Instrument panel structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide an instrument panel part structure for a vehicle, which can improve the appearance of an air blow-out port for air-conditioning and suppress a part of the air blow-out port for air-conditioning from becoming a projected part on an outer surface of an instrument panel part with a simple structure.SOLUTION: An instrument panel part structure A for a vehicle comprises: an instrument panel part 2 provided on a front part of a cabin 1; an article insertion part 3 provided in the instrument panel part 2 so that an opening 30 can open facing the cabin 1 side, having a recessed part 31 recessed from a forming place of the opening 30 to the vehicle front side, and provided with an article disposing region 31a in the recessed part 31; and an air blow-out port 4 for air-conditioning provided in the instrument panel part 2. At least a part of the air blow-out port 4 for air-conditioning is positioned in the recessed part 31 of the article insertion part 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an instrument panel structure for a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] Specific examples of the structure of a vehicle instrument panel include those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In the structures described in these documents, an air outlet for air conditioning and a storage compartment are provided in an instrument panel located at the front of the vehicle interior. When an item is placed in the storage compartment, the air blown out from the air outlet for air conditioning can be made to act on the item. This makes it possible to cool or warm the item by using the air blown out for air conditioning, which is rational.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have room for improvement, as described below.

[0004] That is, the air outlet for air conditioning is provided in a state where almost the entirety is exposed on the outer surface of the instrument panel. Therefore, burrs on the air outlet for air conditioning are completely visible, which does not look very good. In addition, there is a risk that some of the components of the air outlet for air conditioning (such as edges) will become protrusions on the outer surface of the instrument panel. The presence of such protrusions is undesirable from the viewpoint of protecting occupants in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. In order to prevent the occurrence of such protrusions as much as possible, it is necessary to pay great attention to the design and manufacture of the air outlet for air conditioning, which is disadvantageous in terms of manufacturing costs and productivity. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, a specific opening and closing door is used as a structure for applying conditioned air to the items placed in the storage section, which results in a complex overall structure, poor productivity, and high manufacturing costs. On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, since an object is positioned in front of the air outlet for air conditioning, it is possible to simplify the overall structure compared to Patent Document 1. However, in Patent Document 2, the air blown out from the air outlet for air conditioning may hit an object, disturbing the flow of the air, which may make it difficult to efficiently blow air to the intended location. In addition, the appearance of an object positioned in front of the air outlet for air conditioning is not very attractive. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-186779 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-153222 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention was devised under the circumstances described above, and its object is to provide a vehicle instrument panel structure that improves the appearance of the air conditioning air outlet and can appropriately prevent part of the air conditioning air outlet from becoming a protrusion on the outer surface of the instrument panel with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0008] The instrument panel structure of a vehicle provided by the present invention comprises an instrument panel provided at the front of a passenger compartment, a storage section provided in the instrument panel section with an opening facing the passenger compartment and having a recessed portion recessed toward the front of the vehicle from the formation of the opening, with an item placement area provided within the recessed portion, and an air outlet for air conditioning provided in the instrument panel section, wherein at least a portion of the air outlet for air conditioning is located within the recessed portion of the storage section.

[0009] According to this configuration, the following effects can be obtained. Since at least a portion of the air outlet for air conditioning is located within the recessed portion of the storage compartment, the entire air outlet for air conditioning is prevented from being exposed on the outer surface of the instrument panel, and for example, burrs on the air outlet for air conditioning are prevented from becoming noticeable, thereby improving the appearance. In addition, the portion of the air outlet for air conditioning that is located in the recessed portion of the storage compartment is not directly exposed to the outer surface of the instrument panel. This reduces the risk that a part of the air outlet for air conditioning (such as an edge portion) will become a protrusion on the outer surface of the instrument panel. As a result, it is possible to improve the occupant protection performance in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. As described in the Background section, in order to prevent the occurrence of such protrusions as much as possible, great care must be taken in the design and manufacture of the air outlet for air conditioning, but the present invention can reduce such necessity, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing costs and productivity. Another important effect of the present invention is that when air is blown out from the air outlet for air conditioning into the vehicle interior, the negative suction pressure caused by the air blown out acts on the item placement area in the recess of the storage compartment, making it possible to exhaust the air present in the item placement area in the recess into the vehicle interior, thereby making it possible to prevent, for example, hot air from building up in the item placement area.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the entire air outlet portion for air conditioning is located within the recessed portion of the storage portion.

