Register mounting structure and mounting method for ceiling air blower

Abstract

To facilitate the work of attaching a register to a roof head lining. [Solution] The ceiling air blower includes a register 22 and a bracket 27. The bracket 27 includes a claw 24 that protrudes from the bezel toward the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 through an air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15. The bracket 27 has a first hole 28 formed therein, through which the claw 24 of the register 22 passes. The bracket 27 is disposed on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. A duct 20 of the ceiling air blower is disposed on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. A second hole 34 is formed at the end of the duct 20 on the connection port side, into which the claw 24 that passes through the first hole 28 of the bracket 27 is latched. The bracket 27 and the duct 20 are fixed to the roof headlining 15 together with the register 22 by sandwiching the roof headlining 15 between the bracket 27 and the bezel of the register 22.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a structure and method for mounting a register in a ceiling air blower. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, in order to distribute the conditioned air blown out from the air conditioner evenly throughout the vehicle cabin, it is conceivable to install a ceiling fan inside the vehicle cabin, as shown in Patent Document 1. Taking into consideration that the conditioned air blown out from the air conditioner tends to be biased toward the front of the vehicle cabin, this ceiling fan is designed to distribute the air in the front of the vehicle cabin toward the rear of the vehicle cabin.

[0003] The ceiling blower is disposed between a roof panel and a roof headlining of a vehicle. The roof headlining is located closer to the interior of the vehicle than the roof panel. The roof headlining is formed with an intake port and an outlet port. The intake port is for the ceiling blower to draw air from the front of the vehicle interior. The outlet port is for blowing the air drawn by the ceiling blower to the rear of the vehicle interior.

[0004] The ceiling blower includes a duct for directing the drawn air toward the outlet. The duct is located between the roof panel and the roof headlining. The duct has a connection port that connects to the outlet in the roof headlining. The ceiling blower blows the air that has passed through the duct into the vehicle cabin through the outlet in the roof headlining. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-66242 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] A ceiling air blower device may include a register that adjusts the direction of air blown from the air outlet. Such a register can be attached to the air outlet of the roof headlining using a hot melt adhesive (hereinafter referred to as hot melt) or the like. However, when attaching the register to the air outlet of the roof headlining using a hot melt or the like, it is necessary to fix the register to the roof headlining with a crimping jig to cure the hot melt, or to ensure that the hot melt has time to cure. This makes the work of attaching the register to the roof headlining difficult.

[0007] Furthermore, when attaching a register to the roof headlining's air outlet with hot melt, the duct must be secured to the roof headlining in advance so that the duct connection port of the ceiling air blower does not shift from the roof headlining's air outlet during the installation work. It is also possible to secure the duct to the roof headlining using hot melt or other adhesives. However, when securing the duct to the roof headlining with hot melt, it is necessary to secure the duct to the roof headlining with a crimping jig to allow the hot melt to cure, and it is also necessary to ensure that the hot melt cures over a certain period of time. As a result, extra work is required to secure the duct to the roof headlining with hot melt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. A register mounting structure for a ceiling air blower that solves the above-mentioned problems is applied to a ceiling air blower that blows air into the vehicle cabin from an air outlet formed in the roof headlining of a vehicle. The ceiling air blower includes a duct for guiding the air to be blown into the vehicle cabin, a register for adjusting the direction of air blown from the air outlet, and a bracket for attaching the register to the roof headlining. The register includes a bezel that is arranged on the surface of the roof headlining that faces the vehicle cabin, and a claw that protrudes from the bezel through the air outlet to the back side of the roof headlining. The bracket is formed with a first hole through which the claw of the register passes. The duct is formed with a connection port for connecting to the air outlet of the roof headlining. The end of the duct on the connection port side is formed with a second hole into which the claw that passes through the first hole of the bracket is engaged. The bracket and duct are arranged on the back side of the roof headlining. When the claws of the register pass through the first holes and are latched into the second holes, the bracket and duct are fixed to the roof headlining together with the register by sandwiching the roof headlining between the register bezel and the bracket and duct.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the bracket and the connection port side end of the duct are positioned on the back surface of the roof headlining. As a result, the claw of the bezel of the register is inserted into the first hole of the bracket from the front surface side of the roof headlining via the air outlet, and the claw is hooked into the second hole of the duct. As a result, the roof headlining is sandwiched between the bracket and the bezel of the register. This secures the connection port side end of the register, bracket, and duct to the roof headlining. In this way, the register, bracket, and duct can be attached to the roof headlining simply by passing the claw of the bezel of the register through the first hole of the bracket and hooking the claw into the second hole of the duct. This facilitates the installation of the register to the roof headlining.

