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US-12623726-B2 - Motor vehicle hood

US12623726B2US 12623726 B2US12623726 B2US 12623726B2US-12623726-B2

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a front hood that has a supporting skeleton directly or indirectly fixed to an outer covering skin, which defines part of an outer contour of the motor vehicle; the hood has at least one deformable portion, shaped so as to have a C-shaped cross-section and comprising an upper wing and a lower wing, facing each other, and a connecting portion joining the upper and lower wings to each other; the lower wing forms part of a plate element, which is distinct from the supporting skeleton and from the outer covering skin, and is arranged between the supporting skeleton and the outer covering skin, or below the supporting skeleton, vertically aligned with the gaskets provided to ensure the seal for an underlying compartment.

Inventors

  • Manuel FERETTI
  • Angelo Narducci

Assignees

  • FERRARI S.P.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240103
Priority Date
20230104

Claims (12)

  1. 1 . A motor vehicle ( 1 ) comprising: a front compartment ( 4 ); a hood ( 5 ), which, in at least one operating condition, closes said front compartment ( 4 ) at the top and comprises: a) a supporting skeleton ( 12 ); b) an outer covering skin ( 13 ) defining, in use, an outer contour of the motor vehicle and attached directly or indirectly to said supporting skeleton ( 12 ); gaskets ( 6 ) carried by at least one support element ( 7 ) and placed between said hood ( 5 ) and said support element ( 7 ) to ensure the seal of said front compartment ( 4 ) when closed by said hood ( 5 ); wherein said hood ( 5 ) comprises at least one deformable portion ( 30 , 30 a , 30 b ), shaped so as to have a C-shaped cross-section and defined by: an upper wing ( 31 , 31 a , 31 b ) and a lower wing ( 32 , 32 b ) facing each other, and a connecting portion ( 33 , 33 a ) joining said upper and lower wings to each other; wherein said lower wing ( 32 , 32 b ) forms part of a plate element ( 24 , 24 a , 24 b , 24 c ), which is distinct from said supporting skeleton ( 12 ) and from said outer covering skin ( 13 ), and has one end ( 27 , 26 , 26 a ) coupled to said supporting skeleton ( 12 ); wherein said plate element ( 24 , 24 a , 24 b , 24 c ) is arranged between said supporting skeleton ( 12 ) and said outer covering skin ( 13 ), or said supporting skeleton ( 12 ) is arranged between said plate element and said outer covering skin ( 13 ); and wherein said plate element ( 24 , 24 a , 24 b , 24 c ) is arranged vertically aligned with said gaskets ( 6 ) and with said support element ( 7 ).
  2. 2 . The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said upper wing ( 31 a ) is defined by an intermediate portion of said supporting skeleton ( 12 ), and said end ( 26 a ) constitutes part of said connecting portion ( 33 a ).
  3. 3 . The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the entire said deformable portion ( 30 , 30 b ) constitutes part of said plate element ( 24 , 24 b , 24 c ).
  4. 4 . The motor vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein said end ( 27 ) is glued to said supporting skeleton ( 12 ).
  5. 5 . The motor vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein said plate element ( 24 ) has a further end ( 26 ) glued to said outer covering skin ( 13 ).
  6. 6 . The motor vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein said plate element ( 24 c ) comprises an accordion-like or gusseted portion ( 45 ), in turn comprising said deformable portion ( 30 c ).
  7. 7 . The motor vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein said connecting portion ( 33 ) has a thickness less than the one of said upper and lower wings ( 31 , 32 ).
  8. 8 . The motor vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein said connecting portion ( 33 ) has a thickness between 33% and 75% of the one of said upper and lower wings ( 31 , 32 ).
  9. 9 . The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said connecting portion ( 33 ) faces horizontally towards the centre of the hood.
  10. 10 . The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said hood ( 5 ) has a vertical plane of symmetry and comprises two side portions ( 25 ), opposite and symmetrical to each other with respect to said vertical plane of symmetry; and wherein each of said side portions ( 25 ) comprises one respective said deformable portion and one respective said plate element.
  11. 11 . The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, when said front compartment ( 4 ) is closed by said hood, said gaskets ( 6 ) are coupled to said plate element, if said supporting skeleton ( 12 ) is arranged between said plate element and said outer covering skin ( 13 ), or to said supporting skeleton ( 12 ), if said plate element is arranged between said supporting skeleton ( 12 ) and said outer covering skin ( 13 ).
