Vehicle vent duct

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle vent duct which can inhibit entry of noise into a passenger compartment while maintaining ventilation performance.SOLUTION: A vehicle vent duct 10 includes a duct body 20 that is attached to a vehicle body and includes openings 23 that allow communication between the inside of the vehicle cabin and the outside of the vehicle cabin, and locking claws 30 provided at an upper edge of each opening 23; and valve elements each of which is formed of a flexible material and engaged with the locking claws 30 at the duct body 20 in a swingable state and covers the opening 23. Each locking claw 30 is provided with a swing restriction part 30A which restricts swinging of an upper part of the valve element 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle ventilation duct.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a ventilation duct including a duct body and a valve body. In the ventilation duct described in Patent Document 1, an insertion hole of the valve body is swingably inserted into a mounting pin formed in the duct body. By devising the shape of the insertion hole of the valve body, a structure is formed in which the valve body can be swung largely to the outside of the vehicle cabin.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the ventilation duct disclosed in Patent Document 1, due to the influence of the airflow during vehicle travel and the vibration of the vehicle, etc., the valve body may flutter, and there is a possibility that noise may enter the vehicle cabin. On the other hand, if the mass of the valve body is increased, the fluttering of the valve body can be suppressed, but there is a possibility that the ventilation performance, which is the original function of the ventilation duct, may deteriorate.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle ventilation duct that can suppress the entry of noise into the vehicle cabin while maintaining the ventilation performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle vent duct according to claim 1 comprises a duct body that is attached to a vehicle body and includes an opening that connects the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle, and a locking claw portion provided on the upper edge of the opening, and a valve body made of a flexible material that is pivotably locked to the locking claw portion of the duct body and covers the opening, wherein the locking claw portion is provided with a swing limiting portion that limits the swinging of the upper part of the valve body. Furthermore, the oscillation limiting portion is provided at a position in the locking claw portion facing the valve body, and is configured to include a contact surface that contacts the valve body when the valve body opens from a closed state covering the opening, and the contact surface is a curved surface that is curved such that the valve body side is convex. .

[0007] The vehicle vent duct according to claim 1 comprises a duct body that is attached to the vehicle body, and the duct body has an opening that connects the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, a locking claw is provided on the upper edge of the opening in the duct body, and a valve body is locked to this locking claw in a swingable state. The valve body is made of a flexible material, and the opening is covered by the valve body. As a result, in an unloaded state, the opening is covered by the valve body, which can suppress noise from outside the vehicle from entering the vehicle interior. Furthermore, when a pressure difference occurs between the inside of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle, the valve body swings and the opening is temporarily opened, allowing air from inside the vehicle to be exhausted.

[0008] Furthermore, the locking claw portion is provided with a swing-restricting portion, which restricts the swinging of the upper part of the valve body. As a result, the valve body has a structure in which the lower part bends while the upper part is restrained, opening the opening. A force acts on the valve body from the swing-restricting portion in a direction that covers the opening, thus suppressing the flapping of the valve body without increasing the mass of the valve body.

[0010] moreover Furthermore, the upper part of the valve body can be restrained by making surface contact with the contact surface when the valve body swings.

[0012] Also Because the contact surface is a curved surface, the valve body deforms by bending along the curved surface. This prevents the concentration of load on the valve body.

[0013] Claim 2The vehicle vent duct according to the present invention described in claim 1 In this configuration, the gap between the upper end of the curved surface and the duct body is formed to be the same as the thickness of the valve body, or slightly larger than the thickness of the valve body.

[0014] Claim 2 In the vehicle vent duct according to the present invention described herein, the gap in the portion that restrains the valve body is approximately the same as the thickness of the valve body. This allows the upper part of the valve body to be well restrained, and the flapping of the valve body can be effectively suppressed.

[0015] Claim 3 The vehicle vent duct according to the present invention as described in claim 1 or 2 In this configuration, the locking claws and valve bodies are arranged in multiple locations in the vertical direction, and the oscillation limiting portion located below the oscillation limiting portion located above the oscillation limiting portion is configured to limit the oscillation of the valve body more significantly.

