Vehicle air conditioning duct structure

Abstract

Conventional air conditioning duct structures had the problem of reducing space on the floor panel and inside the vehicle. [Solution] The floor panel 1 is provided with a center reinforcing member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the center of the vehicle width direction. The center reinforcing member has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and continues in the longitudinal direction, and forms an air conditioning duct structure between it and the floor panel 1, which releases air introduced from the air conditioning unit 3 into the passenger compartment. This provides the function of supplying air from the air conditioning unit 3 to the rear seat 5 side of the passenger compartment, while simultaneously improving the strength of the floor panel 1 and saving space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioning duct structure used to supply the air of an air conditioner to the rear seat side in a vehicle interior, such as an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] As a vehicle air conditioning duct structure as described above, there is one in which an air conditioner is arranged at the front part of the vehicle of a floor panel, and air (cool air or warm air) from this air conditioner is supplied to the rear seat side through a dedicated duct. The dedicated duct extends from the side surface of the tunnel part of the floor panel onto the floor panel, and is further arranged to pass under the front seat, and discharges the air of the air conditioner toward the rear seat side. This dedicated duct is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the tunnel part. In addition, as a vehicle air conditioning duct structure using a dedicated duct, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent vehicles, in order to improve safety, improving the strength of the floor panel has been emphasized. At the same time, due to the increase in electronic units accompanying the electrification, the space on the floor panel has decreased, and as a result, there has been a problem that the vehicle interior space has decreased.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle air conditioning duct structure that has the function of supplying air from an air conditioning unit located on the front side of the floor panel to the rear seat side of the vehicle interior, while simultaneously improving the strength of the floor panel and saving space on the floor panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to the present invention is provided with a center reinforcing member extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the center of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction. The air conditioning duct structure is characterized in that the center reinforcing member has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and extends continuously in the longitudinal direction, and forms a first air passage between it and the floor panel for releasing air introduced from the air conditioning unit into the passenger compartment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to the present invention, by adopting the above configuration, has the function of supplying air from an air conditioning unit located on the front side of the floor panel to the rear seat side of the passenger compartment, while simultaneously improving the strength of the floor panel and saving space on the floor panel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] These are a plan view (A), a cross-sectional view of a center reinforcing member (B), a cross reinforcing member (C), and a cross-sectional view of a side reinforcing member (D) illustrating one embodiment of the vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side cross-sectional view of the central section of the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view illustrating the connection procedure for each reinforcing member. [Figure 4] This is a side cross-sectional view (A) and a perspective view (B) of the opening of the side reinforcing member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <First Embodiment> The air conditioning duct structure of the vehicle shown in Figure 1(A) includes a center reinforcing member R1 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the center of the floor panel 1. The floor panel 1 shown in Figure 1(A) has a tunnel section 2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the center of the vehicle's left-right direction (up-down direction in Figure 1), with the black arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, and an air conditioning unit 3 mounted at the front of the vehicle. In Figure 1(A), the left and right front seats 4A, 4B and the rear seat 5 are shown by dashed lines.

[0010] The above-described air conditioning unit 3 has a cold air supply pipe in the center and warm air supply pipes on both the left and right sides thereof. For this reason, the air conditioning duct structure in the illustrated example is provided with a center reinforcing member (first center reinforcing member) R1 for cold air on the upper surface of the tunnel portion 2 of the floor panel 1, and a pair of second center reinforcing members R2, R2 for warm air are arranged in parallel on both the left and right sides thereof.

[0011] Furthermore, the above-described air conditioning duct structure includes, between the front footwells (footwells of front seats 4A, 4B) and the rear footwells (footwells of rear seat 5) of the floor panel 1, cross reinforcing members R3, R3 that extend in the vehicle width direction (vehicle left-right direction) from the vehicle rear ends of the respective second center reinforcing members R2, R2, and side reinforcing members R4, R4 that extend in the vehicle rearward direction from the middle of the respective cross reinforcing members R3, R3.

