This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German application DE 10 2007 006 031.0, filed Feb. 7, 2007; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a front-end structure of a motor vehicle having a stiffening part which runs in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle equipped with such a front-end structure.
A front-end structure of the generic type is known from published, German patent application DE 41 10 553 A1, in the case of which a structural element, which is composed of a stiffening part with spring strut mountings integrally connected to both its ends, is used for the purpose of stiffening a motor vehicle body in the transverse direction. The structural element serves, in the region of its stiffening part, to form a wall region of a supporting member which runs transversely with respect to the motor vehicle body, the further wall regions of the supporting member being formed by a floor of an equipment space and also by a partition wall, which separate the equipment space from a space located in front of it. The stiffening part here is in the form of sheet metal.
Further front-end structures and stiffening parts are known, for example, from published, European application EP 1 400 437 A2 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,057) and from German patent DE 14 55 679 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,653).
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a front-end structure of a motor vehicle that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which is an improved embodiment distinguished in particular by increased torsional rigidity.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a front-end structure for a motor vehicle. The front-end structure includes a stiffening part running in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle. The stiffening part is a sheet-shaped cast part having longitudinal end sides each fixedly connected to a spring strut dome of the motor vehicle and a longitudinal side fixedly connected to a cowl of the motor vehicle.
The invention is based on the general idea of forming a stiffening part that runs in the transverse direction of the vehicle in a front-end structure of a motor vehicle. The stiffening part is a three-dimensional and sheet-like part, and fixedly connects the stiffening part to the motor vehicle on at least three of its sides. The stiffening part here is preferably in the form of a sheet-like cast part and is fixedly connected on each of the longitudinal end sides to a spring strut dome of the motor vehicle and on its longitudinal side or along its longitudinal side to a cowl. Furthermore, the stiffening part has bent portions and beveled portions which result in the formation of stiffening surfaces which run obliquely with respect to one another and impart high torsional rigidity and high flexural strength to the stiffening part. The fixed connection of the stiffening part along one of its longitudinal sides to a cowl, or a cowl support of the motor vehicle, as well as the fixed connection of the longitudinal ends of the stiffening part to the associated spring domes, connect the stiffening part fixedly to the body and stiffen the latter particularly effectively, on the one hand by the fixed connection, and on the other hand by the high intrinsic stiffness of the stiffening part.
The stiffening part is expediently formed from a light metal alloy, in particular from a cast aluminum alloy. In this case, the aluminum is provided with specific and precisely predefined properties, for example by the addition of various alloying elements. Examples of these properties include hardness, toughness and good machinability. Suitable alloying additives are, in particular, silicon and magnesium. A stiffening part produced from a light metal also provides, in addition to the high stiffness required, a low weight, which is of great importance, in particular, in the manufacture of sports cars.
The stiffening part is expediently in the form of a water box cover. The stiffening part thereby fulfills an additional function, that is to cover the water box, which normally has to be covered by an additional water box cover made of plastic. The water box cover that has been customary to date can thus be omitted, as a result of which the number of parts in the motor vehicle equipped with the stiffening part according to the invention can be reduced and, as a result, in particular, manufacturing and logistics costs can be reduced.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the solution according to the invention, the side of the stiffening part which points downward in the installed state has reinforcing ribs. These are preferably produced in one piece with the stiffening part and are integrally formed on the latter while it is being produced. Reinforcing ribs such as these have the major advantage of being able to considerably increase a bending moment of the stiffening part, without greatly influencing the weight of the stiffening part at the same time. In particular, it is also possible for the three-dimensional and planar stiffening part with the reinforcing ribs according to the invention to be made thinner and therefore more lightweight.
It goes without saying that the abovementioned features and the features still to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination described, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a front-end structure of a motor vehicle, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to
It can further be seen from
In accordance with
In accordance with
On account of its stiffness and strength, the stiffening part 3 can also be in the form of a support for a vehicle component such as, for example, a wiper system and/or an air inlet system.
It is generally applicable for the embodiments of the stiffening part 3 illustrated in accordance with
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 006 031.0 | Feb 2007 | DE | national |