Connecting arrangement

Abstract

A connection structure between a first and a second component, the second component being formed from a steel material. The first component is made from a lightweight construction material of the minimum possible weight and having a high degree of stiffness, such as a fiber-reinforced plastic. Both components are connected by a metallic intermediate component, which is non-detachably connected by a plug-in means of connection with the first component.

Claims

1. A connection structure, comprising: a first component formed from a fiber-reinforced plastic, wherein the first component is a strut of a motor vehicle; a second component formed from a steel material, wherein the second component is a body component of the motor vehicle; and a metallic intermediate component that is directly connected to both of the first and second components, wherein the intermediate component is directly connected with the first component by a non-detachable plug-in connection and wherein an end of the intermediate component is directly screwed tight with the second component.

2. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate component has a mounting flange on one end, by means of which the intermediate component is joined to the second component.

3. The connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate component has a sleeve shape that is pressed flat on the one end, and wherein the sleeve shape forms the mounting flange.

4. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the non-detachable plug-in connection is formed by an interference fit or an adhesive layer.

5. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the first and intermediate components include plug-connected ends forming the non-detachable plug-in connection, and the plug-connected ends of the first and intermediate components are separated by an electrical insulating element over a length of the plug-in connection.

6. The connection structure according to claim 5, wherein the electrical insulating element is an adhesive layer, a winding of glass, or aramide fiber-reinforced plastic.

7. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the first component consists of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic with a unidirectional fiber orientation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE

(1) In the following the invention is explained in greater detail on the basis of an example embodiment represented in the drawing. The single FIGURE schematically illustrates an exploded view a connection structure according to the invention with a sleeve-type intermediate component, one end of which has been formed by pressing and flattening the contour.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) The FIGURE relates to a particular connection of a first strut-type component 1 to an adjoining second component 2, which forms a motor vehicle body component. The strut-type component 1 is made from CFRP and is manufactured using the pultrusion process. The second component 2 consists of a steel sheet or a hollow profile formed from sheet. This also includes drawn tubes.

(3) A sleeve-type metallic intermediate component 3 is provided to avoid weaknesses of the first component 1 due to the provision of access openings. The intermediate component 3 is pressed together onto an end 4 facing away from the component 1. While the pressed together end 4 forms a protruding fixing flange for the second component 2, the opposite open end 11 of the intermediate component 3 has a receptacle 5 for the facing end 6 of the first component 1. It is naturally conceivable that the first component 1 can take the form of a tube, while the intermediate component 3 is formed as a strut or is strut-shaped, so that the cavity of the first component 1 forms the receptacle for the corresponding end of the intermediate component 3. The end 4 of the intermediate component 3 has the described access opening 7 in place of the first component 1, via which the intermediate component 3 can be connected with the second component 2 by means of a screw 8.

(4) For the manufacture of what is essentially the first component 1, the second component 2 and the intermediate component 3 of the connection structure 9 according to the invention, first the end 6 of the first component 1 is coated with an adhesive layer 10. Then the first component 1 with its end 6 is inserted into the receptacle 5 of the intermediate component 3, at which point the adhesive layer 10 comes into contact with the walls of the receptacle and its function takes effect. After the hardening of the adhesive a high load-carrying connection is secured between the first component 1 and the intermediate component 3, whereby the plug connection can no longer be detached even under high mechanical loadings.

(5) For the equidistant alignment of the end 6 of the first component 1 in the receptacle 5 of the intermediate component 3, small spheres of the same diameter, preferably of glass, can be arranged in the adhesive layer 10. It is also conceivable, that one or more channels can be formed in the intermediate component 3 in the region of the receptacle 5, which pass outwards from this. This can dissipate excess adhesive outwards in a targeted fashion. It is also possible, via these channels, to first direct the adhesive to the two connection partners, the intermediate component 3 and the first component 1.

(6) After the adhesive process, the first component 1 is now guided with the intermediate component 3 to the second component 2, where this is screwed tight with the end 4 of the intermediate component. If necessary the screw fixing takes place via a bush, which has to be fixed in the access opening 7, for example pressed into it.

(7) In place of the flange 4 a rotational symmetrical connection piece can also be formed on the intermediate component 3, which carries an external thread, so that the first component 1 can be screwed into an opening of the second component 2 along with the intermediate component. In addition measures are conceivable in this context to provide for the provision of a bayonet connection.

(8) In addition to the adhesive connection and/or the press-on connection, it is conceivable that a latch or snap-on connection could be achieved between the intermediate component 3 and the end 6 of the first component 1. To this end, the walls of the receptacle 5 should to some extent be elastic and have indentations, into which corresponding shaped regions of the end 6 of the first component 1 can latch or otherwise engage. This can reduce the strength of the press fit because the form-locking connection takes over a part of the non-detachable nature of the plug-in connection. The material of the intermediate component 3 is protected in that area in terms of tensile stress, due to the reduction of the strength of the press fit. In the context of the adhesive connection the form-locking connection of the remaining two plug-in partners guarantees their axial relative plug-in position to one another, which is beneficial to the process reliability of the connection of the first component 1 to the second component 2, when the adhesive has not yet hardened, but however the plug-in fitting must be introduced to the second component 2.

(9) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.