[0012] Furthermore, the first center reinforcing member R1, the second center reinforcing member R2, the cross reinforcing member R3, and the side reinforcing member R4 mentioned above are separate components from the well-known members that constitute the structural framework of the vehicle body.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1(B), the first center reinforcing member R1 has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and is continuous in the longitudinal direction, and forms a first air passage F1 between it and the floor panel 1 that releases air (cold air) introduced from the air conditioning unit 3 into the passenger compartment.

[0014] Each second center reinforcing member R2 has a shorter longitudinal dimension than the first center reinforcing member R1, and, like the first center reinforcing member R1, has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and extends continuously in the longitudinal direction, while also forming a first air passage F1 for air (warm air) between it and the floor panel 1.

[0015] Each cross-reinforcement member R3, as shown in Figure 1(C), has a hat-shaped cross section that is open downwards and extends continuously along its longitudinal direction. It also forms a second air passage F2 between itself and the floor panel 1 for releasing air (warm air) introduced from the air conditioning unit 3 into the passenger compartment. Each second air passage F2 is connected to the first air passage F1 of each second center reinforcement member R2. Since each cross-reinforcement member R3 is positioned in the area from the top surface of the tunnel section 2 through the side surface of the same section to the main surface of the floor panel 1, it has a shape that is bent in the vertical direction (see Figure 3).

[0016] Each side reinforcing member R4, as shown in Figure 1(D), has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and continues along its longitudinal direction, and forms a third air passage F3 between itself and the floor panel 1 for releasing air (warm air) introduced from the air conditioning unit 3 into the passenger compartment. This third air passage F3 is in communication with the second air passage F2 of the cross reinforcing member R3.

[0017] As a result, the first air passage F1 of the pair of second center reinforcing members R2, the second air passage F2 of each cross reinforcing member R3, and the third air passage F3 of each side reinforcing member R4 are sequentially connected, releasing air (warm air) from the air conditioning unit 3 into the passenger compartment.

[0018] Here, as shown in Figure 2, the air conditioning duct structure connects the air supply pipe 3A extending downward from the air conditioning unit 3 to the first center reinforcing member R1, and has a partition wall 6 within the first air passage F1 of the first center reinforcing member R1 that prevents air from flowing forward from the connection portion of the air supply pipe 3A to the front of the vehicle.

[0019] As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 2, the partition portion 6 has either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the flow path, thereby reducing the resistance of the air (cold air) introduced from the air supply pipe 3A into the first air flow path F1 and making the flow smooth. Further, the air-conditioning duct structure can also be provided with a similar partition portion between the air-conditioning device 3 and the left and right second center reinforcing members R2, so that the air can flow only in the necessary direction and the resistance of the air (warm air) introduced into each first air flow path F1 can be reduced to make the flow smooth.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the air-conditioning duct structure, the first center reinforcing member R1 extends below the center console 7. Inside the center console 7, there are provided a duct 11 that extends in the vertical direction to form a fourth air flow path F4 and an air outlet 8 that is opened rearward from the upper end of the duct 11. Then, the vehicle rear end portion of the first center reinforcing member R1 and the lower end portion of the duct 11 are connected to communicate the first air flow path F1 and the fourth air flow path F4.

[0021] Thereby, the air-conditioning duct structure can make the air (cold air) introduced from the air-conditioning device 3 into the center reinforcing member R1 flow only through the first air flow path F1 and the fourth air flow path F4 of the duct 11, and can discharge the air toward the rear seat 5 from the air outlet 8 disposed at a predetermined height. Note that in FIG. 2, the scales of the air-conditioning device 3 and the center console 7 do not necessarily match, and the size relationship between them is different from the actual object.

[0022] In the side view shown in FIG. 2, the above air-conditioning duct structure has either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the flow path on the outer peripheral side of the corner between the first air flow path F1 and the fourth air flow path F4 of the first center reinforcing member R1, similar to the partition portion 6 shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 2. Thereby, the air-conditioning duct structure can make the air flow only in the necessary direction and reduce the resistance of the air (cold air) introduced from the first air flow path F1 into the fourth air flow path F4 to make the flow smooth.

