Concealed defrosting duct structure and automobile

Abstract

This invention relates to a concealed defrosting air duct structure and an automobile, comprising: a defrosting reinforcing plate with a defrosting air inlet; an air guide plate disposed above the defrosting reinforcing plate, the air guide plate and the defrosting reinforcing plate forming a defrosting air duct extending towards the windshield; a defrosting upper body connected to the defrosting reinforcing plate and the air guide plate, the defrosting upper body including a grille plate spaced apart from the windshield, the grille plate being disposed at the end of the defrosting air duct near the windshield, the grille plate having several air outlets communicating with the defrosting air duct; the grille plate including a guide plate connected to the air guide plate, the edge of the guide plate away from the air outlets having a folded edge bending towards the windshield. The folded edge bending towards the windshield at the edge of the guide plate prevents airflow near the guide plate from being diverted, resulting in insufficient flow rate and velocity, thus failing to meet defrosting performance requirements due to the Coanda effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive technology, and in particular to a concealed defrosting duct structure and automobile. Background Technology

[0002] Temperature differences between the inside and outside of a car during driving can cause fogging on the windshield, affecting driving safety. Therefore, modern cars typically have front defrost ducts in front of the dashboard to clear this fog. To maximize airflow coverage and defrost area, traditional dashboard defrost ducts are usually located on the front surface of the dashboard. However, this location is within the driver's and front passenger's field of vision, making the defrost grille visible and compromising visual quality, which also limits the dashboard's design. Furthermore, in bright sunlight, the defrost grille can be reflected onto the windshield, further impacting driving safety.

[0003] In existing technologies, the air vents on the front surface of the dashboard are eliminated, and air vents are set on the side of the dashboard near the windshield to hide the defrost grille. However, the single air vent structure on the windshield side will result in insufficient flow rate and velocity of the defrost airflow on the windshield surface due to the downward flow of air and the Coanda effect on the dashboard surface, which diverts a large amount of airflow. This makes it difficult to achieve the defrosting effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a concealed defrosting air duct structure and automobile to address the problem that the existing single air outlet structure causes a large amount of airflow to be diverted due to the downward flow of air and the Coanda effect on the dashboard surface, resulting in insufficient flow rate and velocity of the defrosting airflow on the windshield surface, making it difficult to achieve the defrosting effect.

[0005] A concealed defrosting air duct structure, comprising:

[0006] The defrosting reinforcement plate is equipped with a defrosting air inlet;

[0007] An air guide plate is disposed above the defrosting reinforcement plate. The air guide plate and the defrosting reinforcement plate surround each other to form a defrosting air duct. The defrosting air duct is connected to the defrosting air inlet and extends towards the windshield.

[0008] The defrosting upper body is connected to the defrosting reinforcement plate and the air guide plate. The defrosting upper body includes a grille plate spaced apart from the windshield. The grille plate is located at one end of the defrosting air duct near the windshield. The grille plate has a plurality of air outlets communicating with the defrosting air duct. The grille plate includes a guide plate connected to the air guide plate. The edge of the guide plate away from the air outlets has a folded edge that bends toward the windshield.

[0009] In one embodiment, the cross-section of the deflector in the vertical direction is parallel to the windshield.

[0010] In one embodiment, the length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge is between 1 and 2.5 mm.

[0011] In one embodiment, the length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge gradually decreases from the center to both sides.

[0012] In one embodiment, the angle between the folded edge and the windshield is an angle β, and the angle β ranges from 20° to 35.2°.

[0013] In one embodiment, the edge of the folded edge away from the air outlet is rounded, and the radius of the rounded edge is 0.3 mm.

[0014] In one embodiment, the defrosting duct is a cavity shape that tapers toward the windshield.

[0015] In one embodiment, the angle between the defrosting duct outlet direction and the windshield is an angle α, and the angle α is between 35° and 45°.

[0016] In one embodiment, the grille further includes a connecting plate connected to the defrosting reinforcement plate, the connecting plate being fitted to the windshield, and a sealing element being provided between the connecting plate and the windshield.

[0017] An automobile comprising the concealed defrosting duct structure described in any one of the preceding claims.