[0016] Claim 3 In the vehicle vent duct according to the present invention described herein, the lower valve body is less prone to oscillation than the upper valve body. This suppresses the entry of noise from below, such as road noise, into the vehicle cabin. Furthermore, the large oscillation of the upper valve body maintains ventilation performance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the vehicle vent duct according to the present invention can suppress the entry of noise into the vehicle interior while maintaining ventilation performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a rearward perspective view of a vehicle to which the vehicle vent duct according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a vehicle vent duct according to an embodiment. [Figure 3]It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing the state cut along the 3-3 line in FIG. 2, where (A) shows the closed state and (B) shows the open state. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing the open state of a vehicle vent duct in a modified example, where (A) shows the cross-section of the uppermost stage, (B) shows the cross-section of the middle stage, and (C) shows the cross-section of the lowermost stage. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a vehicle vent duct according to a comparative example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, the vehicle vent duct 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrow UP appropriately shown in each figure indicates the upper side of the vehicle, the arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction). Also, in the following description, when the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are used without special mention, the front-rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, the up-down in the vehicle up-down direction, and the left-right when facing the traveling direction are indicated.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 12 to which the vehicle vent duct 10 according to the embodiment is applied, seen from the rear side. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle vent duct 10 (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "vent duct 10") according to the present embodiment is a cowl vent duct provided at the rear side portion of the vehicle (vehicle body) 12. Specifically, the vent duct 10 is provided on a cowl panel 14 that constitutes a part of the outer panel of the vehicle body of the vehicle 12 and separates the vehicle interior and the vehicle exterior.

[0021] The vent duct 10 is covered by the outer portion 16A of the rear bumper cover 16 in the vehicle width direction, but in Figure 1, for the sake of explanation, the vent duct 10 is shown as visible from the outside of the vehicle. Here, for example, when an air conditioning system (not shown) is activated, or when the side door 18 is closed, the system is configured so that when the pressure inside the vehicle becomes higher than the pressure outside the vehicle, the air inside the vehicle is discharged to the outside through the vent duct 10. In this embodiment, the vent duct 10 is provided on the left side of the vehicle 12, but it is not limited to this, and the vent duct 10 may be provided on the right side of the vehicle 12, or on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, the vent duct 10 may be provided on other parts of the vehicle 12.

[0022] Figure 2 is a front view of a vent duct 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the vent duct 10 mainly consists of a duct body 20 and five valve bodies 22. The duct body 20 is made of resin and has a substantially rectangular frame 24 with the vertical direction of the vehicle as its longitudinal direction when viewed from the side of the vehicle, but the shape of the duct body 20 is not particularly limited.

[0023] The frame 24 is composed of an upper wall portion 24A located at the top and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (left-right direction on the page), a lower wall portion 24B located at the bottom and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a pair of side wall portions 24C connecting the ends of the upper wall portion 24A and the lower wall portion 24B. As shown in Figure 3(A), an opening 23 is formed on the inside of the frame 24, and this opening 23 connects the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle. The opening 23 is closed from the outside of the vehicle by a valve body 22.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the duct body 20 is provided with lateral connecting parts 26 that connect a pair of side wall portions 24C in the frame 24. The lateral connecting parts 26 are provided at equal intervals in the vertical direction of the duct body 20, and in this embodiment, as an example, four lateral connecting parts 26 are provided. Therefore, the opening 23 is divided into five sections by the upper wall portion 24A, the lower wall portion 24B, and the four lateral connecting parts 26, and each opening 23 is covered by five valve bodies 22.

[0025] Furthermore, the duct body 20 is provided with a plurality of ribs 28 that connect the upper wall portion 24A and the lower wall portion 24B of the frame 24. In this embodiment, three ribs 28 are provided, and the lateral connecting portion 26 is connected vertically by the ribs 28. Each of the ribs 28 is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from top to bottom, and the back surface of the valve body 22 is supported by the ribs 28.

[0026] In this configuration, the duct body 20 is provided with multiple locking claws 30, and the valve body 22 is locked to these locking claws 30. In this embodiment, as an example, three locking claws 30 are provided on the upper edge of each of the five partitioned openings 23, and the valve body 22 is locked to the duct body 20 by these three locking claws 30.

