FR3156746A1 - Control interface for bodywork elements. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a control interface (1) projecting from a first bodywork element (2), designed to enable the control of a second vehicle bodywork element (4) on the first bodywork element (2), the interface (1) comprising at least one driver (6) having a truncated cone or cylindrical shape extending, along a main axis (Ax), from the first element (2) towards a free end (8), the free end (8) being at least partly inscribed in a plane inclined relative to the main axis (Ax), so as to form a ramp (9) designed to enable the sliding, along a predefined approach direction (AP), of an edge (10) of a fixing lug (11) of the second element (2) on the free end (8). The invention also relates to an assembly (13) comprising the first (2) and second (4) elements. (Figure 2)

Description

Control interface for bodywork elements.

The technical field concerns the control interfaces for motor vehicle body elements, assemblies implementing at least one such interface and finally vehicles comprising at least one such assembly.

Car manufacturers are offering increasingly complex vehicles. However, despite this increasing complexity, car manufacturers are constantly striving to control production costs in order to offer their customers vehicles at affordable prices. In this context, the assembly time of a vehicle on its production line is an important criterion, and each assembly step should be reduced as much as possible.

Furthermore, customers are particularly attentive to the quality of assemblies and flushness. For this reason, manufacturers are very concerned about the alignment of the different parts. To facilitate alignments, it is common to use pilot pins that are inserted into dedicated holes during assembly to ensure the respective positions of the parts to be assembled. Assembly is then carried out by approaching the second part to the first part following a predetermined assembly direction. However, when mounting one part to another, and more particularly when fixing a bumper skin to a headlight unit, the approach of the second part following the assembly direction sometimes causes interference between the pilot pins, integral with the first part, and the second part, thus causing a blockage. In order to unblock the approach of the second element, the assembly operator must manually deform the second part to obtain the assembly. Such a need to deform the second part is synonymous with assembly difficulty and loss of time.

Thus, there is a need for a solution to facilitate assembly when a control pin is likely to cause interference with the second part.

The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a control interface enabling two bodywork elements to be assembled while avoiding blockages due to interference.

To this end, the present invention relates to a pilot interface projecting from a first bodywork element, designed to allow the piloting of a second vehicle bodywork element on the first bodywork element, the interface comprising at least one pilot having a truncated cone or cylindrical shape extending, along a main axis, from the first element towards a free end, the free end being at least partly inscribed in a plane inclined relative to the main axis, so as to form a ramp designed to allow the sliding, along a predefined approach direction, of an edge of a fixing lug of the second element on the free end.

The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a first bodywork element having at least one control interface according to the invention, the assembly comprising at least one second bodywork element provided with a fixing lug having at least one control orifice, at least one pilot being engaged in a control orifice, the free end of the pilot being oriented to allow the edge of the fixing lug of the second element to slide on the free end in a predefined approach direction.

The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one assembly according to the invention.

Thus, the pilot interface according to the invention makes it possible to form an assembly according to the invention while avoiding blockages due to interference. Thus, the assembly operator does not need to manually deform the second element to allow the latter to approach the first element. Indeed, the free end of the pilot, by forming a ramp, guides the second element and facilitates the sliding of the second element onto the first element. This makes it possible to avoid blockages caused by interference of the pilot with the second element.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the interface comprises at least one indexing rib extending from a pilot.

Advantageously, at least one rib is inclined along the predefined approach direction to facilitate sliding of the edge of each fixing lug along the predefined approach direction.

According to one possibility, the control interface also includes a fixing barrel allowing the second element to be screwed onto the first element.

According to one possibility, the first element is a projector housing and the second element is a bumper.

The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description which follows, given solely as a non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 there FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a projector housing having a control interface according to the invention;

FIG. 2 there FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of a bumper mounting bracket being assembled on the control interface present in zone A of the FIG. 1 ;

In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

A control interface 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, projects from a first bodywork element 2. In the example illustrated in the figures, the first element 2 is, for example, a headlight housing 3. The interface 1 is designed to allow the control of a second vehicle bodywork element 4, illustrated in transparency, on the first bodywork element 2. In the example illustrated in the FIG. 2 , the second element 4 is, for example, a bumper 5.

