Abstract:
Two outer skin parts of a vehicle body border one another at a joint. The first outer skin part includes an apron which engages in the interior of the vehicle body and overlaps with the second outer skin part. A screen engages with a guiding contour of the apron running in the direction of the joint from an end of the joint between the apron and the second outer skin part.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102015004413.3, filed Apr. 2, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure pertains to a vehicle body, in particular a passenger car body. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The bodies of motor vehicles usually include multiple outer skin parts, which can be part of a supporting structure of the body or serve to cover the same. For various reasons, such outer skin parts are not mounted directly abutting one another but their visible parts are in each case spaced from one another by joints of several millimeters width, one of the outer skin parts having an apron which engages into the interior of the vehicle body where it projects under an edge region bordering the joint. 
         [0004]    Usually, a motor vehicle body is painted by spraying after the assembly. When first and second outer skin part are to be painted differently, in particular in different colors, one of the outer skin parts, which is already painted, has to be covered during the painting of the other skin part. Such a cover cannot be placed in the joint not only because of the large amount of work connected with this but because such a cover would prevent the formation of a closed coat of paint on the apron and thus not offer effective corrosion protection. Consequently, paint can enter the joint during both painting steps. On the other hand it is not desirable either that a transition between the various paint applications is visible in the joint. In order to conceal such a transition, a screen can be mounted in the joint but when, in order to achieve a positively joined anchoring of the screen in the joint, one of the outer skin parts has to be detached again, this is brings with it a substantial amount of work and the risk of damaging the fresh paintwork. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure provides a vehicle body having two bordering outer skin parts, in the case of which a screen can be easily and quickly mounted in the joint. According to a configuration of the present disclosure, the motor vehicle body includes two outer skin parts bordering one another at a joint. The first outer skin part includes an apron which engages into the interior of the motor vehicle body and overlaps with the second outer skin part. A screen in engagement with a guiding contour of the apron extending in the direction of the joint is pushed in between the apron and the second outer skin part. Such a construction makes possible mounting the screen by pushing in from an end of the joint so that it is not required to detach one of the outer skin parts in order to thereby render the joint wide enough for inserting the screen. The possibility of mounting a screen in a simple and cost-effective manner created in this way additionally makes it economical to mount the screen also between uniformly painted outer skin parts, for example in order to minimize the passage of headwind or precipitation water through the joint into the vehicle interior. 
         [0006]    A stop position can be predetermined up to which the screen can be pushed in between the apron and the second outer skin part. The apron and the screen can include engagement means which interact in this stop position in order to prevent or at least render more difficult pulling the screen back out of the joint again. The stop position can be predetermined by a wall or an edge at an end of the guiding contour which the screen abuts and which prevents further advancing of the screen in the intermediate space between the apron and the second outer skin part. In this stop position, the screen can still be rotatable about an axis which runs through the end of the guiding contour. 
         [0007]    In order to unambiguously determine the position of the screen on the finished vehicle body, the screen can additionally carry a hook which abuts an edge of one of the outer skin parts that runs transversely to the joint. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, gluing, in particular by way of a double-sided adhesive tape, can serve for fixing the screen, in particular for preventing a rotation about the axis mentioned above. 
         [0009]    The guiding contour can be a groove in which a projection of the screen engages. Such a groove can be created with the same operation when the first outer skin part is molded from a metal sheet. 
         [0010]    When in the stop position the screen abuts at the end of the guiding contour, a rotation of the screen about an axis running through this end of the guiding contour can still be possible as mentioned above. In order to unambiguously fix the position of the screen on the finish-assembled vehicle body, a second stop is then additionally required. In order to form this stop, the screen can carry a hook which by rotating the screen about the axis can be brought to abut an edge of one of the outer skin parts running transversely to the joint, typically the first outer skin part. 
         [0011]    Additionally or complementarily to the stops explained above, the screen can be fixed by gluing. In particular, the bond can be imparted by a double-sided adhesive tape. 
         [0012]    In order to be able to keep the intermediate space between the apron and the second outer skin part to be filled out by the screen narrow, the guiding contour should be a groove in which a projection of the screen engages. 
