Vehicular air conditioning duct and assembling method of vehicular air conditioning duct

Abstract

A vehicular air conditioning duct according to the present invention includes: a first divided duct of which one end is connected to an air conditioner of a vehicle and the other end is opened rearward in a front-rear direction of the vehicle; and a second divided duct extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and connected to the first divided duct in a state where one end of the second divided duct is inserted inside of the first divided duct from the other end of the first divided duct. The vehicular air conditioning duct extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at a lower portion of a cabin of the vehicle. A first opening face at the other end of the first divided duct is inclined such that a first portion thereof situated farthest downward in the first opening face in a vertical direction is situated farther on the second divided duct side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle than a second portion thereof situated farthest upward in the first opening face in the vertical direction. The first divided duct includes a linking portion extending from the first opening face along the front-rear direction of the vehicle in a direction opposite to the second divided duct. The linking portion includes a recess. The recess is configured such that, at a part of an inner face of the linking portion that is situated farthest downward in the vertical direction, a region including a portion of said part in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is recessed downward in the vertical direction.

Description

Air conditioning duct for vehicle and method for assembling the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning duct for a vehicle and a method for assembling the air conditioning duct for a vehicle.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioning duct that communicates an air conditioner of a vehicle with an air outlet that blows air toward rear seats of the vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6565532

[0004] Since such an air conditioning duct needs to pass through a narrow gap in a vehicle, it is necessary to divide the air conditioning duct into several parts (divided ducts) and connect the divided ducts to constitute the air conditioning duct. When connecting such divided ducts, an operation of connecting another divided duct to a previously installed divided duct may be performed. However, connection work in a narrow gap in a vehicle is often difficult.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle air conditioning duct that can be easily installed even in a narrow space and a method for assembling the vehicle air conditioning duct.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle air conditioning duct according to the present disclosure comprises a first divided duct, one end of which is connected to the vehicle's air conditioning system and the other end of which opens toward the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a second divided duct, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is connected to the first divided duct, with one end of which is inserted into the interior of the first divided duct from the other end of the first divided duct, and is a vehicle air conditioning duct that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the lower part of the vehicle's passenger compartment, wherein the first opening surface of the other end of the first divided duct is the most vertical of the first opening surface The first portion located lower is inclined to be located closer to the second divided duct in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the second portion located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction, and the first divided duct includes a connecting portion extending from the first opening surface along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the direction opposite to the second divided duct, the connecting portion includes a recess, and the recess is configured such that a region including a portion of the inner surface of the connecting portion located at the lowermost position in the vertical direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is recessed downward in the vertical direction.

[0007] According to the vehicle air conditioning duct of this disclosure, the second divided duct is tilted so that one end of the second divided duct is positioned vertically lower than the other end. One end of the second divided duct is inserted into the first divided duct from the other end of the first divided duct, and the second divided duct is pushed in until one end of the second divided duct is positioned within the recess. Then, the second divided duct is rotated so that the other end of the second divided duct moves vertically downward, thereby extending the second divided duct along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In this state, the second divided duct is moved towards the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thereby connecting the other end of the first divided duct to one end of the second divided duct. Thus, even if the space for installation work is narrow and it is not possible to extend the second divided duct horizontally and connect it to the first divided duct, the second divided duct can still be connected to the first divided duct, making it easy to install the vehicle air conditioning duct even in a narrow space.

[0008] This is a cross-sectional view of a part of a vehicle air conditioning duct according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of one end of the second divided duct in a vehicle air conditioning duct according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating the operation of connecting the second divided duct to the first divided duct and the third divided duct, which are installed earlier, in a vehicle air conditioning duct according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Hereinafter, a vehicle air conditioning duct according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below represent one aspect of the present disclosure and are not limiting, and can be modified at will within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure.

[0010] The vehicle air conditioning duct of this disclosure is installed in the lower part of the passenger compartment of a vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. One end of the vehicle air conditioning duct of this disclosure is connected to the vehicle's air conditioning system, and the other end of the vehicle air conditioning duct is connected to an outlet that blows air toward the rear seats of the vehicle.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, a duct 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first divided duct 1, a second divided duct 2, and a third divided duct 3, with one end 1b connected to the vehicle's air conditioning system 100 and the other end 1a opening toward the rear in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The first divided duct 1 and the second divided duct 2 are connected such that one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 is inserted into the first divided duct 1 from the other end 1a of the first divided duct 1. The other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 is connected to one end 3a of the third divided duct 3. The second divided duct 2 is connected to the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 respectively, extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The configuration in which the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 and one end 3a of the third divided duct 3 are connected is not particularly limited. For example, similar to the connection configuration between the first divided duct 1 and the second divided duct 2, the second divided duct 2 and the third divided duct 3 may be connected such that the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 is inserted into the interior of the third divided duct 3 from one end 3a of the third divided duct 3.