[0011] This configuration thoroughly prevents the edges of the air outlet for the air conditioner from being exposed on the outer surface of the instrument panel, which is advantageous in terms of improving the appearance and reducing the manufacturing costs of the instrument panel and the air outlet for the air conditioner.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the air conditioning duct section for supplying air for conditioning to the air conditioning air outlet section is arranged so that at least a portion of the air conditioning duct section is close to the wall section forming the item placement area, and a ventilation hole section is provided in a portion of the wall section facing and close to the air conditioning duct section, which allows air surrounding the air conditioning duct section to flow into the item placement area within the recessed section.

[0013] According to this configuration, the following effects can be obtained. First, when air is blown out from the air-conditioning air outlet into the vehicle interior, the air around the air-conditioning duct flows into the item placement area in the recess of the storage compartment through the ventilation holes, facilitating the replacement of air in the item placement area. Secondly, the air around the air conditioning duct is cooled (or Therefore, by allowing the surrounding air to flow into the area in the recess in which the item is placed, the surrounding air can be used to cool (or heat) the item.

[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main portion showing an example of an instrument panel structure for a vehicle according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an item storage box used in the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] The vehicle instrument panel structure A shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes an instrument panel 2 provided at the front of a vehicle interior 1, a storage section 3, and an air outlet section 4 for air conditioning.

[0018] The instrument panel section 2 is configured using an instrument panel 20 made of resin or the like, but also includes other panels attached to the instrument panel 20. The instrument panel section 2 has a center cluster section C. The center cluster section C has a panel 21 (a part of the instrument panel 20, or a panel replacing the same) that is located approximately in the center in the vehicle width direction and stands upright in the vertical direction with or without being inclined.

[0019] The storage section 3 is a section for storing desired items 9 such as a smartphone, and is provided in the center cluster section C. This storage section 3 has an opening 30 that opens toward the vehicle interior 1, and has a recessed section 31 that is recessed toward the front of the vehicle from the formation position of the opening 30. In other words, the recessed section 31 is a section that is recessed toward the front of the vehicle further than the panel 21 of the center cluster section C.

[0020] The storage section 3 is configured using an item storage box B shown in Fig. 3. The item storage box B is configured by combining a box main body member 50, an upper cover member 51 (light black portion), and an attachment frame 52 (halftone dot portion). The item storage box B has an upper wall portion 55a, left and right side wall portions 55b, a bottom wall portion 55c, and a rear wall portion 55d located at the rear portion on the front side of the vehicle, and defines an item placement area 31a as a concave space surrounded by these. This item placement area 31a is a part of the concave portion 31 of the storage section 3. An opening portion 53 communicating with the item placement area 31a is formed between an upper edge portion 52a and a lower edge portion 50a of the front portion (vehicle compartment 1 side) of the item placement area 31a.

[0021] 2, a cordless type charger 6 for a smartphone is installed on the bottom wall 55c. When a smartphone is inserted as an item 9 into the storage section 3 (in the recessed section 31), the smartphone is placed on the charger 6 and can be charged. The bottom wall 55c is provided with an opening 56 for wiring the charger 6, etc.

[0022] The item storage box B is aligned so that its opening 53 coincides with the opening 30 of the center cluster section C, and is attached to the rear side of the panel 21 of the center cluster section C (the front of the vehicle). The mounting frame 52 is attached to the left and right sides of the lower edge 50a of the box body member 50. This mounting is achieved by fixing and connecting the upper part of the mounting frame 52 and both left and right sides of the lower edge 50a of the box body member 50 to the mounting portions 70, 71 of the panel 21. Although a screw body 79 is used as the fixing and connecting means in the drawings, this is not limited to this and other fixing means such as an engagement clip may be used.

[0023] The air outlet section 4 for air conditioning is arranged, for example, in two parts, left and right, as shown in Fig. 1, and is provided with vertical louvers 41 and horizontal louvers 42 as shown in Fig. 2. This air outlet section 4 for air conditioning is configured using, for example, a short cylindrical housing member 40 that is inserted and connected to the air conditioning duct section 8. The terminal opening of the housing member 40 and its vicinity constitute the air outlet section 4 for air conditioning. This air outlet 4 for air conditioning is attached so that its entirety is located within the recess 31 of the storage section 3. This attachment is achieved, for example, by fixedly connecting an upper portion to a mounting portion 72 on the back side of the panel 21 and fixedly connecting a lower portion to the upper edge 52a of the item storage box B.