[0010] A method for attaching a register to a ceiling air blower that solves the above-mentioned problems is applied to a ceiling air blower that blows air into a vehicle cabin from an air outlet formed in a roof headlining of a vehicle. The ceiling air blower includes a duct for guiding the air to be blown into the vehicle cabin, a register that adjusts the direction of the air blown from the air outlet, and a bracket for attaching the register to the roof headlining. The duct has a connection port formed in the duct for connecting to the air outlet of the roof headlining. In the method, a bezel of the register is placed on the surface of the roof headlining facing the vehicle cabin, and a claw protruding from the bezel passes through the air outlet and onto the back side of the roof headlining. Then, a bracket is placed on the back side of the roof headlining so that the claw of the register passes through a first hole formed in the bracket. Then, the duct is placed on the back side of the roof headlining so that the claw is engaged with a second hole formed in the end of the duct on the connection port side, thereby sandwiching the roof headlining between the bracket and the bezel of the register. In this way, by sandwiching the roof headlining between the connection port side end of the duct, the bracket, and the bezel of the register, the connection port side end of the duct, the bracket, and the register are fixed to the roof headlining.

[0011] According to the above method, a bracket is placed on the back surface of the roof headlining, and the end of the duct on the connection port side is placed thereon. At this time, the claws of the bezel of the register are inserted into the first holes of the bracket from the front surface side of the roof headlining via the air outlet. Furthermore, the claws are hooked into the second holes of the duct. As a result, the roof headlining is sandwiched between the bracket and the bezel of the register. This secures the register, bracket, and duct to the roof headlining. In this way, the register, bracket, and duct can be attached to the roof headlining simply by passing the claws of the bezel of the register through the first holes of the bracket and hooking the claws into the second holes of the duct. This facilitates the installation of the register to the roof headlining. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle to which a ceiling air blower device is applied. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view schematically showing the ceiling blower of FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the end of the connection port side of the duct of the ceiling air blower of FIG. 1 and its surroundings. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a register of the ceiling air blower of FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a perspective view showing the register of FIG. 4 as viewed from the rear side of the roof head lining. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the register, the bracket, and the duct in the ceiling fan device of FIG. 3 as viewed in the direction of arrows VI-VI. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the register, the bracket, and the duct in the ceiling air blower of FIG. 3, as viewed in the direction of arrows VII-VII. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the register of FIG. 4 is attached to a roof head lining. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the register of FIG. 4 is attached to a roof head lining. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how the register of FIG. 4 is attached to a roof head lining. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a structure and method for mounting a register in a ceiling air blower will be described with reference to FIGS. An air conditioner 12 for conditioning the interior of a vehicle compartment 11 is disposed in the front of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1. The air conditioner 12 performs air conditioning, such as adjusting the temperature and humidity, in the interior of the vehicle compartment 11 by blowing conditioned air into the interior of the vehicle compartment 11 from a supply port 13 located in the front of the vehicle. A ceiling air blower 16 is disposed between a roof panel 14 and a roof headlining 15 in the interior of the vehicle compartment 11.

[0014] The roof headlining 15 is located closer to the interior of the vehicle compartment 11 than the roof panel 14. The roof headlining 15 is formed with an intake port 17 and an outlet port 18. The intake port 17 is used to draw air into the vehicle compartment 11 using the ceiling blower 16, and is located at the front of the vehicle compartment 11. The outlet port 18 is used to blow out the air drawn in by the ceiling blower 16 into the vehicle compartment 11, and is located at the rear of the intake port 17 in the vehicle compartment 11.

[0015] <Details of ceiling ventilation device 16> The ceiling blower 16 is intended to prevent uneven distribution of conditioned air within the vehicle compartment 11, the air being blown into the vehicle compartment 11 from the supply port 13 by the air conditioner 12. The ceiling blower 16 includes a fan 19 and a duct 20. The fan 19 draws air from the vehicle compartment 11 through an intake port 17 and then discharges the air into the duct 20. The duct 20 extends from the fan 19 toward the rear of the vehicle, i.e., toward the right in FIG. 1. A connection port 21 is formed at the rear end of the duct 20 for connection to the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15.

