JP2001213195A - Instrument panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an instrument panel capable of reducing the number of parts and assembly man-hours and improving air conditioning efficiency. SOLUTION: This instrument panel consists of a panel basic member which is molded into a required shape and is made of a synthetic resin and a rear basic member 12 having a shape mountable substantially on a whole face of a rear surface of the panel basic member 11 and formed of recessed parts 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 66, 67 in required positions. When the rear basic member 12 is mounted on the panel basic member 11, respective spaces formed by the recessed parts 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 66, 67 are used as multipurpose spaces such as air flow passage and equipment installation part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an instrument panel, and more particularly, to an instrument panel having a back substrate attached to a panel substrate, the space defined between the substrates being provided with an air flow passage or the like. The present invention relates to an instrument panel used as a multipurpose space such as a device installation section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle such as a passenger car, an instrument panel as a large interior component extending in the vehicle width direction is installed in the front of a passenger compartment. This instrument panel is mainly composed of a synthetic resin panel base material formed into a required shape premised on a design design, and instrumentation units and air conditioning Various in-vehicle electronic devices such as panels and audio units are installed. On the other hand, in front of the passenger compartment, an air conditioner unit whose operation is controlled by the air conditioning operation panel is installed, and this air conditioner unit is covered with the instrument panel. And
The temperature-controlled air sent from the air conditioner unit is supplied from the air outlets (air outlets) provided on the outer surface of the instrument panel to the rear of the passenger compartment (for passenger compartment air conditioning).
And blows out toward the inside of the windshield (for defrost). That is, inside the instrument panel (on the back side), an air guide duct that connects the air conditioner unit side to the air outlet is provided, and temperature-controlled air from the air conditioner unit flows through the air guide duct. Then, you will be guided to each air outlet. The air guide duct is a hollow body having a rectangular, circular or irregular cross-sectional shape so that it can be disposed inside the instrument panel, and is made of polyethylene (PE).
Blow molded products made of such materials are mainly used.

In addition, on-vehicle electronic devices such as the air conditioner unit, the meter unit, the air conditioning operation panel, and the audio unit, and the on-vehicle computer for comprehensively controlling these units are provided by a large number of devices arranged behind the instrument panel. Each is electrically connected by a wire harness (wire material), and an electrical system is formed by these wire harnesses. The wire harness is configured by bundling the electric wires together using a binding tape, a binding band, or the like, and attaching a fitting part (bracket) for fixing the vehicle body to an appropriate position, and using the fitting part. It is arranged while being locked at an appropriate position of the vehicle body or the back side of the instrument panel. The in-vehicle computer and the like are installed at required positions on the panel base material or the vehicle body using screws, bolts, or the like.

[0004]

Since the air guide duct is a blow-molded article made of polyethylene or the like, it has an advantage that it has appropriate rigidity and can be formed lightly and inexpensively. However, dew condensation is likely to occur due to the temperature difference between the inside of the duct and the outside of the duct, and unpleasant noise may occur due to contact with other members, further reducing the operating noise of the blower inside the air conditioner unit. Various problems, such as transmission to the passenger compartment, were inherent. For this reason, measures have been taken to improve the heat insulation effect and the soundproofing effect by attaching a urethane sheet or the like to the outer surface of the duct, but there has been a problem that the cost increases because the material cost and the work process increase. . Further, the air guide duct has a very complicated bent shape in order to avoid interference with various in-vehicle devices installed on the instrument panel, and the flow of temperature-controlled air from the air conditioner unit is deteriorated. It is pointed out that the air-conditioning efficiency is reduced, and that the assembling work on the back side of the instrument panel is troublesome.