[0018] The aforementioned concealed defrosting air duct structure and the folded edge on the windshield of the deflector guide the airflow between the windshield and the deflector. This guides the airflow and prevents airflow near the deflector from being split due to the Coanda effect, resulting in insufficient airflow and velocity towards the windshield and failing to meet defrosting performance requirements. This application avoids the need for additional air outlets at the defrost cover, as is commonly done in existing technologies to address airflow drop, simplifying the structure and reducing production costs. This application uses air outlets located on a grille near the windshield for defrosting airflow. The grille is not visible to passengers during normal driving, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing design. Furthermore, this application solves the safety problem of air outlets affecting driver visibility on the windshield. The grille structure is also more cost-effective and provides better defrosting performance compared to solutions using fabric coverings for the air outlets. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a concealed defrosting duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided.

[0020] Figure 2 Exploded view of a concealed defrosting duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the defrosting assembly and instrument panel assembly in a concealed defrosting duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided.

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view at point AA;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0024] In the diagram: 10-Air conditioning unit; 20-Windshield; 30-Defrosting assembly; 301-Defrosting duct; 31-Defrosting reinforcement plate; 311-Defrosting air inlet; 32-Air guide plate; 33-Defrosting upper body; 331-Grate plate; 3311-Air outlet; 3312-Blower plate; 3313-Folded edge; 3314-Connecting plate; 332-Sealing component; 34-Defrosting cover plate; 40-Dashboard assembly; 41-Dashboard air inlet; 42-Air outlet valve; 43-Dashboard upper air duct; 44-Dashboard lower air duct. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0031] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 This diagram illustrates a concealed defrosting duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. The concealed defrosting duct structure provided in this embodiment includes: an air conditioning unit 10 ( Figure 2(As shown in the diagram) Defrosting assembly 30 and dashboard assembly 40. The two ends of the defrosting assembly 30 are connected to the dashboard assembly 40 and the windshield 20, respectively. The dashboard assembly 40 is connected to the air conditioning unit 10. The airflow generated by the air conditioning unit 10 is diverted through the air duct in the dashboard assembly 40 and delivered to the defrosting assembly 30. The defrosting assembly 30 then delivers the airflow to the windshield 20, thereby eliminating the frost and fog condensed on the windshield 20 and improving driving safety.

[0032] Combination Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 An exploded view of a concealed defrosting duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In some embodiments, the defrosting assembly 30 includes a defrosting reinforcing plate 31, an air guide plate 32, a defrosting upper body 33, and a defrosting cover plate 34. The defrosting reinforcing plate 31 has a defrosting air inlet 311 for guiding the airflow diverted within the instrument panel assembly 40 into the defrosting assembly 30. The defrosting air inlet 311 is located in the middle of the defrosting reinforcing plate 31 so that the airflow blown into the defrosting duct 301 can be evenly dispersed to both sides, avoiding insufficient airflow on one side and thus poor defrosting effect. The cavity between the defrosting reinforcement plate 31 and the air guide plate 32 forms a defrosting air duct 301. Airflow is delivered through the defrosting air duct 301 to the upper defrosting body 33, which is close to the windshield 20. The upper defrosting body 33 is installed above the air guide plate 32. The side of the upper defrosting body 33 closest to the windshield 20 is a grille plate 331 with several air outlets 3311. Airflow is blown out from the air outlets 3311 on the grille plate 331 to the windshield 20. The grille plate 331 is used to evenly disperse the defrosting airflow to expand the defrosting range of the windshield 20. The instrument panel assembly 40 is a key load-bearing component of the vehicle's instrument assembly and accessories. The instrument panel assembly 40 is used to support the vehicle's electronic equipment and steering module, etc. The dashboard assembly 40 is connected to the defrost upper body 33. The grille 331 of the defrost upper body 33 is spaced apart from the windshield 20, forming an air duct between the grille 331 and the windshield 20. The defrost cover 34 is a plate covering the joint between the upper surfaces of the defrost upper body 33 and the dashboard assembly 40. The defrost cover 34 is detachably attached to the defrost upper body 33. The defrost cover 34 serves two purposes: firstly, to beautify the upper surface of the dashboard assembly 40, and secondly, to accommodate components such as audio equipment. The detachable nature of the defrost cover 34 facilitates future maintenance and repair of the defrost assembly 30, or of the audio equipment or other components housed within it.