         [0013]    On a pocket end, the groove can be locally deepened or the apron can include a break-through in order to engage the projection of the screen there. A base plate of the screen can contact the apron and cover a bottom of the joint. A spring lug projecting from the base plate can be kept under tension through contact with the second outer skin part in order to thus keep the base plate pressed against the apron of the first outer skin part. 
         [0014]    A bulkhead can project from the base plate to the second outer skin part in order to at least large close off the intermediate space and the apron and the second outer skin part and block the view from the outside in the parts of the intermediate space located on the other side of the bulkhead. The course of the bulkhead should follow the course of an edge of the second outer skin part delimiting the joint. 
         [0015]    The first outer skin part can in particular be an outer wall of a pillar carrying a roof of the vehicle. As second outer skin part, a fender of the vehicle body is possible in particular. A moveable flap, in particular an engine compartment hood, a trunk lid or a door of the vehicle body can border an end of the joint. From this end it is generally particularly easy to introduce the screen when the relevant flap is opened. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements. 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective outside view of a part of a motor vehicle body, in which an A-pillar, a fender, a windshield and an engine hood border one another; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the lower end of an outer wall of the A-pillar; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a screen; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a section along an approximately horizontal plane through the lower end of the outer wall and a region of the fender overlapping with the same, wherein the screen is once shown en route into its stop position and once in stop position on the outer wall; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a section in a section plane running approximately in longitudinal direction of the A-pillar through the screen; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view from the top of the region of the vehicle body shown in  FIG. 1  with mounted screen. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  shows in a perspective view a detail of a vehicle body. Visible are the lower end of an outer wall  1  of an A-pillar, a part of a fender  2 , which is separated from the outer skin  1  by a joint  3 , a rear corner of an engine hood  4 , separated from the fender  2  by a further joint  5 , a windshield  6  and a side window  7  fixed to the body. A door borders the fender  2  and the side window  7  outside the shown image extract. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  shows the lower end of the outer wall  1  on its own, seen from a viewpoint that is located slightly lower than in the case of  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, a step  9 , which is oriented approximately horizontally and extends from the exposed region  8  into the interior of the body, is visible on the lower end of an exposed region  8  of the outer wall  1 . An apron  10  which in this case is approximately triangular extends from an inner edge of the step  9  approximately vertically downwards. A groove  11  is stamped into the apron  10 . The groove  11  is open towards the front, its bottom  12  merges into the apron  10  at a folding line  13  at an obtuse angle. The end of the groove  11  located opposite is closed off pocket-like by a front wall  14 . Furthermore, a hole  15  is formed in the bottom  12  at the end. 
         [0026]    The longitudinal edges of the outer wall  1  are formed by elongated flanges  16 ,  17  which with respect to the exposed region  8  are offset by steps  18  and  19  respectively into the end of the body. The flanges  16 ,  17  each form a part of an enclosure of the windshield  6  respectively the side window  7 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows in a perspective view a screen  20  injection-molded from plastic, which is provided for attachment in the joint  3  between the outer wall  1  and the fender  2 . A base plate  21  of the screen  20  has an elongated shape in longitudinal direction of the joint  3  and is gently curved in order to closely hug the surface of the apron  10 . Adjacent to the right end of the base plate  21  in  FIG. 4 , a dome-shaped projection  22  is formed on its concave inside. On the convex outside, a lug-shaped spring  23  projects opposite the projection  22 . In the perspective of  FIG. 3  on the other side of the spring  23 , a bulkhead  24  projects from the outside. The bulkhead  24  includes two legs  25 ,  26 , which are oriented approximately at a right angle to one another and merge into one another by way of a curved section facing away from the beholder in  FIG. 4 . When the screen  20  is mounted, the leg  25  extends at a front upper edge  27  (see  FIG. 1 ) some millimeters below an upper edge  27  (see  FIG. 1 ) of the fender  2  and parallel to the same, the leg  26  runs approximately parallel to a front edge  28  of the fender  2  and is offset towards the back by some millimeters with respect to the same in vehicle longitudinal direction. 
