butyl layer applied to the arms 8 and 18, with the strips extending in a manner branched from the shoulders 15, and accommodating the mating shoulder 16 in between and further accommodating the support element in between, into the region of the arm 8 or 18 that faces away from said mating shoulder 16. The same applies to the arrangement of the butyl layer in the region of the other arms 9 and 19. After the fork-shaped strips 24 are brought together and then continue, as shown in FIG. 1, into partial regions of the reinforcing device 7 between the arms 8 and 9 or 18 and 19, with the partial regions identified by the reference sign 25. The butyl layer in the partial regions 25 extends in an entirely flat manner, and therefore a damped contact of the reinforcing device 7 with one or more parts of the door interacting therewith, in particular with the inner part 2 of the door 1, is ensured in said regions.

[0043] The two supports 5 and 6 preferably are arranged in such a manner that they are positioned in a non-curved plane and are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0044] 1 Add-on part/door [0045] 2 Inner part [0046] 3 Window frame [0047] 4 Outer part [0048] 5 Support, top [0049] 6 Support, bottom [0050] 7 Reinforcing device [0051] 8 Arm [0052] 9 Arm [0053] 10 Arm [0054] 11 Arm [0055] 12 Lower end [0056] 13 Upper end [0057] 14 Fastening element [0058] 15 Shoulder [0059] 16 Mating shoulder [0060] 17 Web [0061] 18 Arm [0062] 19 Arm [0063] 20 Support element [0064] 21 Insertion portion [0065] 22 Hole [0066] 23 Sheet-metal portion [0067] 24 Strip [0068] 25 Partial region