[0023] Furthermore, in the above-described air conditioning duct structure, the second center reinforcing member R2 and the cross reinforcing member R3 are molded to interlock with each other at their joints. Various configurations can be used for this interlocking shape.

[0024] In the air conditioning duct structure of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, one vertical piece forming a hat-shaped cross section is cut out at the vehicle rear end of the second center reinforcing member R2, and the vertical piece on the side of the second center reinforcing member R2 is cut out at the end of the cross reinforcing member R3. The two cutouts are then combined to form a corner section that connects the first air passage F1 and the second air passage F2, and the two are connected and sealed using welding or adhesive 20, as shown by the × marks in Figure 4.

[0025] In this embodiment of the air conditioning duct structure, the second center reinforcing member R2 and the cross reinforcing member R3 are formed to interlock with each other and connected at a right angle. This allows the vertical piece of the cross reinforcing member R3 opposite to the longitudinal direction to act as a partition wall, enabling air to flow only in the required direction and improving the cross-sectional rigidity of the members. Furthermore, in this air conditioning duct structure, by providing either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the flow path on the outer circumference of the corner between the first air passage F1 of the second center reinforcing member R2 and the second air passage F2 of the cross reinforcing member R3, similar to the partition wall shown in the enlarged view in Figure 2, the resistance of the air (warm air) introduced from the first air passage F1 to the second air passage F2 can be reduced, thereby smoothing the flow.

[0026] Furthermore, each cross-reinforcement member R3 and side-reinforcement member R4 is molded to interlock with each other at their joints. Various configurations can be used for this interlocking shape.

[0027] In the air conditioning duct structure of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, a vertical piece on the rear side of the vehicle, forming a hat-shaped cross section, is cut out in the middle of the cross reinforcing member R3, and a vertical piece on the center side of the vehicle is cut out at the front end of the side reinforcing member R4. The front end of the side reinforcing member R4 is then inserted into the cutout of the cross reinforcing member R3 to form a corner section that connects the second air passage F2 and the third air passage F3, and the two are connected and sealed using a joining method such as welding (marked with an X) or adhesive 20.

[0028] In this embodiment of the air conditioning duct structure, the cross reinforcing member R3 and the side reinforcing member R4 are formed to interlock with each other and connected at a right angle. Furthermore, a partition wall is formed by providing one vertical piece of the side reinforcing member R4 on the inner side of the longitudinal direction of the cross reinforcing member R3, allowing air to flow only in the necessary direction and improving the cross-sectional rigidity of the members. In addition, in this air conditioning duct structure, by providing either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the flow path on the outer circumference of the corner between the second air passage F2 of the cross reinforcing member R3 and the third air passage F3 of the side reinforcing member R4, similar to the partition wall shown in the enlarged view in Figure 2, the resistance of the air (warm air) introduced from the second air passage F2 to the third air passage F3 can be reduced, thereby smoothing the flow.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), the air conditioning duct structure has a side reinforcing member R4 positioned between the floor panel 1 and the floor carpet 9 located above it, with the rear end of the side reinforcing member R4 opening (opening 10) at the rear passenger footwell of the floor carpet 9.

[0030] The floor carpet 9 described above has an opening 10 that releases air introduced from the air conditioning unit 3 to the side reinforcing member R4 into the passenger compartment, and is configured to eliminate the recess of the opening 10 in the floor carpet 9. In other words, since the side reinforcing member R4 has a hat-shaped cross-section, its open end (the end at the rear of the vehicle) is aligned with the opening 10 formed in the floor carpet 9.

[0031] The opening 10 described above is located in an inconspicuous position, particularly near the lower part of the front seats 4A and 4B shown in Figure 1. The air conditioning duct structure has an inclined section 9A in the floor carpet 9 that slopes upward toward the rear of the vehicle from the open end of the side reinforcing member R4 and the opening 10 in the floor carpet 9.