[0033] Combination Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3A schematic diagram of the defrosting assembly 30 and dashboard assembly 40 in a concealed defrosting duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The grille 331 is spaced apart from the windshield 20 to create an airflow duct between them. The defrosting cover 34 and the upper surface of the dashboard assembly 40 are on the same smooth plane, and the included angle between the grille 331 and the defrosting cover 34 is an obtuse angle, so that occupants in the driver's or passenger's seat cannot directly see the grille 331 and its air outlet 3311. Compared to the air outlet 3311 exposed on the upper surface of the dashboard in conventional solutions, the air outlet 3311 of the defrosting assembly 30 in this application is positioned more aesthetically pleasing. In the prior art, the air vents 3311 located on the upper surface of the dashboard create an image on the windshield 20 that severely obstructs the driver's view. However, the air vents of the defrosting assembly 30 in this application are located on the side of the defrosting body 33 close to the windshield 20. Therefore, the images of the grille 331 and air vents 3311 on the windshield 20 will not appear within the range visible to the human eye, thus improving driving safety. In the prior art using air vents on the upper surface of the dashboard, to solve the problem of the air vents 3311 obstructing the driver's view on the windshield 20, a fabric covering is installed at the air vent. However, this structure places high demands on the performance of the air conditioning unit 10 and the ventilation performance of the fabric covering, significantly increasing production costs. This application uses air vents 3311 located on the grille 331 near the windshield 20 for defrosting airflow. The grille 331 is not visible to passengers during normal driving, making the overall design aesthetically pleasing. This application not only solves the safety problem of the air vents 3311 affecting the driver's driving due to their image on the windshield 20, but also offers lower cost and better defrosting performance compared to the solution of using fabric coverings for the air vents 3311.

[0034] Furthermore, the defrosting reinforcement plate 31 and the air guide plate 32 are fixed to the instrument panel assembly 40 by screw connection to prevent airflow leakage from the connection point in the defrosting air duct 301 and the air duct of the instrument panel assembly 40, thereby improving the airflow delivery efficiency and thus improving the defrosting efficiency.

[0035] Continue reading Figure 3In this application, the air outlet 3311 of the defrosting body 33 is located on the side of the grille 331 facing the windshield 20. The grille 331 and the windshield 20 are spaced apart. Compared with the air outlet structure on the upper surface of the dashboard in the prior art, the air outlet 3311 of this application is closer to the windshield 20. The airflow direction is further restricted by the air guide channel, so that more airflow acts on the windshield 20 to achieve a better defrosting effect. Furthermore, the distance between the grille 331 and the windshield 20 is between 3-7mm, preferably 5mm. In this embodiment, the grille 331 has 12 pairs of symmetrically arranged air outlets 3311, totaling 24. Optionally, more or fewer than 24 air outlets 3311 may be provided depending on the size of the vehicle and the performance of the air conditioning unit 10, which is not limited here. This application uses a grille plate 331 with multiple air outlets 3311 to discharge airflow in the defrosting air duct 301. Compared with the grille plate 331 with a completely open surface in the prior art, the airflow from the air outlets 3311 in a relatively small area has a faster flow rate, so as to achieve a better defrosting effect.

[0036] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 The cross-sectional view at point AA shows that the dashboard assembly 40 includes: a dashboard air inlet 41, air vent valves 42, a dashboard upper air duct 43, and a dashboard lower air duct 44. The dashboard air inlet 41 at the lower end of the air duct within the dashboard assembly 40 is connected to the air conditioning unit 10. The air duct within the dashboard assembly 40 is equipped with at least two air vent valves 42, which are used to control the opening and closing states of the dashboard upper air duct 43, the dashboard lower air duct 44, and the defrost air duct 301 leading to the defrost assembly 30. The dashboard upper air duct 43 is connected to the upper air vent of the dashboard assembly 40, with the airflow direction directed towards the upper body of the occupant; the dashboard lower air duct 44 is connected to the lower air vent of the dashboard assembly 40, with the airflow direction directed towards the feet of the occupant.

