Duct

Abstract

To facilitate inspection on a ventilation passage while reducing the number of components.SOLUTION: A duct 5 includes: an upper case 10 including a first edge end part 10A; a lower case 20 including a second edge end part 20A abutting on the first edge end part 10A and combined with the upper case 10 to form a ventilation passage S; a door part 18 installed to the upper case 10 and extending from a side wall 12 of the upper case 10 via a hinge part 16; and an opening part 28 provided in the lower case 20, closed by the door part 18, and communicating between the ventilation passage S and the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a duct. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a smoke exhaust duct that includes a lower case, an upper case, and a valve body, the valve body having an axis portion provided at the top, and that is configured to connect the outside of the vehicle cabin to the smoke exhaust passage by rotating around the axis portion from a blocking position where it blocks the ventilation passage.

[0003] Incidentally, it is preferable to reduce the number of parts in a duct and make inspection of the air passage easy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-119649 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a duct that can reduce the number of parts and facilitate inspection of the air passage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A duct of a first aspect of the present invention comprises a first divider having a first edge, a second divider having a second edge abutting the first edge and merging with the first divider to form at least a part of an air passage, a door portion provided in the first divider and extending from the outer edge of the first divider via a hinge portion, and an opening provided in the second divider, blocked by the door portion, and connecting the air passage to the outside.

[0007] A duct according to a second aspect of the present invention is the duct according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the opening is provided at a position where an attachment part attached to the air passage can be seen from outside.

[0008] A duct of a third aspect of the present invention is a duct of the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the air passage has a plurality of curved portions that change the air flow direction, and the opening is provided at a position where the space between the curved portions can be seen from the outside.

[0009] A duct according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the duct according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the door portion is provided with a fitting claw that fits into the opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In a first aspect of the duct of the present invention, the duct includes a door portion provided in the first division and extending from the outer edge of the first division via a hinge portion, and an opening portion provided in the second division, which is closed by the door portion and connects the air passage to the outside. Therefore, after the first division and the second division are joined, the air passage can be seen through the opening portion. After the air passage is seen, the opening portion provided in the second division is closed by the door portion provided in the first division. Therefore, the number of parts is reduced compared to when the door portion is formed separately. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced while facilitating inspection of the air passage.

[0011] In the duct of the second aspect of the present invention, the opening is provided at a position where the attachment parts attached to the air passage can be seen from the outside, so that the attachment parts can be seen from the opening after the first and second divisions are combined, making it possible to check whether the attachment parts are properly attached after the first and second divisions are combined.

[0012] In the duct of the third aspect of the present invention, the opening is provided at a position where the gap between the curved portions can be seen from the outside, so that the air passage between the curved portions can be seen from the opening after the first and second divisions are combined, which makes it easy to inspect the air passage after the first and second divisions are combined.

[0013] In the duct of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the door portion is provided with a fitting claw that fits into the opening, so that when the door portion closes the opening, the door portion is fixed to the opening by the fitting claw, thereby preventing gas flowing through the air passage from leaking to the outside through the opening. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the duct according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the duct according to the first embodiment, showing the cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the duct according to the first embodiment, showing the cross section taken along line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the door unit according to the first embodiment, showing the door unit in a closed state. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a duct according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] [First embodiment] A duct according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, an example will be described in which the duct is a smoke exhaust duct for a secondary battery mounted on a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. In each drawing, arrow UP indicates the upper side of the duct in the vertical direction, arrow LH indicates the left side of the duct in the horizontal direction, arrow FR indicates the front side of the duct in the longitudinal direction, and arrow R indicates the ventilation direction of the smoke flowing through the duct. In addition, the entrance of the smoke into the duct is referred to as the entrance IN, and the exit of the smoke from the duct is referred to as the exit OUT.

[0016] [Duct 5 Configuration] As shown in Fig. 1, the duct 5 is made up of an upper case (an example of a first divided body) 10 and a lower case (an example of a second divided body) 20 that are joined together to form an air passage S. As shown in Fig. 2, the air passage S has a plurality of curved portions 5A (two in the first embodiment) that change the air passage direction R. The curved portions 5A include a first curved portion 5B and a second curved portion 5C that is provided downstream of the first curved portion 5B in the air passage direction R.

[0017] (Upper case 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the upper case 10 is formed by injection molding, and includes a top plate 11, a side wall 12, fitting claws 15, and a door portion 18.

[0018] <Top plate 11, side wall 12, mating claws 15> The top plate 11 is formed in a plate shape that is inverted Z-shape in plan view, with the thickness direction being the up-down direction. The side wall 12 is formed extending downward from the outer periphery of the top plate 11. The side wall 12 is not formed on the outer periphery of the top plate 11 on the inlet IN side.

