Profiled Brace, In Particular for a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A profile strut includes an upper chord, a lower chord, two spaced-apart lateral walls which, together with the upper chord and the lower chord, define an interior, and a first profile end and a second profile end. A first end piece is disposed in the first profile end and a second end piece is disposed in the second profile end. A connecting web connects the first end piece to the second end piece. Each of the first end piece and the second end piece bears via end faces thereof against adjacent inner wall regions of the upper chord and the lower chord; respectively. An intermediate region, which is configured as a tunnel incorporated into the lower chord, is disposed between the first profile end and the second profile end.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. A profile strut, comprising: an upper chord; a lower chord; two spaced-apart lateral walls which, together with the upper chord and the lower chord, define an interior; a first profile end and a second profile end; a first end piece disposed in the first profile end and a second end piece disposed in the second profile end; and a connecting web, wherein the connecting web connects the first end piece to the second end piece; wherein each of the first end piece and the second end piece bears via end faces thereof against adjacent inner wall regions of the upper chord and the lower chord; respectively; wherein an intermediate region, which is configured as a tunnel incorporated into the lower chord, is disposed between the first profile end and the second profile end.

10. The profile strut according to claim 9, wherein the first end piece is clamped in the first profile end and the second end piece is clamped in the second profile end.

11. The profile strut according to claim 9, wherein a material of the first and the second profile ends and a material of the first and the second end pieces are identical or different.

12. The profile strut according to claim 9, wherein the first end piece has a first through-aperture and the second end piece has a second through-aperture.

13. The profile strut according to claim 12, wherein the upper chord has a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein the lower chord has a third aperture and a fourth aperture, wherein the first through aperture of the first end piece aligns with the first and the third apertures, and wherein the second through-aperture of the second end piece aligns with the second and the fourth apertures.

14. The profile strut according to claim 9, wherein the first and the second end pieces are a circular or oval sleeve.

15. The profile strut according to claim 9, wherein the first and the second end pieces are adapted to a cross-sectional shape of the interior.

16. The profile strut according to claim 9, wherein the first end piece and the second end piece bear via the end faces thereof against the adjacent inner wall regions of the upper chord and the lower chord with a formation of a frictional connection or an integrally bonded connection between the end faces and the adjacent inner wall regions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematically slightly simplified perspective basic illustration of a profile strut according to the invention in the region of its profile end together with an end piece to be inserted, and

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematically simplified partial illustration of a profile strut according to the invention in a deformed region.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates, in a schematically simplified perspective partial illustration, a profile strut 1 according to the invention which can, for example, be a component of a body of a motor vehicle.

[0029] The profile strut 1 has an upper chord 2 and a lower chord 3 which extend over the entire length of the profile strut 1 at a distance from one another and parallel to one another. However, profile struts are also conceivable which do not have a constant cross section. The upper chord 2 and the lower chord 3 are connected to lateral walls 4 and 5 which are spaced apart corresponding to the width thereof and which, together with the upper chord 2 and the lower chord 3, delimit an interior 6 of the profile strut 1.

[0030] FIG. 1 also shows a profile end 7 of the profile strut 1, into which an end piece 8 can be inserted, which is symbolized by the arrow P.

[0031] The end piece 8 is dimensioned here in such a way that, in the inserted state, it bears by way of its two end faces 9 and 10, which are arranged at the end sides, against respective inner wall regions 11 and 12 which are adjacent in the inserted state, with the illustration chosen in FIG. 1 demonstrating that the end face 9 of the end piece 8 bears against the inner wall region 12, and the end face 10 of the end piece 8 bears against the inner wall region 11 of the profile end 7, when the end piece 8 is inserted into the profile end 7. As explained at the outset, this makes it possible for applied forces to be able to be transmitted from the upper chord 2 of the profile strut 1 to the lower chord 3 via the end piece 8. A force transmission in the reverse direction, that is to say from the lower chord 3 to the upper chord 2, is of course also possible in principle.

[0032] The insertion of the end piece 8 in the direction of the arrow P into the profile end 7 therefore means that, in the inserted state, the longitudinal axis L1 of the profile strut 1 is oriented at a right angle to the longitudinal axis L8 of the end piece 8.

[0033] As FIG. 1 further illustrates, the end piece 8 has, in the example case, a through-aperture 13 which extends along the longitudinal direction L8 and passes through the entire longitudinal extent of the end piece 8.

[0034] The profile end 7 is provided with two apertures or bores 14, 15, with the aperture 14 being arranged in the upper chord 2 and the aperture 15 being arranged in the lower chord 3.

[0035] Once the end piece 8 has been inserted into the profile end 7 of the profile strut 1, the apertures 14, 13 and 15 are in alignment, thereby making it possible, for example, for a screw to be plugged through these apertures 14, 13, 15 in order to clamp the end piece 8 in the profile end 7, with this type of fixing of the end piece 8 being advantageous in particular when such a screw connection is required in any case in order to connect the profile end 7 to another component.

[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a further embodiment of a profile strut 1 according to the invention having two profile ends 7, 16, with each profile end 7, 16 having respective end pieces 8A and 8B which are arranged so as to be spaced apart from one another and are connected to one another via a connecting web 18. The end pieces 8A and 8B are arranged here in the region of bores 14, 14′ in the upper chord 2. Bores situated opposite, which are not visible as a result of the chosen illustration in FIG. 2, can be provided in the lower chord 3.

[0037] Between the profile ends 7, 16 of the profile strut 1 there is provided an intermediate region 17 designed as a tunnel which is incorporated into the lower chord 3 and which may be necessary, for example, for reasons of installation space and/or functional reasons.

[0038] The thus configured insert part, which is formed by the end pieces 8A and 8B and by the connecting web 18, can in turn be positionally secured in its position by means of a frictional connection or integrally bonded connection between the end faces and the inner wall regions, with at least one of the two end pieces 8A and 8B being able to be fixed in this manner. Should this be necessary for strength reasons, it is of course also possible for both end pieces 8A and 8B to be secured by an integrally bonded connection or a frictional connection. Here, the insert part can be formed as a one-piece component, or it is possible to design the end pieces 8A and 8B and the connecting web 18 as separate components which can be connected to one another, for example by means of welding.

[0039] In addition to the foregoing written disclosure of the invention, reference is hereby explicitly made, in order to supplement the disclosure, to the graphic illustration of the invention in FIGS. 1 and 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0040] 1 Profile strut [0041] 2 Upper chord [0042] 3 Lower chord [0043] 4, 5 Lateral walls [0044] 6 Interior [0045] 7 Profile end [0046] 8 End piece [0047] 9, 10 End faces [0048] 11, 12 Inner wall regions [0049] 13 Through-aperture/through-bore [0050] 14, 15 Apertures/bores [0051] 16 Profile end [0052] 17 Intermediate region [0053] 18 Connecting web