[0024] The air conditioning duct 8 is a duct for supplying conditioned air to the air conditioning air outlet 4, and at least a part of it is disposed close to the upper wall 55a of the storage section 3 (item storage box B). At least one ventilation hole 57 is provided in a portion of the upper wall 55a facing and close to the air conditioning duct 8, which allows the air around the air conditioning duct 8 to flow into the item placement area 31a in the recess 31. This ventilation hole 57 is preferably provided at the connection point between the top cover member 51 and the mounting frame 52 of the item storage box B in Fig. 3. More specifically, the portions forming the top wall portion 55a of the top cover member 51 and the mounting frame 52 are connected in a butted state at one end thereof, and a notched recess is formed in one or both of the one ends. This notched recess serves as the ventilation hole 57. However, instead of this, a general through hole may be provided in an appropriate location of the top wall portion 55a, and this may serve as the ventilation hole 57.

[0025] Next, the operation of the above-mentioned vehicle instrument panel structure A will be described.

[0026] The entire air outlet 4 for air conditioning is located within the recess 31 of the storage section 3. This prevents the air outlet 4 for air conditioning from being conspicuously exposed on the outer surface of the instrument panel section 2, thereby improving the appearance. It is also possible to eliminate the risk that a part (such as an edge) of the air outlet 4 for air conditioning will become a protrusion on the outer surface of the instrument panel 2. Although such a protrusion is not a very preferable portion in terms of improving occupant protection performance in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, this embodiment makes it possible to prevent such a protrusion from occurring. For this reason, there is less need to take care to avoid burrs as much as possible when designing and manufacturing air outlets for air conditioning, which makes it possible to increase productivity and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0027] When air is blown out from the air outlet 4 for air conditioning and sent to the vehicle interior 1, a negative suction pressure caused by the air blowing out acts on the item placement area 31a in the recess 31 of the storage section 3. As a result, the air in the item placement area 31a flows from the opening 30 to the inside of the vehicle interior 1, and the stagnant air in the item placement area 31a can be eliminated. In particular, in this embodiment, since the ventilation holes 57 are provided, when air is being blown out from the air-conditioning air outlet 4, the air around the air-conditioning duct 8 flows into the item placement area 31a in the recess 31 via the ventilation holes 57. This further promotes the replacement of the air in the item placement area 31a. Also, the air around the air-conditioning duct 8 is in a cooled (or heated) state by the air-conditioning duct 8. As a result, Therefore, by guiding the surrounding air to the item placement area 31a, it becomes possible to use this surrounding air to cool (or heat) the item 9.

[0028] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the vehicle instrument panel structure according to the present invention can be freely designed and modified in various ways within the intended scope of the present invention.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the entire air outlet for air conditioning is disposed within the recessed portion of the storage portion, but the present invention is not limited to this. At least a part of the air outlet for air conditioning may be disposed within the recessed portion of the storage portion. Further, instead of being disposed at the upper part within the recess of the storage section, the air outlet for air conditioning may be disposed, for example, at the side or lower part of the recess of the storage section.

[0030] The storage section may be provided at a location different from the center cluster section. In the above-described embodiment, a wireless type charger is attached, but instead, for example, a configuration is possible in which a smartphone being charged using a USB separately provided in the instrument panel can be placed in the recessed portion of the storage section. There is no limitation on the type of items that can be stored in the storage section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] A. Vehicle instrument panel structure 1 Cabin 2. Instrument panel 3 Storage area 30 Opening 31 Concave part 31a Article placement area 4. Air outlet for air conditioning 57 Ventilation hole 8 Air conditioning duct 9 Goods

Claims

1. An instrument panel provided at the front of the vehicle interior; a storage section, the storage section being provided in the instrument panel section such that an opening is open toward the vehicle interior, the storage section having a recessed portion recessed toward a vehicle front side from a position where the opening is formed, the recessed portion having an item placement area therein; an air outlet for air conditioning provided in the instrument panel; An instrument panel structure for a vehicle, comprising:

13. A structure of an instrument panel portion of a vehicle, wherein at least a portion of the air outlet portion for air conditioning is located within the recessed portion of the storage portion.

2. 2. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, An instrument panel structure for a vehicle, wherein the air conditioning air outlet portion is entirely located within the recessed portion of the storage portion.

3. 3. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, an air conditioning duct portion for supplying air for air conditioning to the air outlet portion for air conditioning, at least a portion of which is disposed close to a wall portion forming the item placement area, A structure of an instrument panel portion for a vehicle, wherein a ventilation hole portion is provided in a portion of the wall portion facing and approaching the air conditioning duct portion, allowing air surrounding the air conditioning duct portion to flow into the item placement area within the recessed portion.

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