Windshield air deflector

Abstract

An air deflector extends parallel to an upper edge of a front windshield of a motor vehicle. The air deflector includes an air deflection channel extending along its length. The cross section of the air deflector is concavely defined by a first side abutting the front windshield and a second side connected to and spaced from the first side. An inner surface of the second side of the air deflector is oriented toward an edge of an instrument panel of the motor vehicle, the edge defining a limit of the instrument panel toward a passenger interior.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The document relates to a device in the form of an air deflector bar extending parallel to the upper edge of the front windscreen of a motor vehicle and comprising an air deflection channel extending along its length. The cross section of the air deflection channel is concavely defined by a first side of the bar abutting against the front windscreen and a second side of the bar connected to and spaced apart from the first side. The document also relates to a motor vehicle comprising such an air deflector bar. Background Art

[0002] An air deflector is known from US Pat. No. 6,394,890 B1, if concavity is understood in a mathematical sense, that is to say including possible straight sections. The air deflection channel of this air deflector has a U-shaped cross section, the two sides of which are parallel to one another. The air deflector deflects the warm air flowing upwards from the windscreen heater air outlet on the instrument panel through the inner surface of the windscreen by 180° and flows back in the exact opposite direction to the upwardly flowing air. This is to help the windscreen to be defogged or de-iced more quickly and also to keep the warm air in the area of ​​the instrument panel to prevent it from impinging on the heads and eyes of the vehicle occupants.

[0003] US 2 096 901 discloses a similar air deflector bar, in which the side not against the front windshield is bent toward the passenger interior, so that it does not concave in cross section to define an air deflection channel. Therefore, it is impossible to generate an air flow in a specific direction. The air deflector bar is also designed to guide the air emitted from the central nozzle behind the front windshield from the middle of the windshield to the side. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of this document is to provide a device in the form of a windscreen air deflector which is particularly effective in preventing fogging of a windscreen or removing existing fogging, and a motor vehicle provided with such an air deflector.

[0005] The above objects are achieved by an air deflector and a motor vehicle having the features of the appended claims.

[0006] The inner surface, ie the surface of the second side of the air guiding rod defining the air deflection channel, is oriented towards an edge of the dashboard of the motor vehicle, which edge delimits the dashboard towards the passenger interior.

[0007] In this way, the warm air flow which has passed the windshield is not deflected by the air guide rods exactly in the opposite direction as shown in reference US Pat. No. 6,394,890 B1, but rather is deflected at an oblique angle to the windshield in the direction of the limiting edge of the instrument panel.

[0008] When the warm air flow hits the dashboard, it splits into two partial flows, one of which returns to the air outlet of the windscreen heater and joins the air flowing out from there. As a result, an air circulation is generated around the entire space between the front windscreen and the dashboard, which strengthens the warm air flow over the front windscreen instead of hindering it as would easily happen in the case of a completely opposite return flow in reference US 6 394 890 B1.

[0009] The inner surface of the second side of the air deflector is intentionally oriented toward the edge of the instrument panel so that the air flow (which flows upward along the front windshield) hits the air deflector and is deflected thereby, divided by the instrument panel and its edge into two partial flows, the two partial flows preferably being of approximately the same size, one of which is directed toward the air outlet of the windshield heater in the instrument panel and the other toward the interior of the passenger, preferably in the direction of the hands, but not toward the face of the vehicle's occupants.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the inner surfaces of the two sides of the air guide bar are in each case approximately straight in cross section and are connected to one another via a rounded surface of the air guide bar, so that the cross section of the air deflection channel is defined by a V-shape with a rounded bottom. In the V-shape, the two sides of the air guide bar preferably form an angle of between 30° and 60°.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the air deflector bar is arranged and designed such that it overlaps the border between the front windshield and the roof lining of the vehicle, preferably via a third edge extending over this border.

[0012] According to another aspect, a motor vehicle is provided with such an air deflector bar, wherein the air deflector bar, the front windshield, the instrument panel and the windshield heater air outlet on the instrument panel are arranged so that air flowing upward along the front windshield from the air outlet is deflected by the air deflector bar into a closed air curtain formed between the air deflector bar and the edge of the instrument panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The following is a description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 ) is a cross-sectional view of the windshield area of ​​a car. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] A device 2 in the form of an air deflector extends along the entire width of the upper edge or top edge of a front windshield 1 of a motor vehicle. The air deflector 2 is a profiled element, the cross section of which comprises three approximately straight sides 3, 4 and 5, which extend from a central connection area of ​​the air deflector 2 in three different directions and end freely.

