RU2325297C2 - Protective tray for car power plant - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: means of transport.

SUBSTANCE: protective tray for car power unit consists of a panel with mounting holes including rear holes for bolted or similar connections to install and fasten this tray in horizontal or close to horizontal position, at least under car engine. Panel is also provided with protective elements located directly before rear mounting holes. Each protective element is represented as protective hole with sizes in the drawing exceeding mounting hole dimensions in the same directions. Further more, protective hole sizes exceed also dimensions of the lower parts of the above connection to ensure automatic panel loosening in the specified attaching points and free downward displacement as a result of horizontal backward shifting under the action of axial component of dynamic loading F in case of frontal shock. Hole may be either through or blind (with bottom thickness being less panel thickness). Hole bottom is likely to be damaged at preset force F or panel gravity values or loose engine weight. Breaking bridge may be provided for between protective and mounting holes. Breaking bridge may be lacking. In this case, hole may be represented as longitudinal groove linked with a hole. It is preferable if the hole is made round. In addition, protective holes can be made before front mounting holes in plate.

EFFECT: improvement of car operation safety.

7 cl, 7 dwg

Description

The invention relates to automotive equipment, namely, vehicle security systems, specifically to protective pallets, removably mounted in the lower opening of the engine compartment (compartment) and protecting the power unit (engine, gearbox, catalytic converter) from shock loads and wear in case of collision on a profile obstacle, and reducing the pollution of the engine compartment. At the same time, it is aimed at implementing the concept of “moving the engine down” in the event of a head-on collision of an automobile with an obstacle in the presence of the said protective tray.

Protective pallets, as a rule, are included in the “Russian package” for the completion of foreign-made passenger cars arriving in Russia, especially expensive cars with a large wheelbase and, therefore, with a small relative ground clearance [1].

A number of protective pallets for the power unit of a passenger car are known, containing a non-metallic or metal panel of a complex trough or shield profile with ventilation and drain holes, as well as with three to six (usually four) mounting holes (for attaching to a car) and fasteners [2 -8].

Closest to the claimed invention in terms of purpose and a combination of essential structural features is a protective tray for a power unit of a passenger car, comprising a panel with mounting holes provided therein, including rear ones, for bolting or the like for mounting and fixing in a horizontal or close to horizontal position at least under the engine, as well as protective elements immediately in front of the rear mounting holes [8].

In it, each protective element is a rear longitudinal stiffener of the panel, the end of which is located in front of the rear mounting hole (with the formation of a curved bridge between the last and the cavity formed by the walls of the rib) and below, with the possibility of protecting the lower parts of a bolt or similar fastening element in front of the impact of profile obstacles to the movement of the car. Actually, this is what its functions as a "protective element" consist of.

However, the prototype pallet, as well as the above-mentioned other analogues of the claimed invention, has recently come into conflict with the requirements of car safety in collisions with obstacles and, above all, with a fixed obstacle such as a wall, pillar, tree or with the “Euro bumper” of another car. Since it interferes with the planned, calculated and experimentally verified by the manufacturer according to the so-called crash test (crash test) of energy-absorbing deformation of the front end of the car during a frontal (frontal) impact into the wall. This problem became especially urgent when implementing the concept of "moving the engine down." This safety concept is based on the idea of preventing “entry” of the engine into the passenger compartment (injuring the driver and passenger in the front seat, often fatal) during longitudinal deformation of the front end, by ensuring it falls down (dumping) under the influence of weight. At the same time, the weight of the engine is not enough to destroy the panel under it, nor to break or cut off the fasteners. In addition, the high rigidity of the protective tray, especially in the longitudinal (horizontal) direction, significantly increases the longitudinal rigidity of the front end of the car as a whole, worsening the calculated energy absorption characteristics by deformation of the standard (factory) structure.

