Crossmember for a vehicle dashboard provided with a reinforcing back brace made of a fibrous composite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365244-B2
Application number	US-201314406067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2012
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle dashboard crossmember ( 2 ) including a crossbar which extends lengthwise along a generatrix line (G) that is directed substantially along the width of the vehicle body and transversely relative to the direction of travel of said vehicle, as well as at least one connection flange ( 3, 4 ) designed to enable said crossbar ( 2 ) to be attached to said body, said crossbar ( 2 ) consisting, over at least a portion of the length thereof, of a load-bearing web ( 10 ) that has a side wall ( 11 ) rounded about said generatrix line (G) so as to have, in a cross-section perpendicular to the generatrix line, a first arm ( 12 ) and a second arm ( 13 ) that are connected to one another via a common connection portion ( 14 ) and which thus define a cavity ( 15 ), and of a reinforcing brace ( 20 ) made of a fibrous composite material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dashboard crossmember for a vehicle, said crossmember comprising:
a crossbar which extends lengthwise according to a generating line (G), intended to be oriented according to the width of the vehicle body, transverse to the driving direction of said vehicle,
at least one mounting flange designed for mounting said crossbar to the body of said vehicle,
wherein said crossbar is formed, at least over a portion of its length, by a first part forming a carrier core and by a second part different from the first part and which forms a rigid reinforcing brace; said carrier core comprising a side wall bulging around said generating line (G) so as to present, in a section perpendicular to the generating line, a first branch and a second branch which are connected to each other by a common connecting part and which border a cavity; said reinforcing brace connecting the first branch of said carrier core with the second branch of said carrier core, said reinforcing brace being made from fibrous composite material containing fibers arranged in a matrix, and wherein the rigid reinforcing brace covers at approximately 25% to 50% of a length (L2) of the crossbar.

2. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the carrier core is made from a fibrous composite material which has a matrix composition, and/or fibers, and/or an orientation of fibers different from the fibrous composite material of the reinforcing brace.

3. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the carrier core and/or the reinforcing brace are formed in one piece from a single sheet of composite material.

4. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcing brace and/or the carrier core have a plurality of continuous fibers running substantially parallel to each other, each extending without interruption from one edge to the other of said brace, respectively from one edge to the other of said carrier core.

5. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the fibers of the reinforcing brace are arranged at least partially according to a crossed network, with at least 25% of the fibers at an angle of +30 degrees to +60 degrees relative to the generating line (G), and at least 25% of the fibers at an angle of −30 degrees to −60 degrees relative to said generating line (G).

6. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcing brace is formed by a plate with folds or reliefs forming ribs positioned between said branches of said carrier core, said ribs contributing to the rigidity of the reinforcing brace.

7. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcing brace has separation shoulders which protrude inside the cavity, between said branches, in order to provide said branches with a support to prevent their moving closer together.

8. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the side wall of the carrier core follows a convex contour regularly bent into a U- or Ω-shape and in that the free extremities of the first and second branches have flat mounting flaps against which the reinforcing brace rests.

9. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the fibers of the reinforcing brace are arranged at least partially according to a crossed network, with at least 50% of the fibers at an angle of +30 degrees to +60 degrees relative to the generating line (G), and at least 50% of the fibers at an angle of −30 degrees to −60 degrees relative to said generating line (G).

10. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the fibers of the reinforcing brace are arranged at least partially according to a crossed network, with at least 25% of the fibers at an angle of +45 degrees relative to the generating line (G), and at least 25% of the fibers at an angle of −45 degrees relative to said generating line (G).

11. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the fibers of the reinforcing brace are arranged at least partially according to a crossed network, with at least 50% of the fibers at an angle of +45 degrees relative to the generating line (G), and at least 50% of the fibers at an angle of −45 degrees relative to said generating line (G).

12. The crossmember according to claim 1 wherein the reinforcing brace covers at approximately 35% or 40%, of the length (L2) of the crossbar.

13. A method for fabricating a dashboard crossmember for a vehicle to be equipped with a crossbar, and which extends lengthwise according to a generating line (G), intended to be oriented according to the width of the body of the vehicle, transverse to the driving direction of said vehicle, and at least one connecting flange designed for mounting said crossbar to the body of said vehicle, said method comprising:
a step (a) of producing a carrier core for forming the basic structure of the crossbar over at least a portion of the length of said crossbar, whereby a rigid carrier core with a bulging wall is created by curving or bending a fibrous composite base blank around said generating line (G) in order to form, in a section perpendicular to said generating line, a first branch and a second branch which are connected to each other by a common connecting part and which border a cavity,
a step (b) of fabricating a rigid reinforcing brace from a fibrous composite material comprised of fibers arranged in a matrix, and
after said step (b), an assembly step (c) of attaching the preformed reinforcing brace to the branches of the carrier core in order to form, over at least a portion of the length (L2) of the crossbar, a reinforced tubular section (T); and wherein the reinforcing brace covers at approximately 25% to 50% of a length (L2) of the crossbar.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said step (c) of attaching the preformed reinforcing brace to the branches of the carrier core comprises attaching the reinforcing brace to the carrier core at a distance from the connecting part in order to form, over at least a portion of the length (L2) of the crossbar, a reinforced tubular section (T).

15. A dashboard crossmember for a vehicle, said crossmember comprising:
a crossbar which extends lengthwise according to a generating line (G), intended to be oriented according to the width of the vehicle body, transverse to the driving direction of said vehicle,
at least one mounting flange designed for mounting said crossbar to the body of said vehicle,
wherein said crossbar is formed, at least over a portion of its length, by a first part forming a carrier core and by a second part different from the first part and which forms a rigid reinforcing brace; said carrier core comprising a side wall bulging around said generating line (G) so as to present, in a section perpendicular to the generating line, a first branch and a second branch which are connected to each other by a common connecting part and which border a cavity; said reinforcing brace connecting the first branch of said carrier core with the second branch of said carrier core, said reinforcing brace being made from fibrous composite material containing fibers arranged in a matrix, and wherein the rigid reinforcing brace covers at approximately 35% or 40% of a length (L2) of the crossbar.

Assignees

• Faurecia Interieur Ind
• Faurecia Interieur Ind
• Peugeot Citroen Automobiles Sa

Inventors

• Appasamy Jean Michel
• Brancheriau Christian
• Da Costa Pito Sergio
• Trannoy Mickael

Classifications

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• B29D99/0003

  Producing profiled members, e.g. beams · CPC title

• B62D25/145 Primary

  having a crossbeam incorporated therein · CPC title

• B62D29/043

  Superstructures (B62D25/161 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title