Blow molding air pipe assembly and forming installation method of air pipe assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a blow molding air pipe assembly and a forming and installing method of the air pipe assembly. The air pipe assembly comprises an air pipe body, and a clamping groove and an installing support are formed on the side face of the periphery of the air pipe body; and in an assembly state, the mounting bracket is folded towards the clamping groove, so that the middle part of the mounting bracket is clamped in the clamping groove, and the free end of the mounting bracket moves from one side of the clamping groove to the other side of the clamping groove. The clamping groove and the mounting support are formed in the air pipe body in the blow molding process, when the air pipe assembly is mounted, the mounting support can be folded into the clamping groove, the clamping groove clamps and fixes the mounting support, the defect that blow molding cannot be achieved due to the fact that the position of the mounting support is limited in the prior art is overcome, and the problem that production efficiency is low in the prior art is solved. In addition, due to the fact that the installation support and the air pipe body are formed together through blow molding, when the air pipe assembly is installed, the installation support is folded into the clamping groove, and then the installation support can be clamped and fixed, development cost is saved, and assembling is convenient and efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automobile interior decoration products, and in particular to a blow-molded air duct assembly and a molding and installation method of the air duct assembly. Background Art

[0002] Existing automobiles are generally equipped with multiple air inlet and outlet duct systems. For example, an air duct needs to be set between the supercharger and the intercooler of the engine, and an air duct needs to be set between the automobile air-conditioning system and each air outlet inside the car. However, for fixing the air duct, a mounting bracket is generally welded on the outer peripheral side of the air duct, and the air duct is fixed to other components through the mounting bracket, thereby achieving the fixation of the air duct.

[0003] An integrated pipeline is designed in the prior art, and the integrated pipeline includes a ventilation pipe, an air intake pipe, a first bracket and a second bracket, and the first bracket includes a first connecting portion and a first fixing portion connected to the first connecting portion. The bracket of the integrated pipeline has a first connecting portion that is welded to the ventilation pipe or the air intake pipe, and a first fixing hole is provided on the first fixing portion, and the first fixing hole is, for example, a bolt hole. The first bracket can be fixed to the engine through a fixing member that matches the first fixing hole, so that the air intake pipe or the ventilation pipe can be fixed to the engine. The bracket of the integrated pipeline is connected and fixed to the air duct by welding. This fixing method takes a long time in actual construction, and has high welding requirements. It is easy to cause problems such as perforation of the air duct during the welding process, and there is a problem of inconvenient processing.

[0004] For blow-molded air ducts, the prior art generally uses a blow-molding mold to integrally mold the mounting bracket and the air duct. This method of molding the air duct and the mounting bracket through a mold also has some disadvantages. The mounting bracket is generally set in an L shape. Due to the variable position of the mounting bracket, it is necessary to set the mounting bracket on the left or right side of the air duct according to the needs. When the mounting bracket cannot be directly molded by the blow-molding mold due to the mold ejection direction problem (the mold ejection direction makes it impossible to mold the mounting bracket on the left side of the air duct), the air duct and the mounting bracket need to be separately injection molded, and then the mounting bracket is welded to the air duct. This solution requires the preparation of two sets of injection molds and an additional welding process, which increases the development cost of the blow-molded air duct and reduces the processing efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a blow-molded air duct assembly, which improves the structure of the air duct assembly and the air duct so that the air duct assembly can be fixed on one side of the air duct, thereby solving the problems of high development cost and low processing efficiency in the past.

[0006] The present invention also provides a molding and installation method for an air duct assembly, which has not only low development cost but also high assembly efficiency.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention discloses a blow-molded air duct assembly, comprising an air duct body, wherein a card slot and a mounting bracket are formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the air duct body, wherein the card slot and the mounting bracket are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the air duct body, and the connecting end of the mounting bracket is connected to the outer peripheral side surface of the air duct body, wherein the air duct body, the card slot and the mounting bracket are blow-molded as a whole, and the connecting portion between the mounting bracket and the air duct body is a deformable weakened portion;

[0008] In the assembled state, the mounting bracket is folded toward the slot so that the mounting bracket is held in the slot, and the free end of the mounting bracket moves from one side of the slot to the other side of the slot.

[0009] Wherein, the connection end of the mounting bracket is connected to the air duct body through a connecting portion, and a weakening groove is provided at the connection between the connecting portion and the mounting bracket.

[0010] Wherein, the mounting bracket, the connecting portion and the air duct body are blow-molded in one piece.

[0011] Wherein, a hook portion is extended from the upper ends of the two slot walls of the slot toward the middle of the slot, and when the mounting bracket is clamped in the slot, the hook portion is clamped on the top of the mounting bracket.

[0012] Among them, the slot width of the card slot gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0013] The bottom surface of the slot is formed with a groove, and the bottom surface of the mounting bracket is formed with a convex portion. In the assembled state, the convex portion is placed in the groove.

