MOTOR VEHICLE OPENING PANEL PROVIDED WITH AN EQUIPMENT SUPPORT PLATE AND A REMOVABLE SKIN

Abstract

A motor vehicle opening panel including an inner panel, preferably made of plastic material, provided with an upper part in which a first opening is made that is intended to accommodate a rear window, and an outer skin, at least partially made of plastic material, attached to the inner panel, comprising an inner surface located opposite an outer surface of the inner panel. The opening panel further includes a support plate for at least one equipment item covered by the outer skin. The inner surface of the outer skin is attached directly to the support plate 4 in a sealed manner. The plate is arranged inside an inner volume delimited by the outer surface of the inner panel and by the inner surface of the outer skin. The outer skin is attached directly and fastened removably to the inner panel or to the plate.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle opening panel, comprising: an inner panel, made of plastic material, provided with an upper part in which a first opening is made that is intended to accommodate a rear window, and an outer skin, at least partially made of plastic material, attached to the inner panel, comprising an inner surface located opposite an outer surface of the inner panel, characterized in that it further comprises a support plate for at least one equipment item covered by the outer skin, the inner surface of the outer skin being attached directly to the support plate in a sealed manner, said plate being arranged inside a volume delimited, on the one hand, by the outer surface of the inner panel and, on the other hand, by the inner surface of the outer skin, the outer skin being applied directly and fastened removably to the inner panel or to the support plate.

2. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the outer skin is configured so as to be able to be detached from the inner panel or from the plate, then to be moved away from it toward an outside of the vehicle.

3. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the outer skin is applied directly and fastened to the outer surface of the inner panel or to the plate so that the outer skin can be detached from the inner panel in a removable manner.

4. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 3, wherein the outer skin is fastened to the outer surface of the inner panel by screwing.

5. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the outer skin is attached to an outer surface of the inner panel in a sealed manner.

6. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 5, wherein the outer skin is attached to the outer surface of the inner panel using a seal placed between the inner surface of the outer skin and the outer surface of the inner panel.

7. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the equipment support plate comprises a niche whose walls delimit a volume in which said at least one equipment item is inserted and a peripheral rim extending the walls of the niche.

8. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the equipment support plate is applied directly and fastened to the outer surface of the inner panel by gluing.

9. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the equipment support plate is applied directly and fastened to the outer surface of the inner panel in a removable manner.

10. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 9, wherein the equipment support plate is screwed to the outer surface of the inner panel.

11. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein a seal is placed between the support plate and the inner surface of the outer skin.

12. The motor vehicle opening panel according to claim 1, wherein the equipment support plate comprises a device emitting and/or receiving electromagnetic radiation and the outer skin comprises, opposite the device emitting and/or receiving electromagnetic radiation, a transmission zone, made of plastic, that is at least partially transparent to said electromagnetic radiation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0043] The invention will be better understood on reading the description that follows, in which the opening panel of the invention has been described in the form of a tailgate, which description is given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0044] FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views (FIG. 1A exploded and 1B assembled) of an equipment support plate and an outer skin of a tailgate according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0045] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a tailgate according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0046] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the tailgate of FIG. 2,

[0047] FIG. 4 is a schematic section taken along section plane IV-IV of FIG. 3,

[0048] FIG. 5 is a schematic section of the equipment plate and the equipment item of FIG. 4, the skin having been removed from the tailgate,

[0049] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a tailgate according to a second embodiment,

[0050] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of a tailgate according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIGS. 1A to 4 show a motor vehicle tailgate 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The motor vehicle is not shown in the figures.

[0052] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, the tailgate 1 comprises an inner panel 2, preferably made of plastic material, provided with an upper part 2A in which a first opening 21 is made that is intended to accommodate a rear window 7. The rear window 7 is in particular fastened to the inner panel 2 via a bead of glue 8.

[0053] The tailgate 1 also comprises an outer skin 3, at least partially made of plastic material, attached to the inner panel 2, comprising an inner surface 31 located opposite an outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2. “Outer surface 23 of the inner panel” means the surface facing the outside of the vehicle. The outer surface 23 is opposite an inner surface 24 of the outer panel, which itself faces the passenger compartment.

[0054] As can be seen in FIG. 4, the tailgate 1 further comprises a support plate 4 for at least one equipment item 6. The inner surface 31 of the outer skin 3 is applied directly to the support plate 4 in a sealed manner.

[0055] The outer skin 3 is applied directly to the inner panel 2 in a removable manner.

[0056] More precisely, the outer skin 3 is configured so that it can be detached from the inner panel 2 from inside the vehicle (left of FIGS. 4 and 5) toward the outside (right of FIGS. 4 and 5) of the vehicle, as will be explained later.

[0057] The support plate 4 is applied directly to the inner panel 2. For example, the support plate 4 can be glued to the inner panel 2.

[0058] More specifically, in the example shown in the figures, the support plate 4 is applied directly to the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2 and is fastened there, here by gluing (the glue is not visible in the figures).

[0059] The support plate 4 comprises a niche N whose walls delimit a volume 5B in which said at least one equipment item 6 is housed, as well as a peripheral rim 51 extending the walls of the niche N.

[0060] The sealing of the volume 5B is ensured by means of a peripheral seal 50 arranged between the support plate 4 and the inner surface of the outer skin 3. It may in particular be a foam seal compressed between the peripheral rim 51 of the support plate 4 and the inner surface 31 of the outer skin 3. The seal 50 may in particular be carried by the support plate 4 once the outer skin 3 has been detached therefrom as illustrated in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the seal 50 may be carried by the outer skin 3.

