Abstract:
The present invention relates to a novel fascia, grille and the assembly of the fascia and grille. The grille is designed to overly the fascia and close both an upper and lower air intake opening. The fascia supports the grille and receives fasteners from the grille to form an assembly. The fascia includes a horizontal portion. The grille includes a horizontal portion sized to receive a bumper beam.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Since their inception, vehicles have included a grille to protect the engine from debris and a bumper to protect the vehicle from frontal impacts. Innumerable variations on grilles and bumpers and combinations of the two have existed to make the air intake closure and frontal protection stylish, functional and efficient. In recent times, the bumper has been replaced with a fascia. A fascia is a flexible covering spanning the width of a vehicle. The fascia overlies a structural bumper beam and provides a decorative and paintable surface. Some fascia designs have included integrated air intake openings and grates, bars or ribs to close these openings. Among the first vehicles to include an integrated fascia/air intake was the 1986 Ford Taurus. It included an upper air intake above the top surface of the fascia and a lower air intake in the fascia itself. A series of thin slits in the lower portion of the fascia provided both and opening for air intake as well as a closure to keep out large objects. Fascias have commonly included an opening for the lower air intake and some means to close the lower air intake against large debris entering the engine compartment.  
         [0002]     One design that integrated both upper and lower air intakes into the fascia was the 1984 Ford EXP. This design provided a relatively narrow frontal profile with air intakes both above and below the main horizontal portion of the fascia. This horizontal portion was juxtaposed the vehicle bumper beam. This design did not present a traditional “grille” appearance on the vehicle. The slits in the fascia acted as air intakes and this design did not have a grille as used in this invention. The Ford EXP would be an example of a grille-less design where only a fascia is used to cover the bumper beam and to provide air intake closures for an engine. Modern styling trends have returned to a separate grille, usually having a different texture, finish and appearance from the fascia.  
         [0003]     In 2003, the Audi AG showed two concept cars at the Paris Auto Show. Both concept cars had trapezoid-shaped grilles that covered upper and lower air intake openings. This trapezoid-shaped grille design has a horizontal portion. Because these were concept cars, their detailed construction was not available for examination. The 2005 Audi A6 has a grille and fascia similar in external appearance to the 2003 Paris Show Cars. The A6 grille includes a horizontal portion overlying a plastic reinforcement member. This plastic reinforcement member is not integrally formed with either the grille or fascia. This member is secured to the fascia and grille and is juxtaposed a metal bumper beam on the vehicle. The grille horizontal portion is not recessed and becomes the initial frontal impact area. The inclusion of the reinforcement member is likely needed to transfer low speed frontal impacts from the grille to the bumper beam.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention provides a two-piece fascia and grille assembly that enables the grille and fascia to be made from different materials. The grille and fascia interlock and provide for a simple and economical assembly technique. They also provide a modular design so that different grilles may be used with the same fascia to easily and economically enable different styling designs without changing the fascia. By integrating both the upper and lower air intake closures into one piece, the present design makes the assembly lighter and less costly to produce. If the grille were produced with a chrome appearance, it provides for a horizontal portion across the front of the vehicle. This horizontal grille portion resembles the look of a traditional chrome bumper. Chrome bumpers are popular in light truck and Sport Utility Vehicle applications. By having both the grille and fascia closely conform to the bumper beam, the frontal overhang is reduced. By providing an impact area on the fascia, the grille can be recessed.  
         [0005]     The fascia includes a horizontal center portion that is hidden when the grille is attached. The horizontal center portion integrally formed with the decorative portions of the fascia. The horizontal center portion is designed to overly and closely conform to the vehicle bumper beam. This construction eliminates the need for a reinforcement member and reduces the frontal overhang of the fascia and grille assembly. The horizontal center portion is slightly recessed to enable the grille to also be recessed from the primary impact areas of the fascia.  
         [0006]     These and other advantages and features of the present invention shall become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a review of the detailed specification and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fascia and grille assembly installed on a vehicle.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the decorative surface of a fascia.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the reverse surface of a grille.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is an exploded side view of a grille and fascia illustrating how the fascia overlies the grille.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the decorative surface of the fascia and grille assembly.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the assembly in  FIG. 1 , taken along the lines  6 - 6 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a detailed view of the area marked  7  in  FIG. 6 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     The following are a list of elements and their reference numerals to aid in understanding the invention: 
     10  Vehicle      12  fascia and grille assembly      14  fascia      16  grille      18  matting interface      20  fascia horizontal center portion      22  fascia vertical portions      24  upper air intake opening      26  lower air intake opening      28  groove      30  retention slots      32  edge      34  tabs      36  grille horizontal portion      38  upper air intake closure      40  lower air intake closure      42  seam      44  bumper beam      46  decorative portion      48  impact area      50  frame    
 
         [0036]     The present invention is directed to the individual grille and fascia components that form an assembly as well as the assembly and the assembly attached to a vehicle front end.  
         [0037]     Illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a 2006 Ford Explorer, the first commercial embodiment of the present invention. The invention may of course be adapted to work on other vehicles. In this embodiment, a vehicle  10  includes a fascia and grille assembly  12 . The assembly  12  includes a body colored fascia  14  and a chrome finished grille  16 . The assembly  12  is secured to the front end of vehicle  10 . Not illustrated in this figure is a bumper beam that provides support for the assembly  12  and impact resistance and crush management for the vehicle  10  (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). An example of this construction and the energy management properties thereof is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,355, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0038]     Grille  16  provides a tight matting interface  18  with fascia  14 . As will be more thoroughly described below, in-turned surfaces of grille  16  and fascia  14  mate in a tongue and groove fashion to provide an attractive and tight fitting seam. This system allows for module grille systems to be interchangeable on different vehicle models using a single fascia. For example, one vehicle model may use a black grille while a different vehicle model may use a chrome finished grille. Both grilles would fit onto the same fascia.  