The interface 1 is formed, for example, during a molding operation of the first element 2 from which the interface 1 protrudes.

The interface 1 comprises at least one pilot 6 which has a body 7 of truncated cone shape and which extends, along a main axis Ax, from the first element 2 towards a free end 8.

The free end 8 is at least partly inscribed in a plane inclined relative to the main axis Ax, so as to form a ramp 9 designed to allow sliding, in a predefined approach direction AP, of an edge 10 of a fixing lug 11 of the second element 4 on the free end 8.

As illustrated on the FIG. 2 , the free end 8 can be obtained, for example, by a bevel cut of the body 7 of the pilot 6.

In the example illustrated on the FIG. 2 , the interface 1 comprises at least one indexing rib 12a, 12b extending from a pilot 6. At least one rib 12b is inclined along the predefined approach direction AP to facilitate the sliding of the edge 10 of each fixing lug 11 along the predefined approach direction AP. Thus, when mounting an assembly 13 according to the invention comprising the first 2 and second 4 elements, the edge 10 of the fixing lug 11 is slid onto the rib 12b then the ramp 9 of the free end 8, in order to facilitate the passage of the edge 10 beyond the free end 8. In order to ensure the piloting of the first element 2 onto the second element 4, the fixing lug 11 comprises a piloting orifice 14 in which the pilot 6 is engaged in the piloting orifice 14.

The pilot interface 1 further comprises a fixing barrel 15 allowing the screwing of the second element 4 onto the first element 2. In order to ensure screwing, the fixing lug 11 also comprises a screwing hole 16 allowing, when the fixing lug 11 is engaged on the pilot 6, to insert and screw a screw, not shown, into the screwing barrel 15.

Thus, the pilot interface 1 according to the invention makes it possible to form an assembly 13 according to the invention while avoiding the assembly operator having to deform the second element 4 to allow the latter to approach the first element 2. Indeed, the free end 8 of the pilot 6, by forming the ramp 9, facilitates the sliding of the second element 4 on the first element 2 and makes it possible to avoid the blocking caused by interference of the pilot 6 with the second element 4.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the control interface described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the framework and scope of the present invention.

Claims (7)

A control interface (1) projecting from a first bodywork element (2), designed to allow the control of a second vehicle bodywork element (4) on the first bodywork element (2), the interface (1) comprising at least one pilot (6) having a truncated cone or cylindrical shape extending, along a main axis (Ax), from the first element (2) towards a free end (8), the free end (8) being at least partly inscribed in a plane inclined relative to the main axis (Ax), so as to form a ramp (9) designed to allow the sliding, along a predefined approach direction (AP), of an edge (10) of a fixing lug (11) of the second element (2) on the free end (8). Pilot interface (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one indexing rib (12a, 12b) extending from a pilot (6). Control interface (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one rib (12b) is inclined in the predefined approach direction (AP) to facilitate the sliding of the edge (10) of each fixing lug (11) in the predefined approach direction (AP). Control interface (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises a fixing barrel (15) allowing the screwing of the second element (4) onto the first element (2). Assembly (13) comprising a first bodywork element (2) having at least one control interface (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, the assembly (13) comprising at least one second bodywork element (4) provided with a fixing lug (11) having at least one control orifice (14), at least one pilot (6) being engaged in a control orifice (14), the free end (8) of the pilot (6) being oriented to allow the edge (10) of the fixing lug (11) of the second element (4) to slide on the free end (8) in a predefined approach direction (AP). Assembly (13) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first element (2) is a headlight housing (3) and the second element (4) is a bumper (5). Motor vehicle having at least one assembly (13) according to claim 5 or 6.