  12. 12 . The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said front compartment ( 4 ) is provided for housing luggage and objects to be transported while travelling, and is defined by a front basin ( 3 ) supported by a motor vehicle body; said gaskets ( 6 ) being carried in a fixed position by an upper edge of said front basin ( 3 ), and said upper edge defining said support element ( 7 ).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102023000000042 filed on 4 Jan. 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL SECTOR This invention relates to a motor vehicle provided with a hood. PRIOR ART In the automotive market, in general, front hoods have a supporting skeleton, facing downwards when the hood is closed, and a panel or covering skin, shaped so as to define the outer contour of the motor vehicle. This outer skin is fixed to the skeleton, for example via crimping, glueing and/or welding. Typically, the skeleton and outer skin may be made of steel, aluminium alloys, or materials with carbon fibres. There is a need to provide special technical solutions so that a sufficient level of safety for pedestrians, in the event of an accident where the head of the pedestrian hits the outer skin of the hood, is ensured. In particular, in some markets, technical devices that have this purpose are necessary in light of current regulations or regulations that will enter into force in the near future. One possible technical solution lies in ensuring greater space below the hood so that the hood can be freely deformed without meeting relatively rigid bodies that may be present below, both if the hood encloses an engine compartment and if the hood encloses a luggage compartment. In the field of this type of solution, it is, in any case, useful to optimise the contour and deformability features of the hood, so as to maximise the absorption of energy and, thus, obtain maximum safety performance during a collision between the head of a pedestrian and the outer skin of the hood. One purpose of this invention is, thus, that of meeting the need described above, preferably in a simple and/or effective and/or cost-effective way. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned purpose is achieved by a motor vehicle, as defined in claim 1. The dependent claims define particular embodiments of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention, preferred embodiments will be described below, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the dictates of this invention, with a hood shown in a lowered, closed position; FIG. 2 is a cross-section according to a vertical cross-section plane, identified by the line II-II in FIG. 1, i.e. orthogonal to a forward direction of the motor vehicle, with a detail of the cross-section that is also shown on an enlarged scale; FIGS. 3 and 4 are similar to the visible enlarged view in FIG. 2, and illustrate a different embodiment of this invention, according to two possible alternatives; FIG. 5 is also similar to the enlarged view in FIG. 2, and illustrates a variant regarding the position of a component that is visible in that enlarged view; and FIGS. 6 to 9 show, schematically, other variants of the above-mentioned component (since schematised, the images are not exactly to scale, nor do they conform precisely to the previous figures and/or to the actual component). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, reference number 1 indicates a motor vehicle (partially illustrated) as a whole. The motor vehicle comprises a body or frame (not illustrated) and a basin 3, which is supported by the body and defines a compartment 4 (FIG. 2) for housing luggage and objects to transport while travelling. According to variants not illustrated, the compartment 4 could define an engine compartment (without am appropriate basin, but directly defined by the body). The motor vehicle 1 also comprises a hood 5, which is coupled to the body and/or to the basin 3, in a way not illustrated, so it can rotate between a lowered, closed position, visible in FIG. 1, and a raised, opened position, not illustrated. In the lowered, closed position, the hood 5 closes the compartment 4 at the top using the interposition of gaskets 6, schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. With reference to this figure, the gaskets 6 are carried in a fixed position by an upper edge 7 of the basin 3 (in the case of an engine compartment, the gaskets are carried in a known way by other components, or directly by the body). The hood 5 comprises a supporting skeleton 12 and an outer covering skin 13, directly or indirectly fixed to the skeleton 12. These two components are preferably made of composite materials with carbon fibres, but according to other variants (for example those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) they may be made of aluminium alloys. Generally, the material of these components is not an essential element of this invention. As can be seen in the enlarged view in FIG. 2, the skin 13 has two surfaces 14 and 15 opposite each other, of which the surface 14 defines part of the outer contour of the motor vehicle 1, while the surfac