[0061] The plate 4 is fastened to the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2. To this end, the peripheral rim 51 of the plate 4 is assembled to the outer surface 23 of the inner panel, for example by gluing. Other fastening means can be envisaged. The fastening, such as gluing, can also be carried out in a zone other than the peripheral rim of the plate 4.

[0062] In a variant not shown, the support plate 4 can be removably assembled to the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2, in particular using screws placed on the rim 51. The term “removable” means a fastening means that can be reversed several times without altering the parts, unlike gluing, for example.

[0063] However, these screws could be arranged in places other than the rim 51. In particular, in yet another variant that is not shown, the fastening of the support plate 4 to the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2 can be carried out at one of the walls of the niche N, outside the rim 51.

[0064] It is of course possible to envisage fastening means other than screws, such as clips, for example, as long as they allow removal of the support plate 4 from the inner panel 2 in a removable manner.

[0065] A seal (not visible in the figures) can also be placed between the peripheral rim 51 and the outer surface 23 of the inner panel. It may be for example a foam seal compressed between the peripheral rim 51 and the outer surface 23 of the inner panel.

[0066] The outer skin 3 is fastened, via its inner surface 31, to the outer surface 3 of the inner panel 3. Here, it is connected thereto by screws 35. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the screws 35 are arranged on a rim of the outer skin 2 coming into contact with the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2. However, this rim is optional and the screws 35 can be placed at various locations on the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2 and the inner surface 31 of the outer skin 3.

[0067] The outer skin 3 may be attached to the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2 in a sealed manner, for example using a seal placed between the inner surface 31 of the outer skin 3 and the outer surface 23 of the inner panel 2 (the seal is not visible in the figures).

[0068] In the embodiment shown in the figures, it is necessary, in order to detach the outer skin 3 from the inner panel 2, to unscrew the screws 35 from inside the vehicle (passenger compartment side). Then, one can remove the outer skin 3 of the inner panel 2 from outside the vehicle and separate it from the rest of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 5 in particular.

[0069] The support plate 4 comprises one or more equipment items 6, only one of which is visible in the illustrated sections 4 and 5. Of course, these can be different from each other. It may, for example, be one or more light devices that emit electromagnetic radiation R in the visible spectrum. This electromagnetic radiation is shown schematically by a dotted arrow in FIGS. 4 and 5. These light devices can be distributed over all or part of the width of the support plate 4 in order to establish the desired light signature. Thus, it is possible to obtain a light signature with a continuous appearance over the entire width of the tailgate if so desired.

[0070] The equipment item(s) 6 can also be driving assistance devices, such as for example radars (which generally emit electromagnetic radiation between 20 and 80 GHz), lidars (which generally emit electromagnetic radiation belonging to the infrared spectrum) or reversing cameras. Finally, it can also be communication equipment, such as information screens or antennas. In general, the equipment item(s) 6 can be any device requiring wave transparency.

[0071] The zone of the outer skin 3 located opposite the equipment item 6 is a transmission zone 32 made of plastic material at least partially transparent to the electromagnetic radiation of the equipment, in the case where the latter emits and/or receives electromagnetic radiation. “At least transparent to electromagnetic radiation” means that this transmission zone 32 allows the passage of a quantity of electromagnetic waves sufficient for the equipment to be able to fulfill its dedicated function correctly and continuously. In the case of a light device, for example, this means that the transmission zone 32 allows the light rays emitted by the device to pass so that they can be seen by an observer outside the vehicle.

[0072] The outer skin 3 is preferably made of one of the following materials: [0073] polypropylene (PP); [0074] polyamide (PA); [0075] polyethylene (PE); [0076] acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS); [0077] polyethylene terephthalate (PET); [0078] polystyrene (PS); [0079] polycarbonate (PC); [0080] polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA); [0081] cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC);
as well as any combination of these materials.

[0082] The support plate 4 can be in one piece, which simplifies its manufacture and avoids the steps of assembling several elements on the outer skin 3. Alternatively, the support plate 4 can be made of several parts assembled together either before being introduced into the inner volume 5A, or after having been introduced into the inner volume 5A.

[0083] In a second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the outer skin 3 is directly attached and removably fastened to the support plate 4 rather than to the inner panel 2. More specifically, the outer skin 3 is fastened to an outer surface of the support plate 4, here using screws 35. For example, the fastening of the outer skin 3 is done at the peripheral rim of the support plate 4. Naturally, other fastening means, such as clips, can be envisaged.

[0084] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described here, and other embodiments will become clearly apparent to a person skilled in the art. It is possible in particular to envisage any combination of the embodiments presented.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0085] 1: tailgate [0086] 2: inner panel [0087] 2A: upper part of the inner panel [0088] 2B: lower part of the inner panel [0089] 3: outer skin [0090] 4: equipment support plate [0091] 5A: inner volume of the opening panel [0092] 5B: inner volume of the plate [0093] 6: equipment item of the plate [0094] 7: rear window [0095] 8: bead of glue of the rear window [0096] 23: outer surface of the inner panel [0097] 24: inner surface of the inner panel [0098] 31: inner surface of outer skin [0099] 32: transmission zone [0100] 35: screws between the support plate and the inner panel [0101] 42: plate access orifice [0102] 43: closure member [0103] 50: seal [0104] 51: rim of the plate [0105] N: niche of the support plate [0106] R: electromagnetic radiation