[0016] The duct 20 directs the air discharged from the fan 19 toward the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15. The air flowing through the duct 20 is blown out from the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15 into the vehicle compartment 11. As a result, the air flowing through the duct 20 is sent to a location different from the location corresponding to the air inlet 17 in the vehicle compartment 11, more specifically, to the rear of the vehicle compartment 11. As a result, the conditioned air blown out from the air conditioner 12 through the supply port 13 into the vehicle compartment 11 is prevented from being biased toward the front of the vehicle compartment 11.

[0017] <Structure around the connection port 21 of the duct 20 in the ceiling blower 16> 2 is a schematic diagram of the ceiling blower 16 as viewed from above. Duct 20 of ceiling blower 16 branches into two branches downstream of fan 19 in the width direction of the vehicle, i.e., on both sides in the vertical direction in FIG. 2. The above-mentioned connection ports 21 are formed at the downstream ends of the branched portions of duct 20. These connection ports 21 are connected to the air outlets 18 of roof headlining 15 shown in FIG. 1. The air outlets 18 are formed on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle within passenger compartment 11, i.e., on both sides in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1, so as to correspond to the connection ports 21 of duct 20.

[0018] 3 to 5 show an enlarged view of the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side and its surroundings. The ceiling blower 16 is equipped with a register 22 shown in Fig. 4. This register 22 is used to adjust the direction in which air is blown out from the air outlet 18.

[0019] The register 22 includes a bezel 23 that is disposed on the surface 15a of the roof headlining 15 that faces the passenger compartment 11. The bezel 23 is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15. The register 22 includes a plurality of claws 24 that protrude from the bezel 23 toward the rear surface 15b of the roof headlining 15, via the air outlet 18, as shown in FIG. 5. A cylindrical barrel 25 is disposed on the bezel 23 at a position corresponding to the air outlet 18 so as to be rotatable about its center line. The barrel 25 is formed with a number of fins 26 spaced apart in the direction of its center line. By appropriately rotating the barrel 25 about its center line, the blowing direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 18 into the passenger compartment 11 can be adjusted.

[0020] The ceiling blower 16 is equipped with a rectangular plate-shaped bracket 27. This bracket 27 is used to attach the register 22 to the roof headlining 15. The bracket 27 is arranged on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 so as to surround the air outlet 18. The bracket 27 is formed with first holes 28 through which the claws 24 of the register 22 pass. As shown in FIG. 3, the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side is fixed to the bracket 27. The portion of the duct 20 connected to the end on the connection port 21 side is a passage forming portion 20a.

[0021] 6 and 7 respectively show the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side as viewed in the direction of arrows VI-VI in FIG. 3 and the end as viewed in the direction of arrows VII-VII. As can be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the duct 20 is disposed on the rear surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. A flange 33 is formed parallel to the bracket 27 at the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side. A seal member 29 is disposed between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20, providing a seal between a portion of the bracket 27 surrounding the air outlet 18 and the end of the duct 20. The seal member 29 is formed in an annular shape along the portion of the bracket 27 surrounding the air outlet 18. Second holes 34 are formed in the flange 33 at positions corresponding to the plurality of claws 24. The claws 24 passing through the first holes 28 of the bracket 27 are engaged with the second holes 34.

[0022] When the claws 24 of the register 22 do not pass through the first holes 28 and are not engaged in the second holes 34, the bracket 27 and the duct 20 are movable along the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. When the claws 24 of the register 22 pass through the first holes 28 and are engaged in the second holes 34, the bracket 27 and the duct 20 are fixed to the roof headlining 15 together with the register 22. This fixation is achieved by sandwiching the roof headlining 15 between the bracket 27 and the duct 20 and the bezel 23 of the register 22. When the fixation is performed, the connection port 21 of the duct 20 is connected to the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15. At this time, the seal member 29 is compressed between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20. The elasticity of the seal member 29 prevents rattle from occurring between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20 and the claws 24 of the register 22 .

[0023] 3, the end of duct 20 on the connection port 21 side covers the portion of bracket 27 that surrounds air outlet 18 and exposes claw 24. Two of first holes 28, second holes 34, and claws 24 are provided at intervals on the passage-forming portion 20a side of duct 20 relative to air outlet 18, and three of them are provided at intervals on the side of air outlet 18 away from passage-forming portion 20a. Of first holes 28, second holes 34, and claws 24, those located on the passage-forming portion 20a side of duct 20 are located at positions that sandwich passage-forming portion 20a.

