Patent Application
20140255088
The invention relates to a bodywork component for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle, having an inner portion and an outer portion which are connected to each other at least in part-regions by means of an edge-side folded/bonded connection, wherein there is provided at the outer portion an edge-side projection which is folded over the edge region of the inner portion.
In a large number of structural components of a motor vehicle, such as, doors, hoods, rear flaps, luggage space covers, among others, a connection of the outer portion and inner portion of the structural component is produced by means of a folding operation using an adhesive there between. In this instance, adhesive is first applied to the outer portion which generally comprises sheet metal. In the next operating step, the inner portion is fitted into the outer portion. Subsequently, the inner portion is aligned with respect to the outer portion and the two components are fixed relative to each other. In the subsequent folding operation, the outer portion is folded around the inner portion and a folded/bonded connection of the two portions is produced.
Various process fluctuations and other influences often lead to the adhesive between the inner portion and the outer portion being distributed in a non-uniform manner and being partially squeezed from the folded connection. Unclean edge regions which require a finishing operation during production may thereby be required.
The existing problem has already been recognized by different manufacturers, and attempts have been made for a long time to provide an appropriate remedy.
In a known bodywork component of the type mentioned in the introduction (DE 101 15 282 A1) there are formed in the edge region of the inner portion a plurality of knob-like stamped portions which are spaced apart from each other and which are raised in the direction towards the outer portion and which form in the fitted state of the inner portion and outer portion a defined gap dimension between the inner portion and outer portion. Although this design provides for receiving space for the adhesive, an undesirable discharge of adhesive is not reliably prevented.
In another known bodywork component (DE 10 2005 033 751 A1) there is applied to the inner portion a continuous stamped portion which is orientated in the direction towards the fold of the outer portion and which moves into abutment therewith at the end of the folding operation. By means of the continuous stamped portion which acts in the manner of a barrier, the adhesive is intended to be prevented from expanding towards the outer side. This measure may be a step in the right direction but, in spite of this barrier, which is effective only immediately before the end of the folding operation, adhesive cannot be reliably prevented from being discharged towards the outer side during the folding operation in an undesirable manner.
Therefore, an object of this disclosure is to provide a measure which reliably prevents undesirable discharge of adhesive at folded bodywork components.
In one aspect of the disclosure an edge region of an inner portion is provided over an entire length of a folded/bonded connection or over part-regions of the folded/bonded connection. A plurality of cutouts are provided which are arranged with spacing from each other and which form hollow spaces as receiving pockets for excess adhesive.
In this aspect, the cutouts provide structurally produced hollow spaces in which the excess adhesive can expand so that undesirable discharge of the adhesive from the folded connection is effectively prevented. In one embodiment, the cutouts may extend along the entire folded/bonded connection. In another embodiment, when the discharge of adhesive may be a problem only in regions along the folded/bonded connection, the cutouts may extend over only specific regions of the folded/bonded connection. The remaining edge regions of the inner portion which also belong to the folded/bonded connection, may have no cutouts.
The cutouts provided at the edges of the inner portion may have different geometric shapes.
The cutouts may be constructed as rectangular or triangular cutouts. The cutouts may also be constructed in a curved manner, for example, in the form of a circle segment, preferably as a semicircular face.
Alternatively, the cut edge geometry may also be constructed in an undulating manner, the wave troughs forming the receiving pockets for the excess adhesive.
The quantity of the adhesive used for the folded/bonded connection is advantageously metered in such a manner that the hollow spaces formed by the cutouts are only partially filled with adhesive during the folding operation. It is thereby reliably ensured that any excess adhesive flows into the hollow spaces, which act as receiving pockets, and is inhibited from discharged beyond the cutouts and out of the fold.
Sheet metal may be used as the material for the outer portion, for example, steel, aluminum or magnesium sheet which are very suitable for the formation of folds. The inner portion, in the same manner as the outer portion, may also be constructed as a metal sheet. The inner portion may also be constructed as a die-cast component, in particular of aluminum or magnesium, or a non-metal sheet such as a plastics component. Examples of plastics materials for the inner portion include composite materials which contain carbon and glass fibers.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawings and described in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
In a first embodiment illustrated in
As can be seen in particular in the sectioned drawing according to
In order to produce the folded/bonded connection, adhesive 6 is first applied to the outer portion 7 in the region shown in
As can be seen in particular in
As illustrated in
The quantity of the adhesive 6 is metered during application to the outer portion 7 in such a manner that the hollow spaces 5, which act as receiving pockets, are only partially filled with adhesive 6 during the folding and pressing operation. The partial filling of the hollow spaces 5 is illustrated in particular in
Other variants of the cutouts 4 in the edge region 3 of the inner portion 2 are illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
In the embodiment according to
In the embodiment illustrated in
In addition to the four embodiments described, other geometric constructions of the edge region 3 of the inner portion 2 are possible, it only having to be ensured that the edge region has specific cutouts which form hollow spaces for receiving the adhesive so that excess adhesive 6 can expand therein and consequently undesirable discharge of the adhesive in an outward direction from the fold connection may be prevented.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2013 203 714.7 | Mar 2013 | DE | national |
This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to DE 10 2013 203 714.7 filed Mar. 5, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