         [0028]    The longitudinal end of the base plate  24  facing away from the projection  22  and the spring  23  merges into a greatly curved section in a plate  29  which is provided in order to lie against the step  18  of the outer wall facing the windshield  6  in the finish-assembled state. A hook  30  formed on the inside of the plate  29  engages about the lower edge  31  of the step  18  in the assembled state (see  FIG. 2 ) in order to keep a piece of two-sided adhesive tape  32 , which is attached on the strap  25  adjacent to the hook  26 , pressed against the step  18 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows a section along a substantially horizontal plane through the apron  10  of the outer skin  1  and an upper edge region of the fender  2  overlapping with this apron  10  in vertical direction. The screen  20  is shown twice in  FIG. 4 , once in the finish-assembled position and once during its assembly. In the finish assembled state the base plate  21  closely hugs the apron  10 , merely in the region of the groove  11  is there an open gap between its bottom  12  and the base plate  21 . The projection  22  is engaged in the hole  15 . The spring  23  is elastically deflected in contact with the fender  2 ; in the relaxed position it would cross the section plane at the cross section marked  23 ′. Of the finish-assembled screen  20 , only those parts which are located in the section plane proper are shown in the figures. Parts which are located behind that are only visible in the representation of the not yet finally assembled screen, marked  20 ″ here and shown as dashed outlines. 
         [0030]    Here, the screen  20 ″ is just pushed into the joint  3  from the front, i.e. from the edge of the fender  2  bordering the engine hood  4 . This front end of the joint  3  is easily accessible when the engine hood  4  is opened. 
         [0031]    The screen  20 ″ is shown in a position in which its projection  22 ″ is located directly at the entry of the groove  11  and touches the folding line  13 . The spring  23 ″ is greatly deflected. A contact of the bulkhead  24 ″ with the fender  2  limits the deflection of the spring  23 ″ so that the same during the pushing-in into the joint  3  is protected against breaking. 
         [0032]    Just before reaching the bulkhead  14 , the projection  22  engages in the hole  15  and a stop of the projection  22  against an edge  33  of the hole  15  prevents further advancing. Even while before reaching the hole  15  the projection  22  slides along in the groove  11 , the part of the plate  29  carrying the adhesive tape  32  comes into contact with the step  18 . Since at this time the adhesive tape  32  is still covered with a protective film and does not stick the plate  29  slides upwards along the step  18  until the lower edge  31  engages in the hook  30 . Accordingly, at the moment at which the projection  22  under the pressure of the spring  23  engages in the hole  15 , the screen  20 , through the engagement of the lower edge  31  into the hook  30 , is secured on the outer wall  1  in a non-rotating manner. 
         [0033]    As is visible in  FIG. 3 , the protective film includes a strap  35 , which projects on the edge of the adhesive tape  32  facing away from the base plate  21  and is long enough so that an end of the strap  35  between the step  18  and the plate  29  projects forward between the outer wall  1  and the windshield  6  and can be gripped and pulled out in order to make possible gluing the screen  20 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  shows a section through the finish-assembled screen  20  along a section plane orientated in longitudinal direction of the A-pillar. Below the exposed region  8  of the outer wall  1 , the step  9  and the apron  10  follow and the apron  10  is completely, the step  9  partly covered by the base plate  21  of the screen. Accordingly, only an edge region of the step  9  is visible in the joint  3  which is accessible easily enough from the outside in order to be painted in the same quality as the exposed region  8 . The bulkhead  24 , which extends at a low distance from the upper edge  27  of the fender  2  parallel to the same, conceals the intermediate space between the apron  10  and the fender  2  from the views of a beholder and covers in particular the spring  23 . The bulkhead  24  does not touch the fender  2  but extends far enough to under the flanged-over upper edge  27  so that an outer edge  34  of the bulkhead  24  is not visible from the outside. 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  shows a view steeply from above into the joint  3 . The base plate  21  of the screen  20  in this case forms an almost flush extension of the exposed region  8  of the outer wall  1 . The outer wall of the bulkhead  24  is concealed under the fender  2 . The plate  29  engages into a joint between the outer skin  1  and the windshield  6  where it is glued to the step  18 . 
         [0036]    While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.