[0032] As a result, the air conditioning duct structure allows air (warm air) from the air conditioning unit 3 to pass through the first air passage F1 of the second center reinforcing member R2, the second air passage F2 of the cross reinforcing member R3, and the third air passage F3 of the side reinforcing member R4, and then to be released from the opening 10. In other words, the air conditioning duct structure releases the cold air from the air conditioning unit 3 towards the rear seat occupants from the air outlet 8 at a predetermined height on the center console 7, and releases the warm air from the air conditioning unit 3 to the rear seat occupants' feet through the opening 10 in the floor.

[0033] Furthermore, the above-described air conditioning duct structure allows for directional control of the air outlet by recessing the floor carpet 9. In other words, if the air outlet were to be located above the floor carpet 9, there is a risk that the air outlet could be stepped on and damaged by the occupants if it is exposed due to the forward sliding of the front seats 4A and 4B. In contrast, the above-described air conditioning duct structure does not have the opening 10, which is the air outlet, located above the floor carpet 9, thus eliminating the risk of it being stepped on by occupants and also allowing for directional control of the air outlet.

[0034] Furthermore, in a more preferred embodiment, the above-described air conditioning duct structure includes a filter 12 that is installed in a state where the opening 10 is closed. The filter 12 in the illustrated example has a mesh 12B provided at the opening of a rectangular frame 12A, which allows air to be introduced into the vehicle interior from the side reinforcing member R4 and prevents objects from entering the interior of the side reinforcing member R4. Moreover, by adopting the above-described filter 12, the recess in the floor surface is eliminated, which prevents situations in which occupants' hands or feet may get caught unintentionally.

[0035] In the above-described vehicle's air conditioning duct structure, the center reinforcing members R1 and R2 function as reinforcing members that improve the strength of the floor panel 1, and also function as ducts that supply air from the air conditioning unit 3 to the rear seats 5. As a result, the above-described air conditioning duct structure has the function of supplying air from the air conditioning unit 3 to the rear seats 5 in the vehicle interior, while simultaneously improving the strength of the floor panel 1 and saving space on the floor panel 1.

[0036] In conventional structures with dedicated air conditioning ducts, soundproofing material with a thickness equivalent to the height of the air conditioning ducts was placed on the floor panel, and floor carpet was laid on top of these to ensure the carpet was flat. In contrast, with the above-described air conditioning duct structure, the cross reinforcement member R3 and side reinforcement member R4 are filled with soundproofing material, and floor carpet is laid flat on top of them. This improves sound insulation compared to conventional structures and also simplifies sorting during recycling.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned vehicle's air conditioning duct structure, the air conditioning unit 3 is installed after the center reinforcing members R1 and R2 are fixed to the floor panel 1. At that time, the air supply pipe 3A of the air conditioning unit 3 can be inserted into the connection port that has been formed in advance on the center reinforcing members R1 and R2, so the installation work can be carried out easily and quickly.

[0038] Furthermore, in addition to the first center reinforcing member R1, the air conditioning duct structure of the above vehicle includes a second center reinforcing member R2, a cross reinforcing member R3, and side reinforcing members R4, which function as reinforcing members for the floor panel 1 and also function as ducts for the air (cold or warm air) of the air conditioning unit 3. As a result, the above air conditioning duct structure can achieve both further strength improvement of the floor panel 1 and space saving on the floor panel 1. In addition, the space between the reinforcing members can be used as mounting space for equipment, which offers advantages such as increased design flexibility.

[0039] Furthermore, in a more preferred embodiment, the air conditioning duct structure of the above-mentioned vehicle can be configured as a casting in which the center reinforcing members R1 and R2, the cross reinforcing member R3, and the side reinforcing member R4 are each integrated. In this case, the material of the casting is not particularly limited, but an example is an aluminum alloy.

[0040] The above-described vehicle air conditioning duct structure can achieve the same functions and effects as the above-described embodiment, while also further improving the rigidity of the vehicle body and the airtightness of the air passages F1 to F3. Furthermore, it offers greater freedom in shape, making it easy to, for example, provide inclined or curved surfaces on the outer periphery of the corners of the air passages, thus contributing to easier and faster fixing to the floor panel 1.

