Abstract:
An external grid device for an automotive vehicle, including a flexible plastic sieve, and a meshing that is thinner than that of the grid, provided along an internal face of the grid.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to an external grille device for an automotive vehicle. 
     On an automotive vehicle, the external grilles, such as the scuttle grilles more especially, have the disadvantage of letting through external objects such as leaves. These can block the grilles, thereby limiting their intrinsic qualities, but they can also cause contamination or even damage to areas behind the grilles. 
     In the case of a scuttle grille, it is possible to use an additional stainless-steel grille which fits underneath the first grille. 
     However, there are many drawbacks to this type of additional grille, especially the cost, weight and thickness, which are all considerable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     In order to limit these drawbacks, the subject of the invention is an external grille device for an automotive vehicle that is simple to manufacture and inexpensive. 
     The invention also relates to an external grille device for an automotive vehicle that is of low weight and compact. 
     To this end, the invention provides an external grille device for an automotive vehicle of the type indicated above, characterized in that a flexible plastic screen whose holes are smaller than those of the grille is placed adjacent to an inside face of said grille. 
     Other features of the invention are as follows:
         the inside face of the grille has a network of ribs forming a region for attaching together said grille and the screen   the screen is attached to the grille by welding   the dimensions of the holes in the screen are between 2 and 7 millimeters   the screen is made of polypropylene   the external grille is a scuttle grille located between a hood and a windshield of the vehicle, the screen being located between the grille and a water tank situated underneath said grille   the external grille is a forward air intake grille   the external grille is a side intake grille.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the description of various illustrative embodiments of a grille device for an automotive vehicle with reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle comprising a grille device according to the invention 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of a detail of the grille alone 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the detail seen in  FIG. 2  and 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross section taken in the direction IV-IV as marked in  FIG. 3  through the complete grille device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description the longitudinal, vertical and transverse orientations will, without implied limitation, be as indicated by the L, V, T symbols in  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a vehicle  10  comprises an external grille  12 . 
     In the example described here, the grille  12  is a plastic component extending in a transverse direction between a windshield  14  and a hood  16  belonging to the vehicle  10  and covering a water tank (not shown) for said vehicle  10 . This type of grille is often called a “scuttle grille” and is designed to let air into the vehicle. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the grille  12  has an outside face  18  facing away from the vehicle  10  and an inside face  20  facing into the vehicle  10 . 
     The grille  12  has a perimeter  22  designed to be attached to components (not shown) of the vehicle  10  by screws or clips, for example. 
     The grille  12  has an array of oblong holes  24  of approximately longitudinal orientation aligned with each other. The size of the oblong holes  24  may be for example from 5 millimeters to 20 millimeters. The size of the holes  24  depends on the appearance which it is wished to give the grille, but it also depends on constraints relating to the desired air flow for ventilating the passenger compartment. 
     As  FIG. 4  shows, the grille  12  is also provided with a screen  26  (for clarity of the figures, the screen  26  has not been shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
     The screen  26  is a component made of a flexible plastic such as polypropylene. The screen  26  is cut to the shape of the grille  12  and is designed to be fixed to the inside face  20  of said grille  12 . 
     The inside face  20  of the grille  12  has a network of ribs  28  forming regions for attaching the screen  26 . Said ribs  28  are arranged in the case described here in a grid of generally longitudinal lines  30  and generally transverse lines  32 . The longitudinal lines  30  are arranged between two rows of oblong holes  24  while the transverse lines  32  run through the oblong holes and are visible through the grille  12  from the outside of the vehicle. 
     However, the positioning of the ribs  28  on the inside face  20  of the grille  12  could be different because it depends on the configuration of the grille  12 , and in particular on the shape of the holes  24 , the ribs  28  also serving to stiffen the open regions. 
     The screen  26  can thus be welded to the ribs  28 . 
     In a variant of the invention, the screen  26  can also be clipped to the grille  12 . 
     The screen  26  has smaller holes than the grille  12 , of around 5 to 7 millimeters, for example, which will stop outside objects getting through said grille  12 , while still allowing a sufficient and correct influx of air. Hence the airflow through the screen  26  must not be less than through the grille  12 . More specifically, the size of the holes of the screen  26  can be chosen to block objects that must not pass through the grille. For example, holes measuring 2 millimeters by 2 millimeters will stop mosquitoes. 
     The screen  26  may also undergo a surface treatment to increase its weather resistance, U.V. resistance and ageing resistance. 
     A first advantage of the invention is that the material of the screen  26  is simple and inexpensive to work. 
     Also, since the shaped material of the screen  26  is delivered in the form of rolls, the grille device of the invention has the advantage of reducing manufacturing costs by requiring less storage space. 
     The cutting of the screen  26  to the shape of the grille  12  is moreover simple and inexpensive, and cut screens  26  take up little storage space. All of this helps to further reduce the manufacturing and logistical costs. 
     The grille device of the invention has the further advantage of being easily transferred to a whole range of vehicles, because it is easily adaptable to vehicles of different types without significant tooling changes. 
     The grille device of the invention is also thin and low-weight. Furthermore, the use of a plastic screen of this kind improves the airflow through the grille  12  compared with the use of a stainless-steel screen. 
     In the case described here, the grille  12  is a scuttle grille, but it could be some other type of external vehicle grille, such as a front air intake (central grille), a side air intake, or a low-level rear air intake.