The task to which the claimed invention is directed is to increase the safety of vehicle operation, bringing the device in line with the requirements for ensuring the safety of the driver and passengers when implementing the concepts of calculated energy-absorbing deformation of the front end of the car and the concept of “moving the engine down” by eliminating or minimizing the longitudinal and the vertical resistance of the “shock” deformation and the estimated fall of the engine: with a frontal (frontal) impact, in particular in a wall, pillar, Erevo in "evrobamper" another vehicle, moves back sump panel should automatically unlock and fall (at least in its rear part) down under its own weight and the weight is shifted back and down the engine.

The solution to this problem is achieved by the fact that in the protective pallet for the power unit of a passenger car, comprising a panel with mounting holes provided therein, including rear, for bolted or similar connection for installation and fixation in a horizontal or close to horizontal position, at least under the engine, as well as protective elements immediately in front of the rear mounting holes, each protective element is made in the form of an opening, hereinafter referred to as a protective one, the dimensions of which are any In the same direction, the dimensions exceed, in the same directions, the dimensions of the mounting hole and, moreover, the lower parts of the aforementioned bolt or similar connection, with the possibility of automatic unlocking of the panel in the indicated places of its fastening and free movement downward due to horizontal rearward displacement under the action of the horizontal longitudinal component dynamic forces in case of frontal (frontal) impact (in particular, during the crash test).

The problem is also solved due to a number of additional sets of features of the device based on the specified set of main features:

- the protective hole can be made through;

- the protective hole can be made deaf, with a bottom thickness less than the thickness of the panel, with the possibility of destruction of the bottom for a given value of the horizontal longitudinal component of the force of the dynamic effect, the gravity of the panel and the weight of the uncovered engine;

- a jumper can be provided between the protective and mounting holes, which is destroyed at a given value of the horizontal longitudinal component of the force of the dynamic effect;

- the mounting hole may be made in the form of a longitudinal groove in communication with the protective hole;

- the protective hole can be made round, with a diameter exceeding the diameter of the washer under the head of the bolt of the connection or, in its absence, the diameter of the head of the bolt;

- additional protective holes can be made in the panel, similar to those described, with front mounting holes, in front of or behind them, depending on the design and geometric features of the car front and the location of the front edge of the panel relative to the front points of its mounting on the car.

The claimed device is presented in the drawings by examples of structural design:

figure 1 shows a semi-schematically protective tray on a car (fragment), a side view in section, where F with an arrow is the vector of the horizontal longitudinal component of the force of the frontal (frontal) impact into the car (or the reaction force from the side of a stationary obstacle when a car hits it) ;

figure 2 is a panel of the pallet, an option with its mounting at four points, a plan view, where d is the diameter of the mounting hole, D ₃ is the diameter of the protective hole;

figure 3 - the mounting unit of the rear part of the panel with a protective hole (a variant of a circular hole separated from the mounting hole by a destructible jumper), a side view in section (car movement from right to left), the initial state, where D _to is the diameter of the washer under the rear mounting a hole;

figure 4 - the same, with a longitudinal displacement of the panel relative to the rear node of its attachment due to the action of force F, at the time of combining, in plan, the protective hole with the lower parts of the fastener (unlocking the panel);

figure 5 is the same, the process of vertical downward movement of the unlocked rear of the panel due to the influence of gravity of the panel itself and the weight of the unlocked car engine;

figure 6 - shows a variant of a blind protective hole, a side view in section, where B is the thickness of the panel, b is the thickness of the bottom of the blind protective hole;

in Fig.7 - shows a variant of the protective hole in communication with the mounting hole made in the form of a longitudinal groove, a plan view.

The protective tray for the power unit of a car contains a panel 1, non-metallic or metal, of a complex profile - convex-concave according to the conjugation condition, i.e. in contact with the fixation points and with a small gap evenly distributed over the surface (20 mm, taking into account deflection during deformation), with adjacent elements of a car of a particular brand.