On the other hand, the wire harness of the electrical system includes:
Even if the wiring process is performed by using the attachment parts, it is often exposed inside the instrument panel. For this reason, the vehicle may vibrate, contact with other members, or be partially pulled due to the vibration of the vehicle during traveling, and in some cases, the conductive wire may be exposed due to wear of the covering material, which may cause a short circuit or disconnection. . Moreover, since the wiring and bundling work of the wire harness and the installation work of the in-vehicle computer and the like are performed in a separate process from the installation work of the instrument panel, the work of assembling the vehicle body is unexpectedly troublesome and time consuming. Therefore, realization of rationalization and simplification of the work has been desired.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed to suitably solve the above-mentioned problems, and a back substrate having a concave portion formed at a required position is mounted almost entirely on the back side of a panel substrate. By using the space formed by the concave portion as a flow passage for temperature-controlled air sent from an air conditioner unit and a device installation part for on-vehicle equipment, the number of parts, the number of assembly steps, the air conditioning efficiency, etc. are improved. It is an object of the present invention to provide an instrument panel aiming at:

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems and achieve the intended object, an instrument panel according to the present invention comprises a panel base made of a synthetic resin formed into a required shape, and a panel base. A back substrate having a shape that can be mounted almost entirely on the back surface of the material and having a concave portion formed at a required position, and when the back substrate is mounted on the panel substrate, an image is formed by the concave portion. It is characterized in that the space formed is used as a multipurpose space such as an air flow passage or a device installation section.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an instrument panel according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to preferred embodiments. For convenience of explanation, FIG.
, The occupant side (front side) is the front side of the instrument panel, and the windshield side is the rear side of the instrument panel.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an instrument panel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a panel base material and a back base material constituting the panel are separated from each other. FIG. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the instrument panel taken along a center portion, FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the instrument panel taken at a passenger seat portion, and FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the instrument panel taken at a driver seat portion. It is. As shown in FIG. 1, the instrument panel 10 of the present embodiment is mounted on a panel substrate 11 formed in an outer design shape of the entire panel 10 and substantially entirely on the back surface of the panel substrate 11. And a backing substrate 12.

(Panel Substrate) The panel substrate 11 is made of, for example, a resin material such as polyethylene or polypropylene mixed with a required amount of talc or glass fiber by using an injection molding technique. It has the required rigidity. In this panel substrate 11, an installation opening 13 for the instrument unit 50 is provided on the driver's seat side, and an installation opening 14 for the glove box 51 and an installation opening 15 for the airbag 52 are provided on the passenger's seat side. The installation opening 16 for the air-conditioning operation panel 53 and the audio unit 54
Is formed at the center. In addition, air outlets (in the vicinity of the left and right ends and the central portion (upper portion of the front panel 17 attached to the installation opening 16) on the front surface of the panel base material 11 and the left and right ends and the rear portion of the upper surface of the panel base 11 are provided. First to fourth air outlets 18, 19, 20, 21 to which (not shown) are attached are formed. Further, a fifth air outlet 68 is formed below the passenger seat (below the installation opening 14), and a sixth air outlet 69 is formed below the driver seat.

The first air outlet 18 and the second air outlet 19 are used for air conditioning in the passenger compartment for guiding the temperature-controlled air delivered from the air conditioner unit 55 to the rear side of the passenger compartment 60. The third air outlet 20 and the fourth
The air outlet 21 uses the temperature-controlled air delivered from the air conditioner unit 55 for the windshield 61 and the side glass.
(Not shown) is provided for defrosting to guide blowing to the side. The fifth air outlet 68 guides the conditioned air sent from the air conditioner unit 55 to the passenger's feet, and the sixth air outlet 69 operates the conditioned air sent from the air conditioner unit 55. It is provided to guide the blowing to the seat foot side. In the embodiment, the skin material 22 is attached to a required area of the surface 11a of the panel base material 11 facing the occupant room 60, and the panel base material 11
FIG. 2 illustrates an instrument panel in which a cushion material 23 such as urethane foam is interposed between a skin material 22 and a skin material 22.

