Patent Abstract:
A motor vehicle body is provided. The motor vehicle body includes a sill extending under a door opening and a fender fastened to the sill. A sill bulkhead seals off an inner hollow space of the sill at a face end and a first fastening point on the sill bulkhead fastens the fender to the sill.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2011 106 951.1, filed Jul. 8, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The technical field relates to a motor vehicle body, namely to the motor vehicle bodywork specifically in the region of the ends of a sill extending under a door opening of the body. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A motor vehicle bodywork specifically in the region of the ends of a sill extending under a door opening of the body is conventionally closed off at the face end by a sill bulkhead at an end facing the front or rear wheel housing of the body. This is to form a hollow space in the interior of the sill that protects against the entry of rainwater or splash water from the wheel housing. A motor vehicle body having such a sill bulkhead is known for example from DE 10 2007 015 394 A1 and DE 2008 049 758 A1. 
         [0004]    At its ends, the sill is conventionally connected to a fender of the body extending above it. A connection of sill and fender by means of screws requires as a prerequisite the presence of openings on the sill, through which the screws can extend; so as not to impair the tightness of the hollow space, these screws are arranged beyond the sill bulkhead. In order to ensure that fender and sill are not twisted relative to one another because of internal stresses and in order to ensure a uniform joint appearance between the two, at least two screws are used for the attachment of which is time consuming 
         [0005]    At least one object herein therefore is to create a body structure which makes possible a quick and economical assembly. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In an exemplary embodiment, a motor vehicle body having a sill extending below a door opening is provided. A fender is fastened to the sill and a sill bulkhead closes off an inner hollow space of the sill at the face end. A first fastening point for the fastening of the fender to the sill bulkhead is formed. 
         [0007]    For fastening together, the sill and the fender practically comprise surface regions located opposite each other. The first fastening point can then practically comprise a protrusion engaging through an opening of the surface region of the sill into an opening of the surface region of the fender. It is therefore sufficient for an at least provisional assembly of the fender, to place the latter onto the protrusion of the sill bulkhead. 
         [0008]    If the openings are provided in a top side of the sill and a fastening flange is angled off a lower edge of the fender, the fender is at least provisionally held on the protrusion through its own weight. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment, the cross sections of the protrusion and the opening of the fender are matched to each other so that the fender is fixed on the sill through the engagement of the protrusion in at least one direction that is parallel to the mentioned surface regions. 
         [0010]    The protrusion can be formed unitarily with the sill bulkhead; in order to assemble the sill bulkhead, it can be introduced into the sill via an open inner side, the protrusion introduced into the opening of the sill and then the sill bulkhead pivoted into an upright position about an axis that is substantially oriented in a vehicle transverse direction. However, it is also conceivable to design the sill bulkhead and protrusion in two parts and to attach the protrusion on the sill bulkhead through the opening of the sill only after the pivoting of the sill bulkhead into the upright position. 
         [0011]    If the protrusion is connected to the flange via a preferentially shearable pin, the latter can prevent through shearing off the transmission of a deformation between fender and sill in the event of an accident, and by fixing a new protrusion with a new pin, the prerequisites for a renewed fastening of the repaired or replaced fender can be created in a simple and cost-effective manner. 
         [0012]    In that the surface region of the fender rests on a step of the protrusion, the width of a joint between the sill and the fender can be adjusted in a simple exactly reproducible manner. 
         [0013]    A tip of the protrusion protruding over the step, which engages in the opening of the fender, can guarantee fixing of the fender with respect to the sill at least in a direction that is parallel to the surface regions. 
         [0014]    With the help of fingers of the tip that can spread apart, fixing of the fender is also possible in a direction that is perpendicular to the surface regions. 
         [0015]    Fastening of sill and fender to each other at a second fastening point is desirable in order to ensure that the surface regions of sill and fender located opposite each other cannot rotate against each other about a common surface normal. This second fastening point can comprise in particular a screw connection. 
         [0016]    In an embodiment, the sill bulkhead is not involved in this second fastening point. 
         [0017]    In order to make possible fastening of the sill that is generally approximately U-shaped in cross section also to a bottom side of the sill bulkhead, the sill bulkhead at its bottom side can comprise a hook, which engages through an opening formed on a lower leg of the sill. 
         [0018]    Seen in longitudinal direction of the sill, this opening is preferentially located on a side of the sill bulkhead facing away from the inner hollow space, so as not to impair the tightness of this hollow space. 