Panel 1 has front 2, 3 and rear 4, 5 mounting holes (rear - in the amount of two to three, usually two) for bolt (bolt 6, nut 7, washer 8 and auxiliary mounting plate 9) or a similar connection for installation and fixing the panel 1 on the frame elements 10 (front) and 11 (rear), for example on the transverse beams, in a horizontal or close to horizontal position (see figure 1), at least under the engine 12.

In panel 1, mainly at its lower points, there are made (as in analogues) drain or ventilation-drain holes 13 (mainly with "drain" functions), usually at the lower points. At least part of the ventilation holes 14 are arranged in a row in front of the panel 1 in the area of the positive angle of attack.

Directly in front of each hole 4, 5 (towards the front bumper 15 of the car), a protective element in the form of a hole (16 and 17, respectively), mainly through, is provided in panel 1. The dimensions of the protective hole 16 (17) in any direction in the plan exceed, in the same directions, the dimensions of the mounting hole 4 (5). Moreover, they exceed the dimensions, in the same directions corresponding to each other, of the lower parts (under the mounting hole 4 (5)) of the said bolted or similar connection.

In this example, the protective hole 16 (17) is made round, with a diameter D ₃ exceeding not only the diameter d of the mounting hole 4 (5), but also the diameter D _{to the} washer 8 (see Figs. 3-5), and in the absence of the washer 8 - diameter of the bolt head 6.

The close relative position of the round holes 4 (5) and 16 (17) determines the presence of a bridge 18 (19) with a minimum width of about 4-8 mm - a fragment of the panel body 1. The specific dimensions of the holes and their relative position are selected from the calculation of the destruction of the jumpers 18 and 19 , taking into account the panel material and the calculated (verified by the crash test) horizontal longitudinal component of the force F (vector) of the dynamic impact on panel 1 (from the drawings, from left to right) in the case of a frontal (frontal) impact into the bumper (bumper) 15. And that means - with the ability to automatically tion releasable panel 1 in the locations of its fastening (the holes 4, 5) and the free movement downwards (see Figure 3-5.) due to horizontal displacement of the panel 1 backward (in the figures - to the right) by the force F.

Alternatively, the mounting hole 4 (5) can be made in the form of a longitudinal groove in communication with the protective hole 16 (17) - see Fig. 7.

In turn, the protective hole 16 (17) can be made blind, with a thickness b of the bottom 20 (21) less than the thickness B of the panel (see Fig. 6), with the possibility of destruction of the bottom 20, 21 at given values of force F and weight fixed engine 12. The need for protective holes with bottoms 20, 21 may arise when the requirement of isolation from air and liquids in these places.

If for any car models and the protective tray for it an emergency “reset” of panel 1 is not enough and the task is to completely “reset” it, then a constructive option is possible, within the framework of the claimed invention, with protective holes for the front mounting holes 2, 3. When this they can be located in front of or behind them, depending on the design and geometric features of the front end of the car and the location of the front edge of the panel 1 relative to the front points of its attachment to the car (not shown).

The described constructive example of the device does not exclude other possible options within the claimed combination of essential features.

Technological processes for manufacturing parts and assembling the device in small-scale production have been developed.

The device operates as follows.

When exposed to a profile obstacle from below (roughness, stone, curb, etc.), the pallet protects the elements of the vehicle’s power unit, including engine 15. Shock and tangential loads are absorbed by panel 1 and, distributed fairly fairly along the attachment points, are transferred to frame elements 10, 11. In this, the operation of the claimed device and its effectiveness as a “protection” of the power unit from the bottom does not differ from analogues.

When the force F is applied to the bumper 15, in the case of a frontal (frontal) impact, the front of the car is deformed with absorption of impact energy. The presence of a rigidly fixed pallet 1 "on the path of deformation", which has very high rigidity and strength in this direction along its entire length, with the exception of easily destructible jumpers 18, 19, leads to the destruction of the latter by bolts 6 and a longitudinal rearward shift (in Fig. 3 -5 - from left to right, as shown by arrows). When the protective hole 16 (17) is above the washer 8 and / or the head of the bolt 6, due to the excess of its size over the size of the latter (in other words, overlapping them with the protective hole in the plan), the rear attachment points of the panel mount 1 are automatically unlocked on the frame element 11 of the car . Therefore, panel 1 gains freedom of downward movement (“reset”) theoretically even under the influence of its own weight.