[0024] <Method of attaching the register 22 to the roof headlining 15> The duct 20 and register 22 of the ceiling blower 16 are attached to the roof headlining 15 before the roof headlining 15 is attached to the roof panel 14.

[0025] 8, the register 22 is placed on the front surface 15a of the roof headlining 15. At this time, the claws 24 protruding from the bezel 23 of the register 22 are passed through the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15 and onto the rear surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. The claws 24 that have passed through the rear surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 are hooked onto the periphery of the air outlet 18 on the rear surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. This makes it difficult for the claws 24 to come out of the air outlet 18.

[0026] 9, the bracket 27 is placed on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 so that the claws 24 of the register 22 pass through the first holes 28 of the bracket 27. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a seal member 29 is placed on the surface of the bracket 27 opposite the roof headlining 15 at a location surrounding the air outlet 18. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the duct 20 is placed on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 so that the claws 24 are engaged with second holes 34 formed in a flange 33 at the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side. As a result, the roof headlining 15 is sandwiched between the bracket 27 and the bezel 23 of the register 22. Then, by sandwiching the roof headlining 15 between the bracket 27, the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side, and the bezel 23 of the register 22, the end of the duct 20, the bracket 27, and the register 22 are fixed to the roof headlining 15.

[0027] At this time, the end of the duct 20 is fixed to the bracket 27. Furthermore, the portion of the bracket 27 surrounding the air outlet 18 is covered by the end of the duct 20, and the claws 24 are exposed. Then, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, a seal member 29 is sandwiched between the portion of the bracket 27 surrounding the air outlet 18 and the end of the duct 20. By fixing the upper end of the duct 20 to the bracket 27, the connection port 21 of the duct 20 is connected to the air outlet 18 of the roof head lining 15.

[0028] According to the present embodiment described above in detail, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side are arranged on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15. As a result, the claws 24 of the bezel 23 of the register 22 are inserted into the first holes 28 of the bracket 27 from the front surface 15a side of the roof headlining 15 through the air outlet 18, and the claws 24 are hooked into the second holes 34 of the duct 20. As a result, the roof headlining 15 is sandwiched between the bracket 27 and the bezel 23 of the register 22. As a result, the register 22, the bracket 27, and the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side are fixed to the roof headlining 15. In this way, the register 22, the bracket 27, and the duct 20 can be attached to the roof headlining 15 simply by passing the claws 24 of the bezel 23 of the register 22 through the first holes 28 of the bracket 27 and hooking the claws 24 into the second holes 34 of the duct 20. Therefore, the work of attaching the register 22 to the roof head lining 15 becomes easier.

[0029] (2) At the same time as attaching the register 22 to the roof headlining 15, the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side to the roof headlining 15 is also fixed to the bracket 27. This makes it easy to fix the end of the duct 20 to the bracket 27. Furthermore, at this time, it is possible to prevent the duct 20 from being fixed to the roof headlining 15 in a state where the connection port 21 of the duct 20 and the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15 are misaligned. As a result, no extra work is required, as is the case when the duct 20 is fixed to the roof headlining 15 using hot melt or the like in order to prevent the above-mentioned misalignment.

[0030] (3) After the bracket 27 is placed on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 so that the claws 24 of the register 22 pass through the first holes 28 of the bracket 27, a seal member 29 is placed on the surface of the bracket 27 opposite the roof headlining 15 at a location surrounding the air outlet 18. Furthermore, the duct 20 is placed on the back surface 15b of the roof headlining 15 so that the claws 24 are hooked into the second holes 34 of the end of the duct 20. As a result, the seal member 29 that seals between the location of the bracket 27 surrounding the air outlet 18 and the end of the duct 20 is placed between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side. Therefore, when the claws 24 of the bezel 23 of the register 22 are passed through the first holes 28 of the bracket 27 and hooked into the second holes 34 of the duct 20, the seal member 29 prevents a gap from being formed between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air flowing from the duct 20 toward the air outlet 18 from leaking from between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20 on the connection port 21 side.