(Backing Substrate) The backing substrate 12 is made of, for example, foamed polyethylene or foamed polypropylene and has a thickness of 1 mm.
A foamed resin sheet material of about 0 mm is integrally formed into a shape that is in close contact with substantially the entire back surface 11b of the panel base material 11 by using a vacuum forming technique. In addition, each of the installation openings 13, 14, 15, 1 formed in the panel base material 11.
6, the openings 25, 26, 27, and 28 are formed, while a plurality of recesses 30, 31, 32, 33, and 3 are provided at required positions.
4, 35, 66, 67 are formed. The backing base material 12 made of such a foamed resin sheet material is lighter in weight than a blow-molded resin material having the same thickness, and has excellent heat insulating performance because of its low thermal conductivity. It also has excellent characteristics such as soundproofing performance and sound absorbing performance. The foamed sheet material may be a single layer or a multiple layer (two or three layers), but the present embodiment illustrates a single layer.

(Air flow passage) The first concave portion 30 formed in the back substrate 12 is formed to extend in the left-right direction between the openings 26 and 27, and the first concave portion 30 on the front left side of the panel substrate 11 is formed. An air circulating hole 36a is formed to match the air outlet 18 and to match the first air delivery portion 56 (FIG. 2) of the air conditioner unit 55. As shown in FIG. 11b together with the first air flow passage 36. In addition, the second concave portion 31 is formed to extend in the left-right direction along the rear edge of the opening 25, and is aligned with the first air outlet 18 on the right front side of the panel base material 11, and
An air circulating hole 37a is formed to match the second air delivery portion 57 (FIG. 2) of the air conditioner unit 55, and as shown in FIG. An air flow passage 37 is defined. Third
The concave portion 32 is formed to extend in the left-right direction along the upper rear edge, is aligned with the third air outlet 20 and the fourth air outlets 21 and 21 in the panel base material 11, and An air flow hole 39a matching the third air delivery portion 58 is formed (FIG. 2), and defines a third air flow path 39 together with the back surface 11b of the panel base material 11. On the other hand, the seventh concave portion 66 is formed to extend in the left-right direction below the opening portion 26, and is aligned with the fifth air outlet 68 in the panel base material 11 and is formed together with the back surface 11 b of the panel base material 11. Four air flow passages 70 are defined. Furthermore, the eighth recess 67 is formed to extend in the left-right direction below the opening 25, and the sixth recess 67 is formed in the panel base 11.
The rear surface 11 of the panel substrate 11 is aligned with the air outlet 69.
Together with b, a fifth air flow passage 71 is defined.

(Equipment installation part) The fourth concave part 33 is formed to extend in the left-right direction between the opening part 27 and the second concave part 31 and the third concave part 32. Together with the first equipment installation part 40, and accommodates and installs a wire harness (electric equipment component) 46 that electrically connects the meter unit 50, the audio unit 54, the air conditioning operation panel 53, and the like to form an electrical system. Is made possible. The fifth recess 34 is formed between the opening 27 and the second recess 31, defines a second device installation portion 41 together with the back surface 11 b of the panel base 11, and is connected to the wire harness 46. Computer (Electric components) 4
7 can be accommodated. A recess 44 for the branch harness 46a is formed between the fourth recess 33 and the fifth recess 34. Further, the sixth concave portion 35 has a third
An antenna (electrical equipment member) formed along the concave portion 32 on the rear side of the concave portion 32 and defining the third device installation portion 42 together with the back surface 11b of the panel substrate 11 and connected to the audio unit 54, for example. Forty-eight accommodations are possible.

(Joining of Panel Substrate and Back Substrate) The injection-molded panel substrate 11 and the vacuum-molded back substrate 12 are set with a wire harness 46 in a first device installation section 40, (2) With the in-vehicle computer 47 set in the equipment setting part 41 and the antenna 48 set in the third equipment setting part 42, the front surface 12
a and the back surface 11b of the panel base material 11 are tightly joined to each other, so that the back side of the panel base material 11 is almost entirely covered with the back base material 12. The instrument panel 10 thus configured includes first to third air flow passages 36, 37, between the panel base 11 and the back base 12.
39 is defined, and the wire harness 46, the in-vehicle computer 47, and the antenna 48 are inserted. The back substrate 12 has a rear edge portion of the panel substrate 11.
By setting the size to protrude rearward and outward from the rear end edge, the protruding portion is used as a windshield packing 45 by being folded back to the upper surface of the rear end of the panel base material 11 (see FIGS. (Fig. 4).