[0027] Figures 3(A) and 3(B) are enlarged cross-sectional views of the main parts, showing the state when cut along line 3-3 in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3(A), the locking claw portion 30 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper edge of the opening 23, and is formed in a shape in which the thickness in the vertical direction gradually decreases from the machine end to the tip. The locking claw portion 30 is molded integrally with the duct body 20, and the valve body 22 is attached between the locking claw portion 30 and the duct body 20.

[0028] At the position of the locking claw portion 30 facing the valve body 22, a swing limiting portion and a curved surface 30A are formed, which are curved so that the valve body 22 side is convex. The curved surface 30A is the surface that the valve body 22 contacts when it opens from a closed state covering the opening 23, and the swinging of the upper part of the valve body 22 is restricted when the valve body 22 contacts this curved surface 30A.

[0029] The valve body 22 is formed in a sheet shape from a flexible material, and in this embodiment, as an example, the valve body 22 is formed from a rubber sheet. A mounting hole 22A is formed in the upper part of the valve body 22, penetrating in the thickness direction, and the size of the mounting hole 22A is formed to be approximately the same as the base end of the locking claw portion 30 on the duct body 20.

[0030] Since the valve body 22 is made of a thin rubber sheet, the mounting hole 22A can be enlarged, and the valve body 22 can be attached to the duct body 20 by inserting the mounting hole 22A from the tip side of the locking claw portion 30. The valve body 22 is also pivotably locked to the locking claw portion 30 and covers the opening 23.

[0031] The valve body 22 is formed with approximately the same thickness from its upper end to its lower end, and the thickness of the valve body 22 is approximately the same as the gap between the locking claw portion 30 and the duct body 20. However, to account for dimensional tolerances during manufacturing, the gap between the locking claw portion 30 and the duct body 20 may be made slightly larger than the thickness of the valve body 22.

[0032] Here, Figure 3(A) illustrates the closed state in which the opening 23 is covered by the valve body 22. In this closed state, since the opening 23 is blocked, ventilation does not occur between the inside and outside of the vehicle. In addition, the valve body 22 suppresses noise generated outside the vehicle 12 from entering the vehicle interior.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the thickness of the valve body 22 is approximately the same as the gap between the locking claw portion 30 and the duct body 20, the upper part of the valve body 22 is in contact with the upper end of the curved surface 30A of the locking claw portion 30 when it is closed.

[0034] In the closed state shown in Figure 3(A), if an air conditioning system (not shown) is activated, or if the side door 18 is closed, or if the pressure inside the vehicle becomes higher than the pressure outside the vehicle, the system will transition to the open state shown in Figure 3(B).

[0035] As shown in Figure 3(B), in the open state, the valve body 22 swings outward due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle, and the opening 23 is opened. At this time, the area around the mounting hole 22A of the valve body 22 is restrained by the locking claw portion 30 and the duct body 20, and the portion below the mounting hole 22A deforms to a position where it makes surface contact with the curved surface 30A.

[0036] When the air inside the vehicle is discharged through the opening 23 and the pressure inside and outside the vehicle becomes roughly the same, the valve body 22 returns to the closed state due to the force received from the curved surface 30A of the locking claw portion 30 and the restoring force of the valve body 22 itself.

[0037] (action) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0038] In this embodiment, the vent duct 10 includes a duct body 20 that is attached to the vehicle body, and the duct body 20 has an opening 23 that connects the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, a locking claw portion 30 is provided on the upper edge of the opening 23 in the duct body 20, and the valve body 22 is locked to this locking claw portion 30 in a swingable state.

[0039] Here, the valve body 22 is made of a flexible material, and the opening 23 is covered by the valve body 22. As a result, as shown in Figure 3(A), in an unloaded state, the opening 23 is covered by the valve body 22, which suppresses noise from outside the vehicle from entering the vehicle interior.