[0019] 3, a first edge 10A is formed at the lower tip of the side wall 12, which is abutted against a second edge 20A of the lower case 20. The first edge 10A has a protrusion 12A and a recess 12B.

[0020] The protrusion 12A is formed on the outer periphery of the side wall 12, with the tip of the side wall 12 protruding downward. The recess 12B is formed on the inner periphery of the side wall 12, with the tip of the side wall 12 recessed upward.

[0021] 1, a plurality of (five in the first embodiment) fitting claws 15 are formed and extend downward from the side wall 12. The fitting claws 15 are, for example, snap-fit.

[0022] The door portion 18 is formed on the side wall 12 formed on the rear side of the top plate 11. The door portion 18 is provided on a straight line connecting the first curved portion 5B and the second curved portion 5C.

[0023] <Door section 18> 3, the door portion 18 extends rearward from the side wall (an example of an outer edge) 12 of the upper case 10 via the hinge portion 16 in a molded state after injection molding. Note that the door portion 18 may extend rearward from the tip of the side wall 12 via the hinge portion 16, or may extend rearward from between the tip and base end of the side wall 12 via the hinge portion 16 in a molded state after injection molding. The door portion 18 is formed in a rectangular plate shape with the plate thickness direction in the up-down direction in a molded state after injection molding. The door portion 18 is formed to a size that covers an opening 28 formed in the lower case 20.

[0024] The door portion 18 is configured so that its position can be changed between a horizontal position P1 and a vertical position P2 (see FIG. 4) by the deformation of the hinge portion 16.

[0025] The door portion 18 has a fitting claw 18A extending downward from the bottom surface thereof in a molded state after injection molding. The fitting claw 18A is configured to be able to fit into the periphery that forms the opening 28 of the lower case 20.

[0026] The hinge portion 16 is formed between the side wall 12 and the door portion 18. The hinge portion 16 is formed to extend rearward from the side wall 12. The hinge portion 16 is an integral hinge that is thin compared to the thickness of the door portion 18.

[0027] (Lower case 20) As shown in FIG. 1, the lower case 20 is formed by injection molding, and includes a bottom plate 21, a side wall 22, a cylindrical portion 24, a fitted portion 25, a valve seat 29, and an opening .

[0028] <Bottom plate 21, side wall 22, cylindrical portion 24, fitting portion 25> The bottom plate 21 faces the top plate 11 and is formed in an inverted Z-shape in plan view, with the thickness direction being the up-down direction. The side wall 22 is formed by extending upward from the outer periphery of the bottom plate 21. The side wall 22 is not formed on the outer periphery of the bottom plate 21 on the inlet IN side.

[0029] 3, the upper end of the side wall 22 is formed with a second edge 20A that abuts against the first edge 10A of the upper case 10. The second edge 20A has a protrusion 22A and a recess 22B.

[0030] The protrusion 22A is formed on the inner periphery of the side wall 22, with the tip of the side wall 22 protruding upward. The recess 22B is formed on the outer periphery of the side wall 22, with the tip of the side wall 22 recessed upward. A first edge 10A of the upper case 10 and a second edge 20A of the lower case 20 are butted together, forming a spigot-joint structure in which the protrusion 22A and recess 22B of the lower case 20 are fitted with the protrusion 12A and recess 12B of the upper case 10. This prevents the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 from being misaligned relative to each other.

[0031] 1, the cylindrical portion 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape that penetrates in the vertical direction, and is formed on the downstream side of the bottom plate 21 in the air passage direction R. The tip of the cylindrical portion 24 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle.

[0032] The fitted portion 25 is provided to extend outward from the side wall 22, and is formed at a position corresponding to the fitting claw 15. The fitted portion 25 is adapted to be fitted with the fitting claw 15.

[0033] <Valve seat 29> The valve seat 29 constitutes a check valve together with the valve body 30 (an example of a mounting part). The valve seat 29 is provided in the straight section between the first curved section 5B and the second curved section 5C. The valve seat 29 is formed in a rib-like shape and protrudes from the bottom plate 21. The valve seat 29 is provided in an attitude that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. An opening 29A is formed in the center of the valve seat 29. The valve seat 29 is provided with a support section 29B that rotatably supports a shaft section 31A provided on the valve body 30.

[0034] The valve element 30 is provided downstream of the valve seat 29 in the ventilation direction R. The valve element 30 includes a main body portion 31, a buffer body 32, and a shaft portion 31A.