         [0019]    Preferentially, the hook acts on an edge of the opening extending in vehicle transverse direction. Thus, the hook can already be brought into engagement at the edge of the opening even when the sill bulkhead within the sill is pivoted into its upright position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    The various embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  is a motor vehicle body; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a perspective part view of components of a motor vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a second perspective view showing the sill and the sill bulkhead of the motor vehicle body, omitting the fender provided for fastening thereto; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the sill bulkhead together with supporting parts of the body, without sill and fender; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a schematic section in a vehicle longitudinal direction through the sill bulkhead and surface regions of the sill and of the fender fastened thereto and located opposite each other; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is an expanded sectional representation of the sill, of the sill bulkhead, of a protrusion to be mounted to the sill bulkhead and a pin anchoring the protrusion to the sill bulkhead according to another embodiment; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a section in a vehicle transverse direction through the parts shown in  FIG. 5  and the fender fastened with their help. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    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. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  shows in a lateral view a motor vehicle body. In a manner known per se, a sill  1  extends below doors  2 ,  3  between front and rear wheel housings  4 ,  5 . About the wheel housings  4 ,  5  there extend front and rear fenders  6 ,  7 , each of which have a narrow arm  8  fastened with its tip to an end section of the sill  1 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  shows the front end section of the sill  1  and the tip of the arm  8  of the front fender  6  fastened thereto and a sill bulkhead  9 , which extends transversely through the inner hollow space of the sill  1 . The sill  1  and the fender  6  are formed of metal sheet cuttings in the usual technical manner. The sill  1  has a U or Ω-like cross section that remains the same or at the most varies slightly in vehicle longitudinal direction with upper and lower legs  11 ,  12  which are approximately horizontal or, in the case shown here, slightly rise towards the vehicle interior and diverge at their free ends and a curved intermediate section  13  freely visible on the vehicle outside and connecting the legs  11 ,  12 . 
         [0031]    The injection-molded sill bulkhead  9  of plastic has a baseplate  14  that is substantially vertical and oriented in vehicle transverse direction, which is surrounded by a reinforced rim  15 . The sill  1  closely hugs the rim  15  throughout its circumference and a foam material layer that is not visible in  FIG. 2  seals any joints between the rim  15  and the sill  1  in a water-tight manner so that a hollow space, which extends beyond sill bulkhead  9  over a large part of the length of the sill  1 , is protected from the entry of water from the sides of the wheel housing  4 . A further sill bulkhead of similar shape that is not shown in the Figures can be provided at the end of the sill  1  facing the rear wheel housing  5  in order to seal off the hollow space also to the back. 
         [0032]    In an upper region of the baseplate  14 , a flange supporting the leg  11  of the sill  1  is formed, here in the shape of a transom  16  protruding on the side of the baseplate  14  adjacent to the wheel housing  4 . The transom  16  carries a protrusion  18  on its top side only partially visible in  FIG. 2 , which penetrates an opening (concealed in  FIG. 2 ) in the upper leg  11  of the sill  1  and an opening  19  in a fastening flange  17  of the fender  6  angled-off substantially horizontally in an end of the arm  8  of the fender  6 . In that the protrusion  18  contacts the edges of the opening  19  of the fastening flange  17  free of play on three or more points, it fixes the fastening flange  17  at least in directions that are parallel to its surface. In order to prevent a movement of the fastening flange  17  perpendicularly to its surface and a rotation about a rotary axis possibly defined through the engagement of the protrusion  18  in the opening  19 , a screw  20  is screwed into a threaded clamp  21  anchored on a second opening of the leg  11  through a second opening of the fastening flange  17 . 
         [0033]    In the edge region of the lower leg  12  angled off towards the outside, an opening  22  is cut, through which a hook  23  that is unitary with the baseplate  14 , extends. 
         [0034]      FIG. 3  shows a view from a similar perspective as  FIG. 2 , wherein however the fender  6  has been omitted and the sill  1  is shown transparently in order to be able to more clearly show the sill bulkhead  9  and its protrusion  18  as well as the threaded clamp  21 . The sill bulkhead  9  is elastically clamped between the legs  11 ,  12  of the sill  1 , so that the upper leg  11  rests on the transom  16  round about the opening already mentioned above, designated  24  here. The protrusion  18  engages through the opening  24  with little play in vehicle transverse direction, so that the position of the sill  1  in vehicle transverse direction and in the vertical is substantially fixed via the anchorage of the sill bulkhead  9  on the side wall  10 . 
         [0035]    The protrusion  18  is divided into a compact block  25 , whose base area in this case approximately has the shape of a rectangle with rounded-off corners, and whose flanks in contact with the edges of the opening  24  fix the position of the sill  1  and a tip  27  rising above a top side  26  of the block  25 , the engagement of which in the opening  22  (not visible in  FIG. 3 ) fixes the fender  6  relative to the sill  1 . 