         [0039]     Illustrated in  FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the fascia  14  without the grille. The fascia  14  includes a horizontal center portion  20  that is generally transverse to the vehicle centerline (not shown) and spans the frontal portion of the vehicle. The decorative portions  46  are generally painted to match the other vehicle body panels. The horizontal center portion  20  is generally recessed with respect to impact areas  48 . Generally vertical portions  22  extend from and flank the horizontal center portion  20 . The space defined by the horizontal center portion  20  and the vertical portions  22  is the upper air intake opening  24 . Below the horizontal center portion  20  is a lower air intake opening  26 . The decorative portions  46 , horizontal center portion  20  and generally vertical portions  22  are all integrally formed in a single plastic molding. The horizontal center portion  20  is not exposed and need not be painted because it is concealed by a grille.  
         [0040]     The fascia  14  includes a generally U-shaped groove  28 , at least one wall surface thereof forming a matting surface with the grille. The groove  28  includes pluralities of slots  30  that form a retention surface for tabs on the grille  16 . The slots  30  are formed in the bottom of groove  28 . While the invention describes and illustrates a groove  28 , other means that provide a decorative seam between the fascia and grille are possible such as in-turned edges, overlapping surfaces and butted surfaces.  
         [0041]     The vertical portions  22  are formed in a U-shaped cross section to increase the strength and stiffness of the fascia  14  and to provide support for the grille  16  without the need for a separate reinforcement member. This construction enables the grille to be attached to the fascia  14  without the need for separate attachments between the grille  16  and the vehicle  10 . This tongue and groove design enables the grille and fascia to form a subassembly that is then attached to the vehicle. Creating a fascia and grille subassembly speeds assembly and increases manufacturing flexibility.  
         [0042]     Illustrated in  FIG. 3  is the reverse surface of grille  16 . This surface is not normally visible. The in-turned perimeter edge  32  fits within groove  28 . A series of tabs  34  on edge  32  fit within slots  30 . The tabs  34  removably secure the grille  16  to the fascia  14 . Of course, the edge and groove of the fascia and grille may be reversed and the edge placed on the fascia and groove placed on the grille. The invention has been illustrated with the grille having an in-turned edge, but other matting surfaces are possible such as a U-shaped edge, edge, overlapping surfaces or butted surfaces.  
         [0043]     A horizontal portion  36  overlies horizontal center portion  20 . As more fully described below, the horizontal center portion  36  closely conforms and overlies the vehicle bumper beam (illustrated in  FIG. 6 ) and transfers force from the grille  16  to the vehicle crash management system. The embodiment illustrated withstands 5 MPH frontal impacts into a fixed barrier without damage. Because both the grille horizontal portion  36  and the fascia horizontal center portion  20  closely conform to the bumper beam, the frontal overhang of vehicle  20  is reduced.  
         [0044]     Grille  16  includes an upper air intake closure  38  closing the upper air intake opening  24  and a lower air intake closure  40  closing the lower air intake opening  26 . The closure styles for closures  38  and  40  may be the same or different from each other. They may be of the same or different color, texture, or finish and are used to create a decorative effect.  FIG. 3  illustrates the reverse surface of closures  38  and  40 , which is normally not visible.  
         [0045]     Illustrated in  FIG. 4  is an exploded view of fascia  14  juxtaposed grille  16  as the two pieces are assembled into assembly  12 . Edge  32  aligns and fits within groove  28 . Illustrated in  FIG. 5  is a frontal perspective view of grille  16  secured to fascia  14 . The in-turned edge  32  of grille  16  fits within groove  28  of fascia  14  to create a decorative seam  42 . When grille  16  is made from a highly polished mirrored surface, it is desirable to have this surface slightly recessed from the forward most impact area  48  to protect the surface from scuffs and scraps. A U-shaped frame  50  surrounds closures  38 ,  40  and horizontal portion  36 . Frame  50 , closures  38 ,  40  and horizontal portion  36  are unitary and are integrally from into a single piece.  
         [0046]     Illustrated in  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines  6 - 6  in  FIG. 1 . Fascia  14  is shown partially broken away for clarity. Grille  16  is attached to fascia  14  for form assembly  12 . Horizontal center portion  20  and horizontal portion  36  overly and are juxtaposed bumper beam  44 . Frontal impacts are transmitted through grille horizontal portion  36  to fascia horizontal center portion  20  and then to bumper beam  44 . Bumper beam  44  transmits impact forces to the vehicle energy management system (not shown).  
         [0047]     Illustrated in  FIG. 7  is a detailed view of the area marked  7  in  FIG. 6 . More features and details are present in  FIG. 7  than are illustrated in  FIG. 6 . This section was selected so that it intersects groove  28  and shows how tabs  34  on edge  32  fit within slots  30 . Tab  34  is shown partially broken away. Tab  34  acts as a removable fastener. The barbed portion of tab  34  engages a surface on slot  30  to retain grille  16  to fascia  14 .  
         [0048]     Various preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in fulfillment of the various objects of the invention. It should be recognized that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.