[0035] The main body 31 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. The buffer 32 is made of, for example, urethane, and is attached to the back surface of the main body 31. The shaft 31A is formed on the upper side of the main body 31.

[0036] When gas is generated from the secondary battery 2 and flows into the duct 5, the valve element 30 is pushed by the gas and rotates to open the opening 29A.

[0037] <Opening 28> 1, the opening 28 is formed in the side wall 22 formed on the rear side of the bottom plate 21. The opening 28 is formed at a position corresponding to the door portion 18. The opening 28 is formed as a through-hole that connects the air passage S with the outside of the duct 5.

[0038] 2, the opening 28 is provided at a position where the air passage S between the first curved portion 5B and the second curved portion 5C can be seen by an operator E from outside the duct 5. The opening 28 is provided at a position where the valve seat 29 or the valve element 30 attached to the air passage S can be seen from outside.

[0039] [Duct 5 assembly procedure] 1, first, the valve body 30 is attached to the valve seat 29 of the lower case 20. Next, the fitting claws 15 of the upper case 10 are fitted into the fitted portions 25 of the lower case 20, and the first edge portion 10A of the upper case 10 and the second edge portion 20A of the lower case 20 are butted together to combine the upper case 10 and the lower case 20. At this time, the convex portion 12A and the concave portion 12B of the upper case 10 are fitted into the convex portion 22A and the concave portion 22B of the lower case 20.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the door portion 18 is changed from a horizontal position P1 to a vertical position P2 by deforming the hinge portion 16, and the fitting claws 18A are fitted into the opening edge that forms the opening 28, and the duct 5 is assembled.

[0041] The duct 5 configured in this manner is connected to the secondary battery 2 mounted on the vehicle via a smoke exhaust flow path 2A, and gas generated in the secondary battery 2 flows into the duct 5 from the inlet IN, flows through the air passage S, and is discharged outside the vehicle from the outlet OUT.

[0042] [Inspection method] When inspecting the ventilation path S after assembling the duct 5, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the engaging claws 18A are released from the opening 28, and the door portion 18 is moved from the vertical position P2 to the horizontal position P1.

[0043] 2, from outside the duct 5, the worker E visually checks the air passage S through the opening 28. At this time, the worker E checks whether the valve body 30 is properly attached to the valve seat 29 provided between the first curved portion 5B and the second curved portion 5C.

[0044] When the inspection is completed, as shown in FIG. 4, the door portion 18 is returned from the horizontal position P1 to the vertical position P2, and the engaging claws 18A are engaged with the opening edge that forms the opening 28, thereby closing the opening 28 with the door portion 18.

[0045] [Effect] The duct 5 of the first embodiment comprises an upper case 10 having a first edge 10A, a lower case 20 having a second edge 20A abutting the first edge 10A and combining with the upper case 10 to form an air passage S, a door portion 18 provided in the upper case 10 and extending from the side wall 12 of the upper case 10 via a hinge portion 16, and an opening 28 provided in the lower case 20, blocked by the door portion 18, and connecting the air passage S to the outside (see Figure 3).

[0046] By providing the door portion 18 provided in the upper case 10 and extending from the side wall 12 via the hinge portion 16, and the opening portion 28 provided in the lower case 20, which is closed by the door portion 18 and connects the air passage S to the outside, the air passage S can be seen through the opening portion 28 after the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are joined together. After the air passage S is seen, the opening portion 28 provided in the lower case 20 is closed by the door portion 18 provided in the upper case 10. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced compared to when the door portions are formed separately. As a result, the inspection of the air passage S can be facilitated while reducing the number of parts.

[0047] Incidentally, attachment parts such as sensors and check valves may be attached to the air passage S. After the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are combined, it becomes difficult to check whether such attachment parts are attached or whether they are in the correct orientation.

[0048] In the duct 5 of the first embodiment, the opening 28 is provided at a position where the valve body 30 attached to the air passage S can be seen from the outside (see FIG. 2).

[0049] The opening 28 is provided at a position where the valve body 30 attached to the ventilation path S can be seen from the outside, and after the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are combined, the valve body 30 can be seen from the opening 28. Therefore, after the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are combined, it can be checked whether the valve body 30 is properly attached.

[0050] Incidentally, if the duct is formed straight, it is possible to inspect the air passage S from the inlet opening or outlet opening of the duct even after the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are combined. On the other hand, if the duct is formed bent, it becomes difficult to inspect the air passage S between the curved portions from the inlet opening or outlet opening of the duct after the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are combined.