[0040] Furthermore, when a pressure difference occurs between the inside and outside of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 3(B), the valve body 22 swings, temporarily opening the opening 23, thereby ventilating the vehicle interior. Here, the locking claw portion 30 is provided with a curved surface 30A, which restricts the swinging of the upper part of the valve body 22. As a result, the valve body 22 is structured so that the opening 23 is opened when the lower part bends while the upper part is restrained, and a force acts on the valve body 22 from the curved surface 30A in a direction that covers the opening 23. This suppresses the flapping of the valve body 22 without increasing the mass of the valve body 22. In other words, the vent duct 10 according to this embodiment can suppress the entry of noise into the vehicle interior while maintaining ventilation performance.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper part of the valve body 22 can be restrained by surface contact between the upper part of the valve body 22 and the curved surface 30A when the valve body 22 swings. In particular, since the contact surface is a curved surface 30A as in this embodiment, the valve body 22 deforms by bending along the curved surface 30A. This suppresses the concentration of load on the valve body 22. That is, if the contact surface is a flat surface, the valve body 22 deforms by bending from the lower end of the contact surface, so there is a possibility that the load will be concentrated at the bent part. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the contact surface is a curved surface 30A that is convex toward the valve body 22, the valve body 22 can be deformed by bending along the curved surface 30A, and the concentration of load on the valve body 22 can be suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gap in the portion that restrains the valve body 22 is approximately the same as the thickness of the valve body 22. This allows the upper part of the valve body 22 to be well restrained, effectively suppressing the flapping of the valve body 22.

[0043] These effects will be explained in comparison with the comparative example vent duct 100. Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part corresponding to Figure 3, showing the vehicle vent duct according to the comparative example. As shown in Figure 5, the comparative example vent duct 100 includes a duct body 102. The duct body 102 has the same structure as the vent duct 10 of this embodiment, except that it does not have a locking claw portion 30.

[0044] An opening 103 is formed in the vent duct 100, and the interior of the vehicle and the exterior of the vehicle are connected through this opening 103. The opening 103 is covered by a valve body 104 attached to the duct body 102.

[0045] The valve body 104 is formed from a rubber sheet, similar to this embodiment, and a mounting hole 104A is formed in the upper part of the valve body 104. The mounting hole 104A is inserted through a mounting pin 102A formed in the duct body 102, and is configured to swing relative to the duct body 102. In Figure 5, the closed state of the valve body 104 is shown by a dashed line, and the open state is shown by a solid line.

[0046] As the vent duct 100 of the comparative example is configured as described above, the upper part of the valve body 104 is not restrained even when it is in the open position, and the valve body 104 swings with almost no bending. Therefore, the valve body may flap due to the effects of airflow and vibrations of the vehicle while it is in motion, which may cause noise to frequently enter the passenger compartment.

[0047] In contrast, in the vent duct 10 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(B), the valve body 22 is locked by the locking claw portion 30, and the upper part of the valve body 22 is restrained when it is in the open state. This prevents the valve body 22 from opening due to the effects of airflow or vehicle vibrations.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the upper part of the valve body 22 is in contact with the locking claw portion 30, it is possible to suppress the valve body 22 from bending or kinking. In addition, since the assembly of the valve body 22 is completed when the valve body 22 is fully inserted into the locking claw portion 30, it is possible to easily check for any defects in the assembly of the valve body 22.

[0049] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, all five locking claw portions 30 arranged in the vertical direction have the same shape, but this is not limited to this. For example, a modified configuration shown in Figure 4 may be adopted.

[0050] (modified version) Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing the open state of the vehicle vent duct 10 in a modified example. Here, Figure 4(A) shows the uppermost cross-section of the duct body 20. Figure 4(B) shows the middle section, i.e., the third section from the top. Furthermore, Figure 4(C) shows the lowermost cross-section.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4(A), the locking claw portion 50 formed at the uppermost part of the duct body 20 has an angle θ1 between its upper surface, which extends approximately horizontally, and its lower surface. In addition, a curved surface 50A is formed on the portion of the locking claw portion 50 that faces the valve body 22.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4(B), the locking claw portion 52 formed in the middle (third) section of the duct body 20 has an angle of θ2 between its upper surface, which extends approximately horizontally, and its lower surface. In addition, a curved surface 52A is formed on the portion of the locking claw portion 52 that faces the valve body 22.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4(C), the locking claw portion 54 formed at the lowest part of the duct body 20 has an angle of θ3 between its upper surface, which extends approximately horizontally, and its lower surface. In addition, a curved surface 54A is formed on the portion of the locking claw portion 54 that faces the valve body 22.