[0014] A first mounting portion is extended outward from the free end of the mounting bracket, and at least one first mounting hole is formed in the first mounting portion. A second mounting portion is extended outward from the middle portion of the mounting bracket, and at least one second mounting hole is formed in the second mounting portion.

[0015] The middle part of the bottom surface of the slot is raised with an arched portion, and when the mounting bracket is clamped in the slot, the arched portion presses against the bottom surface of the mounting bracket, so that the top of the mounting bracket presses against the hook portion.

[0016] The present invention discloses a molding and installation method of an air duct assembly, wherein an air duct body and an installation bracket are blow-molded as a whole, and a connecting end of the installation bracket is connected to an outer peripheral side surface of the air duct body, and a card slot is formed on the outer peripheral side surface of the air duct body;

[0017] The free end of the mounting bracket is folded toward the direction of the slot so that the mounting bracket is clamped in the slot, and the free end of the mounting bracket moves from one side of the slot to the other side of the slot.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] (1) A slot and a mounting bracket are formed on the air duct body during the blow molding process. When installing the air duct assembly, the mounting bracket can be folded into the slot, and the slot holds and fixes the mounting bracket so that the free end of the mounting bracket moves from one side of the slot to the other side of the slot, thereby solving the problem that blow molding cannot be performed due to position restrictions on the mounting bracket, simplifying the production process of the air duct, improving production efficiency, and solving the problem of low production efficiency in the past;

[0020] (2) The mounting bracket and the duct body can be blow molded together, replacing the previous structure of using two sets of independent injection molds to form them separately and then weld them. This saves development costs, shortens the production time of the duct assembly, has good economic benefits, and is easy and efficient to assemble. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air duct body and the mounting bracket in the blow-molded state from the front oblique upper perspective of the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the air duct body and the mounting bracket in an assembled state in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the air duct body and the mounting bracket in the embodiment from a rear perspective in a blow-molded state;

[0025] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the air duct body in the embodiment from other angles of view in the blow-molded state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, mechanism, product, or server that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products, or servers.

[0028] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0029] The present invention discloses a specific implementation of a blow molded air duct assembly, see Figure 1 The blow-molded air duct assembly includes an air duct body 1, and a slot 2 and a connecting portion 3 are formed on the outer peripheral side of the air duct body 1. The slot 2 and the connecting portion 3 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the air duct body 1. The connecting portion 3 can be located on the left or right side of the slot 2, and can be selectively set according to the demolding direction of the blow mold, as long as the connecting portion 3 does not affect the normal demolding of the air duct body 1.

[0030] Figure 1 The duct body 1 is in a state after blow molding. In this embodiment, one side of the connection part 3 is fixedly connected to the outer peripheral side of the duct body 1, that is, the connection part 3 and the duct body 1 are integrally formed by blow molding, and the other side of the connection part 3 is provided with a mounting bracket 4, and the bottom end of the mounting bracket 4 is fixedly connected to the connection part 3. It can be understood that the duct body 1, the connection part 3 and the mounting bracket 4 are integrally formed by blow molding.

[0031] Figure 2 The air duct body 1 in the figure is in the assembled state, see Figure 1 and Figure 2The mounting bracket 4 uses the connection between its bottom end and the connecting portion 3 as a hinge point and is folded toward the inner side of the slot 2 so that the middle of the mounting bracket 4 is clamped in the slot 2, and the free end of the mounting bracket 4 moves from one side of the slot 2 to the other side corresponding to the slot 2. It should be noted that the free end of the mounting bracket 4 is a working end that is detachably connected to an external component (such as a vehicle frame, an instrument panel, an engine housing, a central control box, etc.). In this embodiment, due to the limitation of the demoulding direction, see Figure 1 , under the premise that the mounting bracket 4 can only be formed on the right side of the air duct body 1, by folding the mounting bracket 4, the working end of the mounting bracket 4 can be moved to the left side of the air duct body 1, and the mounting bracket 4 is fixed by the clamping slot 2, eliminating the previous fixing method of welding, simplifying the production process of the air duct. In addition, the length of the middle part of the mounting bracket 4 can be greater than or equal to the length of the clamping slot 2, and can be selectively set according to actual needs. The middle part of the mounting bracket 4 can be partially inserted into the clamping slot 2, as long as the mounting bracket 4 can be firmly clamped in the clamping slot 2.