[0051] In the duct 5 of the first embodiment, the air passage S has a plurality of curved portions 5A that change the air flow direction, and the opening 28 is provided at a position where the space between the curved portions 5A can be seen from the outside (see FIG. 2).

[0052] Opening 28 is provided at a position where the space between curved portions 5A can be seen from the outside, and therefore, after upper case 10 and lower case 20 are combined, air passage S between curved portions 5A can be seen from opening 28. Therefore, after upper case 10 and lower case 20 are combined, inspection of air passage S can be easily performed.

[0053] In the duct 5 of the first embodiment, the door portion 18 is provided with a fitting claw 18A that fits into the opening 28 (see FIG. 3).

[0054] Door portion 18 is provided with fitting claws 18A that fit into opening 28, so that when door portion 18 closes opening 28, door portion 18 is fixed to opening 28 by fitting claws 18A. This prevents gas flowing through ventilation path S from leaking to the outside through opening 28.

[0055] Second Embodiment The duct of the second embodiment differs from the duct of the first embodiment in that the configuration of the door portion is different. Note that the same or equivalent parts as those described in the first embodiment will be described using the same terms or symbols.

[0056] 5, in the horizontal position P1, the door portion 118 is formed with a protruding portion 118A that protrudes downward. In the horizontal position P1, the peripheral surface 118B of the protruding portion 118A is a tapered surface that narrows downward.

[0057] Then, the door portion 118 is changed from a horizontal position P1 to a vertical position P2 by deforming the hinge portion 16, and the protrusion 118A is inserted into the opening 28, and the peripheral surface 118B is pressed into the opening 28, so that the opening 28 is closed by the door portion 118.

[0058] Even with this configuration, the same effects as those of the duct of the first embodiment are obtained.

[0059] The duct of the present invention has been described above based on the first and second embodiments. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0060] In the first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the opening 28 is provided downstream of the valve body 30 in the ventilation direction R. However, the opening is not limited to this, and may be provided upstream of the valve body 30 in the ventilation direction R. Furthermore, the opening may be provided in the side wall 22 extending in the front-rear direction.

[0061] In the first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the door portion 18 is provided in the upper case 10 and the opening portion 28 is provided in the lower case 20. However, the opening portion may be provided in the upper case and the door portion may be provided in the lower case.

[0062] In the first and second embodiments, an example was shown in which the valve body 30 was provided as an attachment part between the first bending portion 5B and the second bending portion 5C. However, the attachment part is not limited to this example and may be, for example, a sensor or the like.

[0063] In the first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the duct 5 is divided into upper and lower halves by the upper case 10 as the first divided body and the lower case 20 as the second divided body. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, the duct may be divided into left and right halves by the first divided body and the second divided body.

[0064] In the first and second embodiments, the first edge 10A of the upper case 10 and the second edge 20A of the lower case 20 have a spigot-joint structure in which they are butted together and fitted together. However, the first edge of the upper case and the second edge of the lower case do not have to have a spigot-joint structure.

[0065] In the first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the upper case 10 and the lower case 20 are combined to form the ventilation path S. However, the upper case and the lower case may be combined to form at least a part of the ventilation path.

[0066] In the first embodiment, an example has been shown in which one fitting claw 18A is formed on the door portion 18. However, the door portion 18 may be provided with a plurality of fitting claws, or may not be provided with any fitting claws.

[0067] In the first and second embodiments, the duct 5 is an example of a smoke exhaust duct for a secondary battery mounted on a hybrid vehicle. However, the duct is not limited to this example and can be applied to, for example, an air conditioning duct or a duct for use in a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 5 Duct 5A Curved section 10 Upper case (example of first division) 10A First edge 16 Hinge part 18 Door section 18A mating claw 20 Lower case (an example of the second division body) 20A 2nd edge 28 Opening 30 Valve body (example of mounting part) S Ventilation channel

Claims

1. a first segment having a first edge; a second divided body having a second edge abutting the first edge and combining with the first divided body to form at least a portion of the air passage; a door portion provided on the first divided body and extending from an outer edge of the first divided body via a hinge portion; an opening provided in the second divided body, closed by the door portion, and communicating the ventilation path with the outside; A duct comprising:

2. The opening is provided at a position where the attachment part attached to the ventilation path can be seen from the outside.

2. The duct of claim 1.

3. The air passage has a plurality of curved portions that change the air flow direction, The opening is provided at a position where the space between the curved portions can be seen from the outside.

2. The duct of claim 1.

4. The door portion is provided with a fitting claw that fits into the opening.

2. The duct of claim 1.

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