[0037] Continue reading Figure 4The lower end of the defrost reinforcement plate 31 is connected to the dashboard assembly 40, and the air guide plate 32 is also connected to the dashboard assembly 40. The air guide plate 32 is positioned above the defrost reinforcement plate 31, and the two sides of the defrost reinforcement plate 31 are connected to the two sides of the air guide plate 32. The cavity between the defrost reinforcement plate 31 and the air guide plate 32 is the defrost air duct 301. The upper body of the defrost is installed above the air guide plate 32. The position of the upper body of the defrost 33 facing the windshield 20 from the defrost air duct 301 is the grille plate 331. The upper and lower ends of the grille plate 331 are connected to the air guide plate 32 and the defrost reinforcement plate 31, respectively. The grille plate 331 is spaced apart from the windshield 20, and the air guide duct is formed between the grille plate 331 and the windshield 20. The defrosting duct 301, formed by the defrosting reinforcement plate 31 and the air guide plate 32, has a vertical cross-section that gradually narrows towards the windshield 20. This gradually narrowing shape of the defrosting duct 301 increases the airflow velocity as it flows through it, allowing the air to exit through the air outlet 3311 on the grille plate 331 at a higher velocity, thus achieving a better defrosting effect. In the vertical cross-section of the defrosting duct 301, the angle between the air outlet direction at the end of the defrosting duct 301 and the windshield 20 is α, ranging from 35° to 45°. This ensures that the airflow in the defrosting duct 301 smoothly enters the air guide duct, preventing the airflow from directly hitting the windshield 20 and causing kinetic energy loss, which would reduce airflow velocity and improve defrosting performance. Preferably, the angle between the air outlet direction at the end of the defrosting duct 301 and the windshield 20 is 42°.

[0038] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 The enlarged schematic diagram at point B shows that the grille plate 331 includes: an air outlet 3311, a guide plate 3312 connected to the air guide plate 32, and a connecting plate 3314 connected to the defrost reinforcement plate 31. The connecting plate 3314 is fitted to the windshield 20 to increase the contact area between the connecting plate 3314 and the windshield 20, thereby improving the reliability of the connection. A sealing element 332 is also provided between the connecting plate 3314 and the windshield 20. The sealing element 332 improves the reliability of the connection between the connecting plate 3314 and the windshield 20, while also improving the sealing performance of the defrost duct 301 and the air guide duct, preventing airflow from escaping from the defrost duct 301 and the air guide duct, and preventing a decrease in airflow velocity, which would lead to poor defrosting performance. The main body of the deflector plate 3312 is set parallel to the windshield 20 so that the defrosting airflow blown out from the air outlet 3311 on the grille plate 331 can maintain a relatively stable flow state, avoiding eddies or flow interruptions in the air outlet channel, which would cause the air outlet channel to be disordered and thus result in poor defrosting effect.

[0039] Continue reading Figure 5 The upper edge of the deflector 3312 has a folded edge 3313 that bends towards the windshield 20. The defrost duct 301 delivers airflow to the windshield 20, and the extension direction of the deflector duct is parallel to the windshield 20, causing the airflow to move upwards along the windshield. However, due to the Coanda effect, the airflow near the deflector 3312 moves along the surface of the deflector 3312 to its edge, preventing the airflow from moving entirely along the glass and thus failing to meet the defrost performance requirements. The folded edge 3313 set at the upper edge of the air deflector 3312 guides the airflow on the side of the air duct near the air deflector 3312, so that the airflow on the side near the air deflector 3312 blows out towards the windshield 20, reducing the downward flow of air on the surface of the windshield 20, while preventing some airflow from being diverted along the surface of the air deflector 3312 due to the Coanda effect until the edge of the air deflector 3312, and preventing most of the airflow from moving towards the defrosting area.