[0015] The first edge 3 abuts against the front windscreen 1. The second edge 4 is connected to the first edge 3 by a rounding and extends in the direction towards an edge 6 of the dashboard 7 which delimits the dashboard 7 relative to the passenger interior and in this example also towards the top.

[0016] In the V-shape with a rounded base, the two sides 3 and 4 are arranged at an angle α to each other and define between them an air deflection channel 8, so that the cross section of the air deflection channel 8 is concavely defined. That is, the cross-sectional limits of the air deflection channel 8 formed by the air guide rod 2 are either curved inwards or straight. Between the free ends of the two sides 3 and 4, the air deflection channel 8 is open toward the instrument panel 7.

[0017] The third side 5 of the air deflector bar 2 overlaps the front edge of a roof lining 9 which is a decoration of the vehicle roof.

[0018] At least one windscreen heater air outlet 10 is located in the instrument panel 7 close to the front windscreen 1, and in the so-called defrost operation, warm air from the windscreen heater air outlet 10 is directed upwards along the front windscreen 1, as indicated by the arrows on the front windscreen 1. The warm air then impinges on the air guide bar 2 and is directed more or less vertically downwards through the air deflection channel 8, wherein between the air guide bar 2 and the edge 6 of the instrument panel 7, a substantially closed air curtain is formed over the entire width of the vehicle, as indicated by the three parallel arrows in the figure.

[0019] The air flow from the air guide bar 2 is divided into two partial flows at the edge 6 of the instrument panel 7, as shown by the arrows in opposite directions in the figure, wherein the partial flows can be approximately equal, in fact even if the instrument panel 7 is more or less not rounded and the edge 7 is not very obvious, it is possible to adjust and select a suitable angle α. Such a typical angle α is, for example, about 45° or between 30° and 60°.

[0020] One of the two partial flows flows back in the direction of the windscreen heater air outlet 10 , where it joins the newly inflowing warm air and the cycle begins anew, while the other partial flow flows in a slightly diffused or fan-shaped manner into the passenger interior, in fact in the direction of the vehicle occupant's hands in order to warm them, but not towards their face.

[0021] The front windshield 1 and the instrument panel 7 usually meet at an acute angle in a motor vehicle. Therefore, smaller vortices tend to form at the corner where the windshield heater air outlet 10 is located, as indicated by the spiral arrows in the figure. These vortices do not hinder the air flow from the windshield heater air outlet 10, but instead act in a supporting manner in preventing the front windshield from fogging or removing existing fog.

Claims

1. A device comprising an air deflector extending parallel to an upper edge of a front windshield of a motor vehicle and comprising an air deflection channel, the cross section of which is concavely defined by a first side abutting against the front windshield and a second side connected to the first side and spaced apart from the first side, characterized in that The inner surface of the second side of the air deflector bar is oriented toward an edge of an instrument panel of the motor vehicle, wherein the edge defines a limit of the instrument panel toward a passenger interior; The inner surface of the second side of the air deflector is oriented toward the edge of the instrument panel so that an air flow flowing upward along the front windshield hits the air deflector and is thereby deflected toward the instrument panel, wherein the air flow is divided by the instrument panel into two equal-sized partial flows, a first partial flow flowing toward an air outlet of a windshield heater in the instrument panel, and a second partial flow flowing toward the passenger interior.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the inner surfaces of the first side and the second side of the air guide bar are straight in cross section and are connected to each other by a circular surface of the air guide bar so that the cross section of the air deflection channel is defined by a V-shape with a circular bottom. 3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the first side and the second side of the air guiding rod are arranged at an angle α to each other, the value of α being between 30° and 60°.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the air deflector is arranged to overlap a border between the front windshield and a roof lining of the motor vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the air deflector has a third side that overlaps the boundary between the front windshield and the roof lining of the motor vehicle.

6. A motor vehicle comprising the device of claim 1.

7. A motor vehicle comprising the device of claim 2.

8. A motor vehicle comprising the device of claim 3.

9. A motor vehicle comprising the device of claim 4.

10. A motor vehicle comprising the device of claim 5.

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