[0032] In order to make the folding of the mounting bracket 4 smoother and more labor-saving and less likely to damage the mounting bracket 4, in this embodiment, see Figure 3 , a weakened groove 31 is provided at the connection between the connection part 3 and the mounting bracket 4. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the weakened groove 31 is semicircular. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the weakened groove 31 can also be one of a triangle, a rectangle, a polygon or other irregular shapes. The weakened groove 31 mainly reduces the thickness of the connection between the connection part 3 and the mounting bracket 4, making the part of the connection between the two easier to deform. It can be understood that the connection part 3 and the mounting bracket 4 are fixedly connected by a thin-walled structure (sheet body). The depth of the weakened groove 31 can be selectively set according to actual needs. It can be designed that after the mounting bracket 4 is folded, the mounting bracket 4 is separated from the connection part 3, or it can be designed that after the mounting bracket 4 is folded, the mounting bracket 4 and the connection part 3 remain connected. The main function of the weakened groove 31 is to save effort and guide, making the folding more precise and smooth.

[0033] In the present invention, see Figures 1 to 4 , the slot wall of the card slot 2 extends a hook portion 21 toward the inner side of the card slot 2. In this embodiment, the left and right slot walls of the card slot 2 are both formed with hook portions 21. In other embodiments, the hook portion 21 can also be set on only one of the slot walls, that is, the hook portion 21 is set on one side of the card slot 2. The hook portion 21 can mainly hold the mounting bracket 4 firmly in the card slot 2. The shape of the hook portion 21 can be set according to needs. In this embodiment, please see Figure 4There are two hook portions 21, which are respectively formed on the left and right groove walls of the slot 2, so that the entire slot 2 is arranged in a dovetail shape. When the mounting bracket 4 is inserted into the dovetail-shaped slot 2, the slot 2 can limit the freedom of the mounting bracket 4 in the vertical direction, preventing the mounting bracket 4 from escaping from the slot 2, thereby improving the fixing effect of the mounting bracket 4 and making the mounting bracket 4 firmly held in the slot 2.

[0034] In addition, the vertical distance between the lowest point of the hook portion 21 and the bottom of the slot 2 can be equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the mounting bracket 4, which can further enhance the clamping effect of the slot 2 on the mounting bracket 4. The width of the mounting bracket 4 can be equal to or slightly less than the width of the slot 2, which can effectively limit the lateral movement of the mounting bracket 4 and further enhance the clamping effect.

[0035] In other embodiments, the hook portion 21 can be designed into different shapes. For example, the hook portion 21 can be designed into an inverted right triangle. After the hook portion 21 is formed on the slot wall of the slot 2, the slot width of the slot 2 gradually increases from top to bottom. Similarly, the mounting bracket 4 can be held in the slot 2 through an interference fit. The smaller slot opening of the slot 2 can prevent the mounting bracket 4 from falling out.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 In order to further limit the mounting bracket 4, a groove 22 is formed at one end of the bottom of the slot 2, and the groove 22 is located at the end of the bottom of the slot 2 away from the mounting bracket 4. In some embodiments, the groove 22 can be located at the end of the bottom of the slot 2 close to the mounting bracket 4. Correspondingly, a convex portion 43 protruding toward the slot 2 is formed in the middle of the mounting bracket 4. In the assembled state, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, one end of the convex portion 43 close to the card slot 2 is placed in the groove 22. The cooperation between one end of the convex portion 43 and the groove 22 can limit the displacement of the mounting bracket 4 in the length direction of the air duct body 1, that is, the movement in the left and right directions; the cooperation between one end of the convex portion 43 and the groove 22, combined with the connection and fixation between the connecting portion 3 and the mounting bracket 4, can limit the displacement of the mounting bracket 4 in the direction perpendicular to the length of the air duct body 1, that is, the movement in the front and back directions, so that the movement of the mounting bracket 4 can be further limited, ensuring that the card slot 2 has sufficient strength to hold the mounting bracket 4. In addition, the convex portion 43 also plays the role of a reinforcing rib, which can improve the structural strength of the mounting bracket 4 itself.

[0037] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2A first mounting portion 41 is extended outward from the free end of the mounting bracket 4, and two first mounting holes are provided in the first mounting portion 41. A second mounting portion 42 is extended outward from the middle portion of the mounting bracket 4, and a second mounting hole is provided in the second mounting portion 42. The number of the first mounting holes and the number of the second mounting holes can be selectively designed according to needs. The structural shapes of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can be selectively set according to needs. The first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 are mainly used for detachable connection with external components, and the external components can be a vehicle frame, an instrument panel, an engine casing, a central control box, etc.