[0012] The opening surface 4 (first opening surface) at the other end 1a of the first divided duct 1 is inclined such that the first portion 4a, which is located at the lowest point in the vertical direction, is located closer to the second divided duct 2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the second portion 4b, which is located at the highest point in the vertical direction. The first divided duct 1 includes a connecting portion 5 that extends from the opening surface 4 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the direction opposite to the second divided duct 2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The connecting portion 5 includes a recessed portion 6. The recessed portion 6 is constructed such that a region 5b including a portion 5a1 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle of the lowest point in the vertical direction of the inner surface 5a of the connecting portion 5 is recessed downward in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 5 may further include a sealing surface portion 5c between the opening surface 4 and the recessed portion 6 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, on which the inner surface 5a of the connecting portion 5 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0013] As will be described later regarding the operation of connecting the first divided duct 1 and the second divided duct 2, the configuration in which the opening surface 4 at the other end 1a of the first divided duct 1 is inclined as described above is an essential configuration. However, from the perspective of the operation of connecting the first divided duct 1 and the second divided duct 2, it is preferable, though not an essential, configuration for the opening surface 7 (second opening surface) at one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 to also be inclined in the configuration described below. That is, when the second divided duct 2 is connected to the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 respectively, it is preferable that the opening surface 7 is inclined such that the third portion 7a of the opening surface 7, which is located at the lowest point in the vertical direction, is located closer to the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the fourth portion 7b of the opening surface 7, which is located at the highest point in the vertical direction.

[0014] A sealing member 8 is provided on the outer circumferential surface 2c of the portion of the second divided duct 2 that is inserted inside the first divided duct 1. As shown in Figure 2, a groove 9 may be formed on the outer circumferential surface 2c, and the sealing member 8 may be provided on the outer circumferential surface 2c so that it fits into the groove 9.

[0015] Furthermore, the recessed portion 6 may include an inclined portion 6a that slopes vertically upward toward the opening surface 4 between the lowest vertically located portion 6a1 and the opening surface 4. In Figure 1, the inclined portion 6a is depicted as being formed in a part of the vehicle's longitudinal direction between portion 6a1 and the opening surface 4, but it may also have a configuration that slopes upward from portion 6a1 to the opening surface 4.

[0016] Next, the process of assembling the duct 10 by connecting the second divided duct 2 to the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3, respectively, with the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 already installed, will be explained with reference to Figure 3.

[0017] With the second divided duct 2 tilted horizontally so that one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 is positioned vertically below the other end 2b, one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 is inserted into the first divided duct 1 from the other end 1a of the first divided duct 1, and the second divided duct 2 is pushed in until one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 is positioned within the recess 6. Next, the second divided duct 2 is rotated so that the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 moves vertically downward (in the direction of arrow A), so that the second divided duct 2 extends horizontally. Finally, the second divided duct 2 is moved toward the third divided duct 3 (in the direction of arrow B), connecting the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 with one end 3a of the third divided duct 3. In this way, the first divided duct 1 and the second divided duct 2 are connected with one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 inserted into the interior of the first divided duct 1 from the other end 1a of the first divided duct 1, and the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 is connected to one end 3a of the third divided duct 3.

[0018] According to the above method, even if the space between the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 is narrow and the second divided duct 2, which is installed between the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 so as to extend horizontally, cannot be inserted into the space between the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 in a state that extends horizontally, the second divided duct 2 can be connected to the first divided duct 1 and the third divided duct 3 respectively, so that the duct 10 can be easily installed even in a narrow space.

[0019] Furthermore, if there is no third divided duct 3 and the second divided duct 2 is connected to the first divided duct 1, the procedure is the same as described above, except that there is no operation to connect the other end 2b of the second divided duct 2 to one end 3a of the third divided duct 3.