[0040] Further, the angle between the folded edge 3313 and the windshield 20 is angle β, and the angle β ranges from 20° to 35.2°. Further, the angle β of the folded edge 3313 at the center of the grille 331 is smaller than the angle β of the folded edges 3313 at both sides of the grille 331, and the angle β of the folded edge 3313 gradually increases from the center of the grille 331 to the sides. Preferably, the angle β of the folded edge 3313 at the center of the grille 331 is 20°, and the angle of the folded edges 3313 at both ends of the grille 331 is 35.2°. Further, the length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge 3313 is between 1 and 2.5 mm. Further, the length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge 3313 gradually decreases from the center of the grille 331 to the sides. Preferably, the length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge 3313 at the center of the grating plate 331 is 2.5 mm, and the length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edges 3313 at both ends of the grating plate 331 is 1 mm.

[0041] Because the defrost air inlet 311 of the defrost reinforcement plate 31 is located in the center, the airflow rate and velocity in the air duct near the center are higher than those in the air ducts on both sides. Since the target area for defrosting that the driver needs is mainly in the middle of the windshield 20, for the airflow with a larger flow rate and velocity in the middle, a folded edge 3313 structure with a smaller included angle α and a longer length is adopted. For the airflow with a smaller flow rate and velocity on both sides, a folded edge 3313 structure with a larger included angle α and a shorter length is adopted. This balances the defrosting effect of this application on the middle and sides of the windshield 20, and avoids the situation where only a part of the windshield 20 is defrosted, which would reduce driving safety.

[0042] Furthermore, the edge 3313 has a rounded corner on the side away from the air outlet 3311, with a radius of 0.3 mm. The smaller radius of the rounded corner can reduce the Coanda effect of airflow on the edge surface of the edge 3313, thereby increasing the flow rate and velocity of the airflow blowing from the air outlet duct toward the windshield 20, and further improving the defrosting effect of this application.

[0043] This application features a folded edge 3313 on the edge of the air deflector 3312, bending towards the windshield 20. This guides the airflow in the air duct while preventing airflow near the edge of the air deflector 3312 from moving along its edge due to the Coanda effect, which would result in insufficient airflow and velocity towards the windshield 20, failing to meet defrosting performance requirements. This application avoids the need for additional air outlets at the defrost cover 34, as is typically done in existing technologies to address airflow drop, simplifying the structure and reducing production costs.

[0044] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0045] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A concealed defrosting air duct structure, characterized in that, The concealed defrosting duct structure includes: The defrosting reinforcement plate is equipped with a defrosting air inlet; An air guide plate is disposed above the defrosting reinforcement plate. The air guide plate and the defrosting reinforcement plate surround each other to form a defrosting air duct. The defrosting air duct is connected to the defrosting air inlet and extends towards the windshield. The defrosting upper body is connected to the defrosting reinforcement plate and the air guide plate. The defrosting upper body includes a grille plate spaced apart from the windshield. The grille plate is located at one end of the defrosting air duct near the windshield. The grille plate has a plurality of air outlets connected to the defrosting air duct. The grille plate includes a guide plate connected to the air guide plate. The edge of the guide plate away from the air outlets has a folded edge that bends toward the windshield. The length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge gradually decreases from the center to both sides, and the angle β between the folded edge and the windshield gradually increases from the center to both sides.

2. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-section of the deflector in the vertical direction is parallel to that of the windshield.

3. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the vertical cross-section of the folded edge is between 1 and 2.5 mm.

4. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the grille and the windshield is between 3 and 7 mm.

5. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the folded edge and the windshield is called angle β, and the angle β ranges from 20° to 35.2°.

6. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the folded edge away from the air outlet is rounded, and the radius of the rounded corner is 0.3mm.

7. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The defrosting duct is a cavity shape that tapers towards the windshield.

8. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the air outlet direction of the defrosting duct and the windshield is called angle α, and the angle α is between 35° and 45°.

9. The concealed defrosting duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The grille also includes a connecting plate connected to the defrosting reinforcement plate. The connecting plate is fitted to the windshield, and a sealing element is provided between the connecting plate and the windshield.

10. A car, characterized in that, The concealed defrosting duct structure includes any one of claims 1-9.

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