[0041] Furthermore, in the air conditioning duct structure of the above-mentioned vehicle, the relative sizes of the cross-sectional dimensions of the first center reinforcing member R1, the second center reinforcing member R2, the cross reinforcing member R3, and the side reinforcing member R4 are not limited. For example, members with the same length and width dimensions can be used for the second center reinforcing member R2 and the side reinforcing member R4, and a member with longer length and width dimensions equal to the thickness of the plate can be used for the cross reinforcing member R3.

[0042] In this case, as shown in Figure 4, when joining the second center reinforcing member R2, the cross reinforcing member R3, and the side reinforcing member R4, notches are formed in the vertical pieces and the horizontal pieces are arranged to overlap, thereby enabling a seamless joint and ensuring sufficient joint strength.

[0043] The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment in terms of its detailed configuration, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the shape, number, and arrangement of reinforcing members, as well as the connection structure between reinforcing members, can also be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Floor Panel 3 Air conditioner 3A Air supply tube 4A, 4B Front seats 5. Rear seats 6 Partition wall 7 Center Console 8 Air outlet 9 Floor carpet 10 Openings 11 Duct 12 filters 12B Mesh F1 First air passage F2 Second air passage F3 Third air passage F4 Fourth air passage R1 First center reinforcing member R2 Second Center Reinforcement Member R3 Cross Reinforcement Member R4 Side reinforcement member

Claims

1. The floor panel is equipped with a center reinforcing member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, located in the center of the width direction of the vehicle. The air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle is characterized in that the center reinforcing member has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and is continuous in the longitudinal direction, and forms a first air passage between itself and the floor panel for releasing air introduced from the air conditioning system into the passenger compartment.

2. The air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the air supply pipe of the air conditioning device is connected to the center reinforcing member, and the center reinforcing member has a partition wall portion in the first air passage that prevents air from flowing from the connection portion of the air supply pipe toward the front of the vehicle.

3. In a side view, The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the partition wall portion has either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the flow path.

4. Between the front and rear footwells of the floor panel, there is a cross reinforcing member extending in the vehicle width direction from the center reinforcing member, and a side reinforcing member extending in the rear direction from the cross reinforcing member. The cross-reinforcement member has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and is continuous in the longitudinal direction, and forms a second air passage that communicates with the first air passage between itself and the floor panel. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the side reinforcing member has a hat-shaped cross-section that is open downwards and continues in the longitudinal direction, and a third air passage that communicates with the second air passage is formed between it and the floor panel.

5. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the center reinforcing member and the cross reinforcing member are molded to interlock with each other at their joint portions.

6. In a plan view, The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the corner outer circumference side of the first air passage and the second air passage has either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the passage.

7. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the cross reinforcing member and the side reinforcing member are molded to interlock with each other at their joint portions.

8. In a plan view, The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the corner outer circumference side of the second air passage and the third air passage has either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the passage.

9. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the center reinforcing member, the cross reinforcing member, and the side reinforcing member are each made of a single integrated casting.

10. The aforementioned side reinforcing member is positioned between the floor panel and the floor carpet placed above it. The rear end of the side reinforcing member is open in the rear footwell area of ​​the floor carpet. The air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the floor carpet has an inclined portion that slopes upward from its opening towards the rear of the vehicle.

11. The aforementioned center reinforcing member extends to the lower side of the center console, The center console has a fourth air passage extending in the vertical direction and an air outlet that opens to the rear from the upper end of the fourth air passage. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the first air passage and the lower end of the fourth air passage are connected.

12. In a side view, The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 11, characterized in that the corner outer circumference side of the first air passage and the fourth air passage has either an inclined surface or a curved surface as the inner surface of the passage.

13. The air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the floor carpet has an opening for releasing air introduced from the air conditioning unit to the side reinforcing member into the passenger compartment, and the recess of the opening in the floor carpet is eliminated.

14. The filter is installed in a state that closes the aforementioned opening, The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 13, characterized in that the filter has a mesh that allows air to be introduced into the vehicle interior and prevents objects from entering the interior of the side reinforcing member.

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