Dashboard Support

Abstract

A dashboard support for a motor vehicle with at least two support parts which follow the longitudinal extent of the dashboard support and are arranged to overlap one another with their mutually facing end portions. A first support part, in its overlapping portion, has a contact seat against which the second support part rests with its connecting portion provided by the overlapping arrangement with its lateral surface and is materially bonded to the first support part. The contact seat of the first support part is provided by an embossing which is designed as a negative structure in relation to the first support part.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A dashboard support for a motor vehicle, comprising: a first support part and a second support part which follow a longitudinal extent of the dashboard support and are arranged to overlap one another with mutually facing end portions, wherein the first support part, in an overlapping end portion thereof, has a contact seat against which a connecting portion of the second support part rests and is connected to the first support part in a materially bonded manner, wherein the contact seat of the first support part is provided by an embossing which is formed as a negative structure in relation to the first support part directed towards an interior of the first support part, and which reinforces the first support part in the manner of a bead, and wherein the connecting portion of the second support part engaging in the embossing rests with a lateral surface on an outer side of the embossing.

17. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein a contour of the outer side of the embossing of the contact seat corresponds at least in portions to the lateral surface of the second support part in the connecting portion provided for contact with the contact seat.

18. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein the second support part in the connecting portion has a circular cross-sectional geometry and the outer side of the embossing has the same radius of curvature as the connecting portion of the second support part brought into contact therewith.

19. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein the embossing of the first support part is open in an x direction, which points in a direction of the longitudinal extent of the dashboard support, and in a z direction, which points in a vertical direction, and the connecting portion of the second support part protrudes in the x direction and in the z direction from the embossing formed by the negative structure.

20. The dashboard support of claim 19, wherein a central longitudinal axis of the connecting portion of the second support part is located within a space enclosed by a horizontal plane forming an upper end of the embossing and a vertical plane forming an end of the embossing pointing into a vehicle passenger compartment.

21. The dashboard support of claim 19, wherein an upper end of the embossing continues into a section of the first support part extending in the x direction.

22. The dashboard support of claim 19, wherein an end of the embossing pointing into a vehicle passenger compartment continues into a section of the first support part extending in the z direction.

23. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein, at least in a region of the contact seat, the first support part is a hollow chamber profile with a rectangular cross-section, and the embossing forming the contact seat is introduced in an upper corner region of the rectangular cross-section on a side of the hollow chamber profile facing a vehicle passenger compartment.

24. The dashboard support of claim 23, wherein the first support part in the region of the contact seat has a larger cross-sectional geometry than in a region of the first support part adjacent thereto.

25. The dashboard support of claim 23, wherein the first support part is composed of several shells.

26. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein the connection between the connecting portion of the second support part is additionally secured by a bracket fixed in a materially bonded manner to the first support part adjacent to the contact seat as a securing element.

27. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein a strut for supporting the dashboard support on a vehicle chassis side is connected to the second support part adjacent to the connecting portion.

28. The dashboard support of claim 27, wherein the strut is a floor or tunnel strut.

29. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein the connection between the first support part and the second support part is a fusion joint, carried out at least in grooves following a longitudinal extent of the embossing between the embossing or edges of the embossing of the first support part and the lateral surface of the connecting portion of the second support part.

30. The dashboard support of claim 16, wherein the connection between the first support part and the second support part is an adhesive connection between the outer side of the embossing and the lateral surface of the connecting portion of the second support part resting on the embossing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The description is provided using an example embodiment with reference to the figures, wherein:

[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a dashboard support with two support parts which follow the longitudinal extent of the dashboard support and are connected to one another,

[0021] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the connection area of the two support parts,

[0022] FIG. 3 shows the portion of the dashboard support of FIG. 1 in its assembly, and

[0023] FIG. 4 is a side view of the dashboard support of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A dashboard support 1, to be installed between the two A-pillars of a motor vehicle, has several support parts, of which a first support part 2 and a second support part 3 are shown in the figures. The first support part 2 is located in the part of the dashboard support 1 assigned to the driver's side of the vehicle and, in the illustrated example embodiment, is composed of two shells 4, 5. The assembled shells 4, 5 form a hollow chamber profile. This does not have to be closed all the way around over the entire longitudinal extent of the support part 2. In the example embodiment shown, the second support part 3 is a cylindrical tube.