[0031] (4) The roof headlining 15 is sandwiched between the bracket 27 and the end of the connection port 21 of the duct 20 and the bezel 23 of the register 22, thereby being fixed to the roof headlining 15. At this time, the seal member 29 is compressed between the bracket 27 and the end of the duct 20. The elasticity of the compressed seal member 29 prevents rattling from occurring between the end of the bracket 27 and the duct 20 and the claws 24 of the register 22.

[0032] (5) Of the first hole 28 of the bracket 27, the second hole 34 of the duct 20, and the claws 24 of the register 22, those located on the passage-forming portion 20a side of the duct 20 are positioned so as to sandwich the passage-forming portion 20a. Therefore, the passage-forming portion 20a of the duct 20 does not overlap with the claws 24 of the register 22. Therefore, the flow of air from the passage-forming portion 20a of the duct 20 toward the air outlet 18 of the roof headlining 15 is not obstructed by the claws 24.

[0033] The above embodiment can be modified as follows, for example: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. The sealing member 29 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0034] The number of the first holes 28 of the bracket 27, the second holes 34 of the duct 20, and the claws 24 of the register 22 may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 11...Vehicle compartment 12...Air conditioner 13...Supply port 14...Roof panel 15...Roof headlining 15a…Surface 15b…Back side 16...Ceiling ventilation device 17...Intake port 18…Air outlet 19...Fan 20...Duct 20a...Passway forming part 21...Connection port 22...Register 23...Bezel 24...Claws 25...barrel 26...Finn 27…Bracket 28...First hole 29...Sealing member 33...Flange 34...Second hole

Claims

1. The present invention is applied to a ceiling air blower that blows air into a vehicle cabin from an air outlet formed in a roof headlining of a vehicle. the ceiling air blower device includes a duct for circulating air blown into the vehicle compartment, a register for adjusting a direction in which the air is blown out from the air outlet, and a bracket for attaching the register to the roof headlining, the register includes a bezel disposed on a surface of the roof headlining that faces the passenger compartment, and a claw that protrudes from the bezel to a rear surface of the roof headlining through the air outlet, The bracket has a first hole formed therein through which the tab of the register passes, The duct is formed with a connection port for connecting to the air outlet of the roof headlining, a second hole is formed at an end of the duct on the connection port side, and the claw passing through the first hole of the bracket is engaged therewith; The bracket and the duct are arranged on the back surface of the roof headlining, and when the claws of the register pass through the first holes and are hooked into the second holes, the roof headlining is sandwiched between the bracket and the bezel of the register, thereby fixing the bracket and the duct to the roof headlining together with the register.

2. A mounting structure for a register in a ceiling air blower as described in claim 1, wherein a sealing member is arranged between the bracket and the end of the duct on the connection port side, to seal the area surrounding the outlet on the bracket and the end of the duct.

3. the duct includes a passage forming portion connected to an end portion on the connection port side, 3. The mounting structure for a register in a ceiling air blower according to claim 1, wherein the first hole, the second hole, and the claw are positioned so as to sandwich the passage forming portion of the duct.

4. The present invention is applied to a ceiling air blower that blows air into a vehicle cabin from an air outlet formed in a roof headlining of a vehicle. the ceiling air blower device includes a duct for circulating air blown into the vehicle compartment, a register for adjusting a direction in which the air is blown out from the air outlet, and a bracket for attaching the register to the roof headlining, The duct is formed with a connection port for connecting to the air outlet of the roof headlining, a bezel of the register is disposed on a surface of the roof headlining that faces the passenger compartment, and a claw protruding from the bezel passes through the air outlet and onto a rear surface of the roof headlining; the bracket is placed on the back surface of the roof headlining so that the claws of the register pass through first holes formed in the bracket, and then the duct is placed on the back surface of the roof headlining so that the claws are hooked into second holes formed in the end of the duct on the connection port side, thereby sandwiching the roof headlining between the bracket and the bezel of the register; A method for installing a register in a ceiling air blower, in which the roof headlining is sandwiched between the connection port side end of the duct, the bracket, and the bezel of the register, thereby fixing the connection port side end of the duct, the bracket, and the register to the roof headlining.

5. 5. A method for installing a register in a ceiling air blower as described in claim 4, wherein the bracket is placed on the back surface of the roof headlining so that the claws of the register pass through the first holes of the bracket, and then a sealing member is placed on the surface of the bracket opposite the roof headlining at a location surrounding the air outlet from its periphery, and the duct is then placed on the back side of the roof headlining so that the claws are hooked into the second holes at the end of the duct.

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