Collapsible HVAC Duct for Dashboard Component Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional HVAC systems in vehicles require extensive and costly disassembly to access components like the automotive heads-up display (AHUD) and other dashboard components for maintenance, making it inefficient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible air duct system that selectively defines sealed and collapsed positions, allowing the nested portion to be removed through an access aperture for accessing display modules without disassembling the dashboard, using a telescoping mechanism with laterally slidable members and structural brackets for easy sliding and reinsertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional fixed ductwork is used in the dashboard, then the HVAC system maintains sealed and stable air flow, but accessing display modules and interior components requires extensive disassembly of the dashboard
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct is divided into multiple separable sections including a fixed portion and a nested portion that can be independently removed. This segmentation allows the nested portion to be accessed and removed through the access aperture without requiring disassembly of the entire dashboard, thereby improving accessibility while maintaining the integrity of the fixed duct sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The air duct transitions from a static, fixed structure to a dynamic, collapsible structure. The nested portion can be slid between the first and second nested ducts and removed through the access aperture, enabling the duct to adapt its configuration for maintenance access while returning to its sealed position for normal operation.
2Ease of operation
If the air duct is made collapsible and removable, then accessibility to interior components is improved, but the sealing and structural stability of the HVAC system may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The nested portion is designed to nest within the first and second nested ducts when not in use. This nesting arrangement allows the collapsible section to be stored compactly within the duct structure itself, maintaining a sealed configuration during normal operation while enabling easy removal through the access aperture when needed for maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle dashboard includes an air duct proximate an access aperture. The air duct selectively defines sealed and collapsed positions. A display module is positioned proximate the air duct. The display module is selectively accessible via the access aperture when the air duct is in the collapsed position. The collapsed position characterized by a nested portion of the air duct being removed from a duct receptacle.