EP1843429A1

EP1843429A1 - Spoiler in thermoplastic material that integrates electrical and electronic devices for automobiles

Info

Publication number: EP1843429A1
Application number: EP07006227A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Saggese; Ruggero Scuderi; Oliviero Zaffalon
Original assignee: Plastal SpA
Current assignee: Plastal SpA
Priority date: 2006-04-03
Filing date: 2007-03-27
Publication date: 2007-10-10
Also published as: ITTV20060055A1

Abstract

Accessory or component for vehicles, in this specific case, a back or front spoiler on the interior of which are housed the electronic and electrical devices necessary for the functioning of the relative communication apparatuses provided on board the vehicle and suitable for communicating with the exterior, and in particular wherein said receiver devices are provided with relative wirings gathered in correspondence with a specific area provided with at least one relative projecting pin, said pin being suitable for introduction into a corresponding socket provided in logical correspondence on the corresponding part of the vehicle where the housing and fixing of said spoiler is provided.

Description

This invention relates to an accessory or component made in thermoplastic material for vehicles.
In this case, it concerns a back or front spoiler, on the interior of which are housed the electronic and electrical devices necessary for the functioning of the relative communication apparatuses conventionally provided on board a vehicle and suitable for communicating with the exterior.
The proposal finds particular although not exclusive application in the sector of plant engineering and integrated components for automobiles.

Field of Application

Communication apparatuses are known with which vehicles can be equipped at present as accessories. It concerns, for example, radio apparatus FM/AM, GPS (Global Positioning System) apparatus or telephony apparatus. Usually, all the aforementioned apparatuses must be equipped with at least one relative receiver-transmitter antenna. Due to said configuration, in principle said apparatuses require the installation of the relative antennae in a separate and remote way in positions considered optimal for receiving and transmission, mainly remote with respect to the body of the apparatus with the relative display. For example, the antennae are placed on the roof of the car, by means of a projecting component and very often along the profile of the windscreen.
The spoiler is equally known. It concerns a component shaped in the form of a wing made in thermoplastic material, obtained as a single-piece that can be joined to the frame or the body of the vehicle, with the aim of improving the attitude of the vehicle itself and in particular of reducing the air suction phenomenon during running, thus optimising consumption, above all in conditions involving speed. The spoiler can involve the front part of the vehicle as well as the back, if not both, or is sometimes limited to the latter position and it can be applied to the lower or upper side of the vehicle.

Prior Art

In this domain, for example, spoiler structures providing integration of electronic devices are known.
In EP0361104 (Pichler ), a spoiler is provided equipped with a display for the representation of a text that reproduces visible information from the exterior.
US4760402 (Mizuno et al. ) describes an antenna housed in the interior of a body having the form of an air spoiler.
Finally, US5106141 (Mostashari ) suggests a spoiler that is to be placed on the vehicle roof, configured like an aerodynamic wing or spoiler that houses different communication antennae as well as areas configured for housing additional luggage.

Drawbacks

The solutions suggested in the sector are inadequate.
Therefore, the need has arisen for companies, particularly in this sector, to identify alternative and more effective solutions with respect to the solutions provided up until now.
The aim of this invention is also to avoid the drawbacks described.

Brief Description of the Invention

This and other aims are achieved with this invention according to the characteristics in the claims included that resolve the problems disclosed by means of an accessory or component for vehicles, in this case, a front or back spoiler, on the interior of which are housed the electronic and electrical devices necessary for the functioning of the relative communication apparatuses provided on board the vehicle and suitable for communicating with the exterior, and in particular the receiver devices wherein said receiver devices are provided with relative wirings gathered in correspondence with a specific area provided with at least one relative projecting pin, said pin being suitable for introduction into one corresponding socket provided in logical correspondence on the corresponding portion of the vehicle where the housing and fixing of said spoiler is provided.

AIMS

In this way, by means of the considerable creative contribution the effect of which has allowed considerable technical progress to be achieved, certain aims and advantages are achieved.
In particular, it was possible to obtain a more integrated and compact structure, with the correct technological content and reduced costs.
These and other advantages will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with the aid of the enclosed schematic drawings, the execution details of which are not to be considered as limitative but only illustrative.

CONTENT OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an overall view of a first spoiler solution for a vehicle.
Figure 2 is an overall view of a second spoiler solution for a vehicle.

EMBODIMENT EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION

In one spoiler 10, 20 for a vehicle the relative antennae, for example GSM dual-triband 30, radio AM/FM 40, GPS (Global Positioning System) 50, SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services) system 60 are housed, in correspondence with the internal surface in the form of a shell. In one solution (see Figs. 2 and 3) the antennae 30, 40, 50 and 60 can also be housed in the interior of relative removable boxes that in turn can be engaged on the internal side of the shell that constitutes the spoiler 10, 20, and can be connected to a wire gathering circuit, with at least one pin projecting from said spoiler 10, 20, to be introduced, during the connection stage of the spoiler 10, 20, into the corresponding anchorage portion provided on the vehicle, in a relative socket or vice-versa obtained on the connection interface.

Claims

Accessory or component for vehicles, in particular a front or back spoiler, characterised in that in correspondence with the internal surface in the form of a shell of the spoiler 10, 20 the electronic and electrical devices are housed necessary for the functioning of the relative communication apparatuses provided on board the vehicle, such as at least one of the receiver devices 30, 40, 50 and 60, wherein said receiver devices 30, 40, 50 and 60, are provided with relative wirings gathered in correspondence with an area provided with at least one projecting pin, said pin being suitable for introduction into one corresponding socket provided in logical correspondence on the connection interface of the vehicle.
Accessory or component for vehicles, in particular a front or back spoiler, according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the relative antennae 30, 40, 50 and 60 is contained in the interior of a relative removable box that is turn joined to the interior of the spoiler 10, 20.