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DE-102024133124-A1 - Front wall, vehicle and method for manufacturing a front wall

DE102024133124A1DE 102024133124 A1DE102024133124 A1DE 102024133124A1DE-102024133124-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a front wall (100) for a vehicle, comprising a steering-independent front wall base part (101), a first attachment point (108) on the front wall base part (101) for attaching a stiffening element, which is arranged in a region of the front wall base part (101) in which a left-hand drive functional component (104) is installed in intended use, a second attachment point (110) on the front wall base part (101) for attaching a stiffening element, which is arranged in a region of the front wall base part (101) in which a right-hand drive functional component (106) is installed in intended use, and a reinforcement (112) detachably or permanently attached to the first attachment point (108) or the second attachment point (110), which is designed to act as a stiffening element to increase the stiffness of the front wall (100) in the region to increase the steering-dependent mounting of functional components (104, 106, 122). The invention also relates to a vehicle with a corresponding front wall (100) and a method for manufacturing a corresponding front wall (100).

Inventors

  • Thomas Schwarz
  • Christoph Behle

Assignees

  • AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241113

Claims (10)

  1. Front wall (100) for a vehicle, with a steering-independent front wall base section (101), with a first attachment point (108) on the front wall base section (101) for attaching a stiffening element, which is arranged in a region of the front wall base section (101) in which a left-hand drive functional component (104) is installed in normal use, with a second attachment point (110) on the front wall base section (101) for attaching a stiffening element, which is arranged in a region of the front wall base section (101) in which a right-hand drive functional component (106) is installed in normal use, and with a reinforcement (112) detachably or permanently attached to the first attachment point (108) or the second attachment point (110), which is designed to act as a stiffening element to increase the stiffness of the front wall (100) in the region to increase steering-dependent mounted functional components (104, 106, 122).
  2. Front wall (100) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the fastening points (108, 110) are formed as screw-on points, wherein the reinforcement (112) has a through hole (120) so that the reinforcement (112) is detachably screwed to the end wall base part (101).
  3. Front wall (100) after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that a plurality, in particular five, of first attachment points (108) are present.
  4. Front wall (100) after one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that a plurality, in particular five, of second attachment points (108) are present.
  5. Front wall (100) after one of the Claims 1 until 4 , characterized in that the reinforcement (112) is positioned and designed in such a way that a steering-dependent functional component (122) can be attached to it in its intended use.
  6. Front wall (100) after one of the Claims 1 until 5 characterized by the fact that the steering The dependent functional component (122) is formed as a steering component and/or as a pedal component and/or as a component of a heads-up display.
  7. Front wall (100) after one of the Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that the front wall base part (101) has at least one passage (102) through which steering-dependent functional components (104, 106, 122) can project during intended use, wherein the reinforcement (112) is mounted in the area of the passage (102) and wherein the reinforcement (112) has an opening through which the steering-dependent functional components (104, 106, 122) can project.
  8. Method for manufacturing a front wall (100) comprising the steps of: - providing a steering-independent front wall base part (101) comprising at least one first attachment point (108) and at least one second attachment point (110), and - providing and mounting a reinforcement (112) to the first attachment point (108) if the front wall is used in a left-hand drive vehicle, or mounting the reinforcement (112) or another stiffening element to the second attachment point (110) if the front wall is used in a right-hand drive vehicle.
  9. Procedure according to Claim 8 , characterized in that the reinforcement (112) is screwed to the end wall base part (101).
  10. Vehicle with a front wall (100) after one of the Claims 1 until 7 .

Description

The invention relates to a front wall for a vehicle, a vehicle with a corresponding front wall and a method for manufacturing a corresponding front wall. Bulkheads separate the passenger compartment from the engine compartment in motor vehicles and extend essentially across the width of the vehicle in the area of the front footwell. Bulkheads therefore fulfill a variety of functions within the vehicle. Firstly, they must protect the passenger compartment from impacts originating in the engine compartment. Thus, the bulkhead must be soundproof and, for example, also fluid-tight. Secondly, functional components, such as pedals or steering components, are attached to the bulkhead. These components can be subjected to particularly high forces, for example during emergency braking, so the bulkhead must be designed to be especially strong and rigid to prevent unwanted deformation. To achieve the required stiffness, two different approaches are pursued in the prior art. In one approach, stiffening is integrated into the body construction, specifically during the early stages of manufacturing the firewall. It can be welded to the firewall or already incorporated into the semi-finished components. With known firewall designs, stiffening is incorporated depending on the steering configuration, while adhering to weight optimization principles. For a left-hand drive vehicle, the firewall is stiffened only on the left side. Similarly, for a right-hand drive vehicle, only the right side of the firewall is stiffened. Here, the focus is on weight optimization. However, this approach has the disadvantage that the firewall can then only be used for the corresponding steering configuration (left or right). A second approach involves reinforcing the bulkhead on both sides during the body manufacturing process, allowing it to be used independently of the steering system. The focus here is on flexibility and reducing the number of variants. However, the double-sided reinforcement has the disadvantage of increasing the bulkhead's weight. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a steering-independent front wall with minimized weight and a vehicle with such a front wall. Furthermore, it is an object to provide a method for manufacturing such a front wall. The problem is solved by a front wall with the features of claim 1, by a vehicle with the features of claim 10, and by a method with the features of claim 8. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The front wall according to the invention comprises a steering-independent front wall base part, a first attachment point on the front wall base part for attaching a stiffening element, which is arranged in a region of the front wall base part where, in intended use for a left-hand drive vehicle, a left-hand drive functional component is installed, and a second attachment point on the front wall base part for attaching a stiffening element, which is arranged in a region of the front wall base part where, in intended use for a right-hand drive vehicle, a right-hand drive functional component is installed, and a reinforcement detachably or permanently attached to the first attachment point or the second attachment point, which is designed to increase the stiffness of the front wall in the area of steering-dependent functional components. Such a front wall with a steering-independent front wall base part and the two attachment points allows the attachment of the reinforcement to be postponed from an early stage in body construction to a later stage, e.g., during assembly. At this later stage, it is already defined whether the bulkhead will be installed in a right-hand drive or a left-hand drive vehicle, so the reinforcement is only applied to the corresponding side. This keeps the number of variants to a minimum while simultaneously optimizing weight. Preferably, the fastening points are designed as screw points, with the reinforcement having a through-hole so that the reinforcement can be detachably screwed to the end wall base part. This allows the reinforcement to be mounted to the end wall base part particularly easily. In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality, in particular five, of first fastening points are provided. This allows the reinforcement to be mounted particularly securely to the end wall base part. In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality, in particular five, of second fastening points are provided. This also allows the The reinforcement must be mounted particularly securely to the front wall base part. It is advantageously designed that the reinforcement is positioned and configured in such a way that a steering-dependent functional component can be attached to it during normal use. This allows for particularly reliable mounting of the steering-dependent functional components and prevents unintended deformation of the bulkhead base during normal use, e.g., when the dri