[0038] As a preferred solution, Figure 1 and Figure 4 , the bottom of the slot 2 extends upwardly to form an arched portion 23, and the arched portion 23 extends to the groove 22 away from one end of the mounting bracket 4. The middle part of the arched portion 23 bulges upwardly, and the left and right parts of the arched portion 23 are lower than the middle part of the arched portion 23 in the height direction. When the mounting bracket 4 is placed in the slot 2, the middle part of the arched portion 23 that bulges upwardly will press against the bottom surface of the mounting bracket 4 upwardly, exerting an upward force on the bottom surface of the mounting bracket 4. Since the left and right parts of the mounting bracket 4 are respectively clamped with the corresponding hook parts 21, the left and right parts of the mounting bracket 4 will be deformed downwardly in a small range, so that the bottom surface of the mounting bracket 4 can be transformed from a plane into an arc surface with a certain concave arc, so that the left and right parts of the mounting bracket 4 are respectively clamped at the hook parts 21 on the left and right sides of the slot 2, and the up and down movement of the mounting bracket 4 is further limited, so as to ensure the reliability and stability of the connection between the mounting bracket 4 and the air duct body 1.

[0039] The air duct assembly of this embodiment forms the card slot 2 and the mounting bracket 4 during the blow molding process of the air duct. When installing the air duct, the mounting bracket 4 can be folded into the card slot 2, and the card slot 2 clamps and fixes the mounting bracket 4 so that the free end of the mounting bracket 4 moves from one side of the card slot 2 to the other side of the card slot 2, thereby solving the problem that the blow molding cannot be performed due to the position limitation of the mounting bracket 4 in the past, simplifying the production process of the air duct, improving the production efficiency, and solving the problem of low production efficiency in the past. The mounting bracket 4 and the air duct can be blow molded together, replacing the previous structure of using two sets of independent injection molds to form and then weld them separately, saving development costs, shortening the production time of the air duct, and having good economic benefits.

[0040] The molding and installation method of the air duct assembly of the present invention is to form the air duct body 1 and the mounting bracket 4 by blow molding, and the connecting end of the mounting bracket 4 is connected to the outer peripheral side of the air duct body 1, and the outer peripheral side of the air duct body 1 is also formed with a slot 2. By forming the air duct body 1 and the mounting bracket 4 by blow molding, the structure of using two sets of independent injection molds to form and then weld them is replaced, which saves development costs, shortens the production time of the air duct assembly, and has good economic benefits.

[0041] When the air duct assembly is assembled, the free end of the mounting bracket 4 is folded toward the slot 2, so that the mounting bracket 4 can be clamped in the slot 2, that is, the free end of the mounting bracket 4 moves from one side of the slot 2 to the other side of the slot 2. This installation method is simple, convenient, efficient and fast.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the blow-molded air duct assembly disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments can still be modified, or some of the technical features therein can be replaced by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A blow molded air duct assembly, characterized in that: The air duct body comprises an air duct body, wherein a slot and a mounting bracket are formed on the outer peripheral side of the air duct body, the slot and the mounting bracket are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the air duct body, the connecting end of the mounting bracket is connected to the outer peripheral side of the air duct body, the air duct body, the slot and the mounting bracket are blow-molded as a whole, and the connection between the mounting bracket and the air duct body is a deformable weakened part; In the assembled state, the mounting bracket is folded toward the slot so that the mounting bracket is held in the slot, and the free end of the mounting bracket moves from one side of the slot to the other side of the slot.

2. A blow molded air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting end of the mounting bracket is connected to the air duct body through a connecting portion, and a weakening groove is provided at the connection between the connecting portion and the mounting bracket.

3. A blow molded air duct assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting bracket, the connecting portion and the air duct body are blow-molded as a whole.

4. A blow molded air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A hook portion extends from the upper ends of the two slot walls of the slot toward the middle of the slot, and when the mounting bracket is clamped in the slot, the hook portion is clamped on the mounting bracket.

5. A blow molded air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The slot width of the card slot increases gradually from top to bottom.

6. A blow molded air duct assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A groove is formed on the bottom surface of the slot, and a convex portion is formed on the bottom surface of the mounting bracket. In an assembled state, the convex portion is placed in the groove.

7. A blow molded air duct assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The groove is located at the end or the beginning of the groove bottom surface of the card slot.

8. A blow molded air duct assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first mounting portion is extended outward from the free end of the mounting bracket, and at least one first mounting hole is defined in the first mounting portion. A second mounting portion is extended outward from the middle portion of the mounting bracket, and at least one second mounting hole is defined in the second mounting portion.

9. A blow molded air duct assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: An arched portion bulges upward from the middle of the bottom surface of the slot, and when the mounting bracket is clamped in the slot, the arched portion presses against the bottom surface of the mounting bracket upward, so that the top surface of the mounting bracket presses against the hook portion.

10. A molding and installation method for an air duct assembly, characterized in that: The air duct body and the mounting bracket are blow-molded as one piece, and the connecting end of the mounting bracket is connected to the outer peripheral side surface of the air duct body, and the outer peripheral side surface of the air duct body is also formed with a card slot; The free end of the mounting bracket is folded toward the direction of the slot so that the mounting bracket is clamped in the slot, and the free end of the mounting bracket moves from one side of the slot to the other side of the slot.

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