[0025] The two support parts 2, 3 extending in the longitudinal extent of the dashboard support 1 are arranged in an overlapping arrangement of their mutually facing end portions and are connected to one another in a materially bonding manner. The end portion of the second support part 3, with which it overlaps the first support part 2, is referred to as connecting portion 6 in the context of these embodiments. Due to the corresponding design of the shells 4, 5, the support part 2 is noncircular and rectangular with rounded edges in the overlapping portion. The cross-sectional area of the overlapping portion of the first support part 2 is several times larger than that of the second support part 3. The orientation of the installed dashboard support 1 with respect to its first support part 2 assigned to the driver's side is provided such that the front wall and the rear wall 7 facing the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle extend in the z-direction. A contact seat 10 is formed in the edge 9 which is designed with a radius and which connects the rear wall 7 with the upper wall 8 and extends over the overlap with the support part 3. The contact seat 10 is a negative structure with respect to the design of the support part 2, i.e. an embossed or recessed portion introduced into the support part 2 or the shell 4 in the direction of the interior of the support part 2. The embossing is designed with a radius which, in the illustrated example embodiment, corresponds to the radius of the lateral surface of the connecting portion 6 of the support part 3. The contact seat 10 extends approximately over approximately 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the connecting portion 6, so that the connecting portion 6 rests against the contact seat 10 of the support part 2 over a portion of approximately 90 degrees. The contact seat 10 is open in the direction of the support part 3. At its other end pointing in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the dashboard support 1 there is a transition portion in which the negative structure formed by the embossing transitions into the adjacent portion of the support part 3.

[0026] The flat contact seat 10 provides a sufficiently large contact area between the two support parts 2, 3 so that both support parts 2, 3 can, if desired, be firmly attached to one another in a material bonding manner by gluing. If the two support parts 2, 3 are metal parts, the support parts 2, 3 can be welded together instead of or in addition to an adhesive connection. The transition from the contact seat 10 to the rear wall 7 and the upper wall 8 is suitable for placing the weld seam, as this creates a groove in each case. Such a weld seam can extend over the entire length of the overlap or the connecting portion 6. In addition, it is possible to place a further weld seam on the portion of the end face of the support part 3 which borders on the contact seat 10, as well as between the lateral surface of the support part 3 and the open end of the contact seat 10. In the example embodiment shown, the shells 4, 5 of the support part 2 as well as the support part 3 are made of a steel suitable for these purposes. The material bonding joints are welded joints.

[0027] If increased demands are placed on the connection between the two support parts 2, 3, a bracket 11 can additionally be provided as a securing element, as is the case in the example embodiment shown. This bracket is designed so that its central, curved portion 12 encloses the part of the lateral surface of the connecting portion 6 which is not located on the contact seat 10. Connecting portions 13, 14 are formed on this middle portion for the material bonding connection of the bracket 11 to the support part 2. The connecting portion 13 serves to connect the bracket 11 to the rear wall 7, while the connecting portion 14 serves to rest on and connect to the upper wall 8. The material bonding connection between the bracket 11 and the support part 2 can in turn be connected in a material bonding manner to the support part 2 and, if desired, also to the support part 3 either by gluing or by welding.

[0028] If individual parts of the dashboard support are joined together by an adhesive connection, it is advisable to harden them inductively if at least one of the joining partners has the necessary ferromagnetic properties. This is the case when a steel material is used for such purposes.

[0029] A strut 15 is connected to the portion of the dashboard support 1 shown in the figures, adjacent to the support part connection. In the example embodiment shown, the strut 15 is a floor or tunnel support strut. The upper end of the strut 15, which is adapted to the curvature of the lateral surface of the support part 3, is connected to the support part 3 by a joint connection. In addition, the front side of the strut 15 facing the support part 2 is integrally connected by material bonding to the latter.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows the portion of the dashboard support 1 in the assembly of the two support parts 2, 3, the bracket 11 and the strut 15.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a side view from the direction of view of the support part 3 onto the support part 2. In this illustration, the upper end portion of the strut 15 is shown cut off in order to be able to see the bracket 11 as a whole. The contact of the lateral surface of the connecting portion 6 with the outer side of the contact seat 10 formed by the embossing can be clearly seen.

[0032] From the illustration in FIG. 4 it is also particularly clear that the second support part 3 with its connecting portion 6 protrudes both in the x-direction, namely in the direction of the passenger compartment of a vehicle, and in the z-direction upwards from the embossed portion of the support part 2 forming the contact seat 10. The contact surface between the connecting portion 6 of the support part 3 and the contact seat 10 of the support part 2, which extends over approximately 90 degrees of the lateral surface of the connecting portion, has the consequence that the central longitudinal axis 16 of the connecting portion 6 is located within the boundary of a space formed by a plane 17 extending the upper wall 8 and a plane 18 extending the rear wall 7. As a result of this arrangement measure, provided by the embossing designed as a negative structure for forming the contact seat 10, forces between the support part 2 and the support part 3 are transmitted into or via the rear wall 7 and the upper wall 8 into the support part 3 or vice versa. A deformation of the contour of the contact seat 10 and thus an impairment of the connection between the two support parts 2, 3 is thus effectively counteracted even when a force is applied.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0033] 1 Dashboard support [0034] 2 Support part [0035] 3 Support part [0036] 4 Shell [0037] 5 Shell [0038] 6 Connecting portion [0039] 7 Rear wall [0040] 8 Upper wall [0041] 9 Edge [0042] 10 Contact seat [0043] 11 Bracket [0044] 12 Middle portion [0045] 13 Connecting portion [0046] 14 Connecting portion [0047] 15 Strut [0048] 16 Longitudinal axis [0049] 17 Plane [0050] 18 Plane