         [0036]    The tip  27  in this case consists of a central pin  28  and a plurality of fingers  29  grouped round about the pin  28 , the function of which will still be discussed later on. 
         [0037]    The threaded clamp  21  comprises a rectangular baseplate  31  resting on the leg  11  via an opening  30  cut out therein, from the narrow sides of which four fingers  32  are folded back over the baseplate  31 , in order to delimit a through-hole  33  for the screw  20  in each case to a part of its circumference. In that the fingers  32  are axially deflected by the thread of the screw  20 , they form a thread turn that is complementary to the thread, which holds the screw  20 . Legs  34  angled off the wide sides of the baseplate  31  extend through the opening  30  into the interior of the sill  1  and fix the tip of the screw  20  between its distal ends facing each other. Tongues  35  cut clear and spread apart from the legs  34  contact a bottom side of the leg  11  with their distal ends, thus securing the threaded clamp  21  to the sill  1 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 4  shows the sill bulkhead  9  and the sidewall  10  without sill  1  and fender  6 . This representation does not correspond to any intermediate stage during the assembly of the body, since in fact the sill bulkhead  9  and the sidewall  10  are only indirectly connected to each other via the sill  1 . The protrusion  18  and the pin  28  fixing it are visible once mounted on the transom  16  and once in expanded representation, separated from the latter. For as long as the protrusion  18  is not mounted onto the transom  16 , it does not aggravate the attachment of the sill bulkhead  9  in the sill  1 . This is performed in that the sill bulkhead with baseplate  14  substantially oriented horizontally is introduced into the sill  1  and then pivoted into vertical orientation about an axis that is substantially oriented in vehicle transverse direction. Through this pivot movement, the hook  23  of the sill bulkhead  9  plunges into the opening  22  in the lower leg  12  of the sill  1 , and an edge section  36  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the opening  22  extending in vehicle transverse direction engages into a recess  37  of the hook  23 . Teeth  38  of the hook  23  protruding into the recess  37  are slightly deformed in the process, so that the leg  12  is held on the hook  23  free of play. 
         [0039]    In the position now reached, the opening  24  in the upper leg  11  overlaps with the top side of the transom  16 , so that the protrusion  18  can be mounted within it. This can be performed in that the fingers  29  of the protrusion  18  are initially pushed into the opening  19  of the fastening flange  17  and engaged therein, and the fastening flange  17  is subsequently anchored to the sill  1  by means of the screw  20  and through inserting of the pin  28  through a bore  39  of the protrusion  18  as far as into a bore  42  (see  FIG. 5 ) of the transom  16 . In that a foamed-out insert  40 , which is attached in a groove of the sill bulkhead  9  extending alongside the rim  15 , expands while the body is passing through a painting oven, a water-tight connection between the rim  15  and the sill  1  is obtained. 
         [0040]    According to another embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the protrusion  18  on its lower side facing the transom  16 , is provided with engagement hooks  41  round about the bore  39 . When, following the attachment of the sill bulkhead  9  in the sill  1  the protrusion  18  is pressed through the opening of the upper leg  11  against the transom  16 , the engagement hooks  41  engage in an undercut  43  of the bore  42  of the transom, so that the protrusion  18  is seated tightly on the transom  16 , provisionally fixing the sill  1 . Following this, the fender  6  is positioned wherein the opening  19  of its fastening flange  17  is put over the fingers  29  of the protrusion  18  and the fastening flange  17  finally comes to rest on the top side  26  of the block  25 . 
         [0041]    The placement of the pin  28  can be carried out before or after the attachment of the screw  20 . In that the pin  28  is pushed into the bores  39 ,  42  of the protrusion  18  and of the transom  16 , both the engagement hooks  41  as well as the fingers  29  are fixed in their position, so that the protrusion  18  can merely come loose from the sill bulkhead  9  through a tearing of the engagement hooks  41  and the profile of the fingers  29 , as is evident in particular in  FIG. 7 , also prevents a lifting-off of the fastening flange  17  from the top side  26 . 
         [0042]    The pin  28  consists of a plastic material of moderate shearing strength. Horizontal shearing forces, which can occur during an accident between the fastening flange  17  and the leg  11  of the sill  1 , result in a shearing-off of the pin  28  at the height of the top of the transom  16  and to a tearing-off of the engagement hooks  41 . Because of this, the sill  1  and the fender  6  become moveable relative to each other in vehicle longitudinal direction and can evade or yield to deformation forces, without mutually damaging each other. In order to mount a new sill  1  if applicable, it is then sufficient to replace the protrusion  18  and the pin  28 . Thus, a quick and cost-effective repair is possible. 
         [0043]    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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1