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US-12617470-B2 - Nose for a racing car, racing car comprising such nose and manufacturing process of a nose

US12617470B2US 12617470 B2US12617470 B2US 12617470B2US-12617470-B2

Abstract

A nose for a racing car may include, a shell having a prevalent extension between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal direction and so shaped that, in a section that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, it has a perimeter profile defining a plurality of lobes.

Inventors

  • LUCA VESCOVI

Assignees

  • DALLARA AUTOMOBILI S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20210630

Claims (8)

  1. 1 . A nose for a racing car, comprising a shell extending between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal direction, shaped such that in a section transverse to said longitudinal direction, the shell has a perimeter profile defining a plurality of valleys interspersed between a plurality of lobes in an alternating sequence.
  2. 2 . The nose according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the lobes are four.
  3. 3 . The nose according to claim 1 , wherein the extension of the shell is such as to have a progressive section narrowing from the first to the second end.
  4. 4 . The nose according to claim 1 , comprising one or more reinforcing elements housed inside the shell.
  5. 5 . The nose according to claim 1 , wherein the shell is made of a single layer of composite material.
  6. 6 . The nose according to claim 1 , wherein the shell is a hollow shell.
  7. 7 . A racing car comprising a nose according to claim 1 .
  8. 8 . A racing car comprising a nose according to claim 3 .

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The object of the present invention is a nose for a racing car, a racing car comprising such a nose and a manufacturing process of a nose. The present invention is applied to the motor sport sector. BACKGROUND As is known, the nose of a racing car is a structural component fitted to the front part of the chassis that performs different functions inside the car system. First of all, the nose increases safety because it permits the absorption of the energy of the car in the event of a head-on collision, protecting the chassis and driver. Further, it supports the aerodynamic loads of the front wing. All the noses made of composite material that are currently used are components of tubular shape in which the inertia of the section is reached by using a “sandwich” laminated filler. A nose of known type is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A typically manual manufacturing process (lamination) is the result that is adapted to very low production volumes and with major costs linked to time and labour. The standards that the noses have to meet to be approved and thus used are set by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile-International Automobile Federation) and differ according to the type of championship. The component must meet the requirements of flexural rigidity, resistance and energy absorption. The component is approved by static tests (push offs) and dynamic tests (crash tests) that ensure the required safety and technical requirements. The nose does not have to meet standards governing shape apart from the compliance with regulatory limits. The design must then be optimised as a function of style, performance and cost targets. In order to meet the approval requirements, a low-density filler must be inserted that performs the task of stabilising the section, interposed between carbon plies (the so-called “first skin” and “second skin”) with a thickness that is variable according to the structural purposes. This enables product inertia and consequently energy absorption to be increased. The manufacturing process for obtaining a product of this type is lamination, which requires a series of operations. Initially, resin models of the nose are made. Composite moulds are then made on these models. After this, the first skin is laminated manually, layer by layer. This process is strictly manual and involves spreading layers of pre-impregnated fibre-reinforced composite materials (known in the trade as “prepreg”) following the instructions on the orientation of the fibres and stacking provided by the design documents. At set stages of the lamination process, intermediate compacting of the laminate occurs to ensure adhesion to the mould. At the end of the manual lamination of the first skin, a baking bag is prepared and the semifinished product is subjected to a curing cycle in an autoclave. This cycle is variable according to the material, thickness and type of the component. Following the curing cycle, the semifinished product is taken out of the autoclave and is prepared for the second lamination. In this step, the filler is deposited with adhesive film to favour gluing and possible metal components for fixings (inserts) interposed between the first and second skin. After this, a manual lamination of the second skin takes place, exactly as occurs during lamination of the first skin. In the same manner, the semifinished product is placed in a baking bag and is subjected to a further curing cycle in the autoclave. At the end of the second curing cycle, the component is removed from the mould and undergoes a finishing process (typically manual and assisted by CNC mechanical machining). It is thus ready for preassembly in the car. The manufacturing process disclosed above has various problems. Above all, the process is typically manual and involves a considerable number of steps. It is accordingly hardly standardisable: the end product depends greatly on the skill of the operator making the end product. The result is poor repetitivity. The process is further adapted to very low production volumes: the production rate is on average around 1.5 components a week per mould, i.e. production time is very long. The possibility of error is thus high and greatly affects production. In particular, given the extremely low production rate, if the error occurs at a late stage of the process, product damage is huge. Further, a lamination process as disclosed above entails high costs. SUMMARY A Nose for a racing car may include a shell having a prevalent extension between a first end and a second end along a longitudinal direction and so shaped that, in a section that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, it has a perimeter profile defining a plurality of lobes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following indicative, and hence non-limiting, description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a nose