[0020] If the opening surface 7 (see Figure 1) of one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 is configured to be inclined as described above, it becomes easier to insert one end 2a of the second divided duct 2 into the interior of the first divided duct 1 from the other end 1a of the first divided duct 1, so that the duct 10 can be installed even more easily in a narrow space.

[0021] As described above, if there is a sealing surface 5c between the opening surface 4 and the recessed portion 6, the sealing member 8 can be made to seal the space between the outer peripheral surface 2c of the second divided duct 2 and the sealing surface 5c by moving the second divided duct 2 toward the third divided duct 3 in the above method, so that the duct can be installed even more easily in a narrow space. Furthermore, as described above, if the sealing member 8 is fitted into the groove 9 (see Figure 2), the risk of the sealing member 8 shifting position or coming off the outer peripheral surface 2c when moving the second divided duct 2 toward the third divided duct 3 can be reduced. Moreover, as described above, if there is an inclined portion 6a between the lowest part 6a1 and the opening surface 4, the conditioned air discharged from the air conditioning device 100 can flow through the first divided duct 1, into the recessed portion 6, and then the conditioned air can flow smoothly into the second divided duct 2.

[0022] 1. First divided duct 1a. Other end (of the first divided duct) 1b. One end (of the first divided duct) 2. Second divided duct 2a. One end (of the second divided duct) 2b. Other end (of the second divided duct) 2c. Outer surface (of a part of the second divided duct) 3. Third divided duct 3a. One end (of the third divided duct) 4. Opening surface (first opening surface) (of the first divided duct) 4a. First part (of the first opening surface) 4b. Second part (of the first opening surface) 5. Connecting part 5a. Inner surface (of the connecting part) 5a1. Part (of the inner surface of the connecting part) 5b. Region (including a part of the connecting part) 5c. Sealing surface 6. Recessed part 6a. Inclined part 6a1. The lowest part (of the recessed part) 7. 7a (Opening surface of the second opening surface at one end of the second divided duct) 7b (Third part of the second opening surface) 7b (Fourth part of the second opening surface) 8 Seal member 9 Groove 10 Duct 100 Vehicle air conditioning system

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning duct extending in the lower part of the passenger compartment of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, comprising: a first divided duct having one end connected to the vehicle's air conditioning system and the other end opening toward the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and a second divided duct extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and connected to the first divided duct with one end inserted into the interior of the first divided duct from the other end of the first divided duct, wherein the first opening surface of the other end of the first divided duct is inclined such that the first portion located at the lowest point of the first opening surface in the vertical direction is located toward the second divided duct in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the second portion located at the highest point in the vertical direction; and the first divided duct includes a connecting portion extending from the first opening surface along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the direction opposite to the second divided duct. The connecting portion includes a recess, and the recess is configured such that a region of the inner surface of the connecting portion, the lowest part in the vertical direction, including a portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is recessed downward in the vertical direction.

2. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 1, wherein the second opening surface at one end of the second divided duct is inclined such that the third portion, which is located at the lowest point in the vertical direction, is located on the other end side of the second divided duct in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, more so than the fourth portion, which is located at the highest point in the vertical direction.

3. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recessed portion includes an inclined portion that slopes upward in the vertical direction toward the first opening surface, between the lowest portion in the vertical direction and the first opening surface.

4. A vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a sealing member is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the second divided duct that is inserted into the interior of the first divided duct, and the sealing member abuts against the inner surface of the connecting portion, and the connecting portion further includes a sealing surface portion between the first opening surface and the recess in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, where the inner surface of the connecting portion extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the sealing member abuts against the inner surface of the connecting portion.

5. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 4, wherein a groove for fitting the sealing member is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second divided duct.

6. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a third divided duct, one end of which is connected to the other end of the second divided duct.

7. A method for assembling a vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 6, comprising connecting one end of the second divided duct to the other end of the first divided duct, and connecting the other end of the second divided duct to one end of the third divided duct, with one end of the first divided duct connected to the air conditioning device and the other end of the third divided duct fixed to the vehicle.

8. Connecting one end of the second divided duct to the other end of the first divided duct includes inserting one end of the second divided duct into the first divided duct until one end of the second divided duct is located within the recess, and with one end of the second divided duct located within the recess, the other end of the second divided duct is located closer to the first divided duct than one end of the third divided duct in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than one end of the third divided duct. This is the method for assembling a vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 7.

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