In the presence of a car security system using the so-called “engine down” concept, engine 12 disengaged in emergency mode, moving back and simultaneously down (falling) under the influence of gravity, pulls panel 1 down quite easily, “dumping” it with Unlocked rear attachment points.

With a device with a similar design of the front attachment points of the panel 1, almost all the fixing points of the attachment points of the panel 1 occur almost simultaneously, as a result of which it is completely “reset”.

In the embodiment of the device with the mounting hole-groove 4 (5), the combination (in plan) of the hole 16 (17) with the lower connection parts 6-8 (see Fig. 7) is much easier and more reliable, because destructible jumpers 18, 19 are absent.

In the embodiment of the device with blind protective holes 16 (17), “weak” bottoms 20 (21) with negligible forces of resistance to their horizontal and vertical destruction (see Fig. 6) work in the “emergency” mode (and, accordingly, efficiency as a device safety) has no fundamental differences from the described.

The use of the invention allows to increase the safety of car operation as meeting the concept of “engine down”: during a frontal (frontal) impact, in particular against a wall (including a crash test), into a pole, into a tree, into the Eurobumper of another car , the backward sliding panel of the protective tray automatically unlocks and falls (at least with its rear part) downward under the action of its own gravity and the weight of the backward-moving engine, practically preventing it from falling.

Information sources

1. "At the wheel", No. 12, 1997. - S.168-170.

2. RU 0042806 U1, B62D 25/20, F02B 77/08, 07.20.2004.

3. RU 0042497 U1, B62D 25/20, 07.20.2004.

4. RU 0043841 U1, B62D 25/20, 04/10/2004.

5. RU 0042019 U1, B62D 25/22, 06/28/2004.

6. RU 2140371 C1, B62D 25/20, 06/30/1998.

7. RU 2260539 C1, B62D 25/20, 03.03.2004.

8. RU 0042018 U1, B62D 25/22, 06/28/2004 (prototype).

Claims (7)

1. A protective pallet for a power unit of a passenger car, comprising a panel with mounting holes provided therein, including rear ones, for bolting or the like, for mounting and fixing in a horizontal or near horizontal position, at least under the engine, as well as protective elements directly in front of the rear mounting holes, characterized in that each protective element is made in the form of an opening, hereinafter referred to as a protective one, the dimensions of which in any direction are superior in the same directions, the dimensions of the mounting hole and, moreover, the lower parts of the aforementioned bolt or similar connection are fixed, with the possibility of automatic unlocking of the panel in the indicated places of its fastening and free movement downward due to horizontal backward movement under the action of the horizontal longitudinal component of the dynamic force in the case of frontal hit. 2. The protective tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective hole is made through. 3. The protective tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective hole is blind, with a bottom thickness less than the thickness of the panel, with the possibility of destroying the bottom for a given horizontal longitudinal component of the dynamic force, the gravity of the panel and the weight of the unlocked engine. 4. The protective tray according to claim 1, characterized in that a jumper is provided between the protective and mounting holes, which is destroyed at a given value of the horizontal longitudinal component of the dynamic force. 5. The protective tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting hole is made in the form of a longitudinal groove in communication with the protective hole. 6. The protective tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the protective hole is made round, with a diameter exceeding the diameter of the washer under the head of the bolt of the connection or, in its absence, the diameter of the head of the bolt. 7. The protective tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the panel is additionally provided with protective holes similar to those described with front mounting holes, in front of or behind them, depending on the design and geometric features of the car front and the location of the front edge of the panel relative to the front points its mountings on the car.

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