[0054] In this modified example, the relationship θ1 < θ2 < θ3 holds. Therefore, curved surface 52A is longer than curved surface 50A, and curved surface 54A is longer than curved surface 52A. For this reason, in this modified example, the amount of restriction on the oscillation of the valve body 22 is greater for the curved surface located below than for the curved surface located above.

[0055] The angle of the locking claw formed on the second row from the top of the duct body 20 may be either θ1 or θ2, or it may be formed at an angle between θ1 and θ2. Similarly, the angle of the locking claw formed on the fourth row from the top of the duct body 20 may be either θ2 or θ3, or it may be formed at an angle between θ2 and θ3.

[0056] In this modified version, the valve body 22 mounted below the duct body 20 is less prone to oscillation than the valve body 22 mounted above the duct body 20. This suppresses the entry of noise from below, such as road noise, into the vehicle cabin. Furthermore, the larger oscillation of the upper valve body 22 maintains ventilation performance.

[0057] Although the vent duct 10 according to embodiments and modified examples has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the above embodiments, the duct body 20 was formed from a resin component and the valve body 22 was formed from a rubber sheet, but the invention is not limited to this and may be formed from other materials. For example, at least one of the duct body 20 and the valve body 22 may be made of a material that includes sound-absorbing material. In this case, even when the valve body 22 is in the open state, some of the noise entering the vehicle interior from outside the vehicle interior can be absorbed.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the coefficient of friction of the inner surface of the valve body 22 may be increased. In this case, when the valve body 22 is in the closed state, the frictional force acting between the valve body 22 and the duct body 20 can prevent the valve body 22 from easily separating from the duct body 20. In addition, a similar effect can be obtained by increasing the coefficient of friction of the surfaces of the lateral connecting portion 26 and rib 28 of the duct body 20 that come into contact with the valve body 22. Methods for increasing the coefficient of friction include attaching a material with a high coefficient of friction, coating a material with a high coefficient of friction, and roughening the surface.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, five valve bodies 22 were arranged vertically, but this is not limited to this. For example, the number of valve bodies 22 arranged vertically may be less than four, or six or more. Alternatively, multiple valve bodies 22 may be arranged in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (left-right direction on the page).

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the locking claw portion 30 is provided with a curved surface 30A as shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B), but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the surface of the locking claw portion 30 facing the valve body 22 may be flat. Alternatively, for example, the locking claw portion 30 may be formed in a folded shape, and the cross-section may be a roughly V-shape with the interior side open. In this case, the folded tip portion of the locking claw portion 30 corresponds to the "oscillation limiting portion" of the present invention. In addition, the folded tip portion and the valve body 22 make point contact to limit the oscillation of the valve body 22, and this structure also restrains the upper part of the valve body 22, similar to the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10 Vent Ducts 20 Duct body 22 Valve body 23 Opening 30 Locking claw portion 30A Curved surface (oscillation limiting part, contact surface) 50 Locking claw portion 50A Curved surface (oscillation limiting part, contact surface) 52 Locking claw portion 52A Curved surface (oscillation limiting part, contact surface) 54 Locking claw portion 54A Curved surface (oscillation limiting part, contact surface)

Claims

1. A duct body that is attached to the vehicle body and includes an opening that connects the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle, and a locking claw portion provided on the upper edge of the opening, A valve body formed of a flexible material, which is pivotably locked to the locking claw portion of the duct body and covers the opening, It has, The locking claw portion is provided with a swing limiting portion that restricts the swinging of the upper part of the valve body. The oscillation limiting portion is provided at a position in the locking claw portion facing the valve body and is configured to include a contact surface that contacts the valve body when the valve body opens from a closed state covering the opening. The aforementioned contact surface is a curved surface that is curved such that the valve body side is convex, in a vehicle vent duct.

2. The vehicle vent duct according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the upper end of the curved surface and the duct body is formed to be the same as the thickness of the valve body, or slightly larger than the thickness of the valve body.

3. The locking claws and valve bodies are arranged in multiple locations in the vertical direction. The vehicle vent duct according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the oscillation limiting portion located below the oscillation limiting portion located above is configured to limit the oscillation of the valve body by a larger amount.

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