The panel substrate 11 and the back substrate 12 are
For example, adhesive bonding, vibration welding (fusion), ultrasonic welding
(Fusing) and the like are suitably joined. The back substrate 12 joined to the back surface 11b of the panel substrate 11 having rigidity has the periphery of each of the recesses 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 fixed to the panel substrate 11. First to first
Since the third air flow passages 36, 37, 39 and the first to third device installation sections 40, 41, 42 are allowed to partially deform, but the entire deformation is restricted, especially the first to third device installation sections 40, 41, 42 Wire harness 4 housed in third device installation sections 40, 41, 42
6, the in-vehicle computer 47 and the antenna 48 are suitably held.

The instrument panel 10 of this embodiment having the above-described structure is firmly attached and fixed to the front of the passenger compartment 60 in which the air conditioner unit 55 and the like are installed by using bolts and the like. At this time, the air flow holes 36a of the first air flow path 36 and the air flow holes 37 of the second air flow path 37
a, the first through third air delivery portions 5 in the air conditioner unit 55
6, 57 and 58, respectively. In addition, the second air outlet 19 formed in the front panel 17 is joined and connected to the fourth air delivery portion 59 of the air conditioner unit 55.
(FIG. 2). Further, air flow holes (not shown) formed in the fourth air flow passage 70 and the fifth air flow passage 71 are respectively connected to an air delivery portion (not shown) of the air conditioner unit 55. As a result, the conditioned air delivered to the first air delivery unit 56 blows out from the left first air outlet 18 to the rear of the passenger compartment 60 via the first air flow passage 36, and is sent to the second air delivery unit 57. The discharged conditioned air is blown backward from the first air outlet 19 on the left side to the passenger compartment 60 through the second air flow passage 37, and the conditioned air sent from the fourth air delivery portion 59 is discharged from the fourth air outlet 59. 2Blows out from the air outlet 19 to the rear of the passenger compartment 60,
It is mainly used for air conditioning of the passenger compartment 60. On the other hand, the conditioned air delivered to the third air delivery unit 58 flows from the third air outlet 20 and the fourth air outlet 21 to the inside of the windshield 61 and the inside of the side glass via the third air flow passage 39. The blowout is mainly used for defrosting (defrosting) the windshield 61 and the side glass. Further, the conditioned air sent from the air conditioner unit 55 to the fourth air passage 70 blows out from the fifth air outlet 68 toward the foot of the passenger seat of the passenger compartment 60, and is sent from the unit 55 to the fifth air passage 71. The adjusted temperature air is supplied from the sixth air outlet 69 to the passenger compartment 60.
Of the driver's seat.

The first air flow passage 36, the second air flow passage 37, the third air flow passage 39, the fourth air flow passage 70, and the fifth air flow passage 71 are formed as shown in FIGS. ,
Since more than half of the whole is formed of the backing material 12 having excellent heat insulation performance, the temperature difference between the inside of each flow passage 36, 37, 39, 70, 71 and the outside (the back side of the instrument panel 10) is large. However, it is possible to expect a significant reduction in the occurrence of dew condensation and the drop of water droplets. Therefore, the instrument panel 10
The in-vehicle electronic device covered with the above does not cause malfunction or failure due to the drop of water drops. Further, the generation of rust on steel parts such as the vehicle body due to the drop of water droplets is also suitably prevented.

The back substrate 12 which covers the entire back surface 11b of the panel substrate 11 has excellent sound absorption performance and sound insulation performance as described above. Engine noise, road noise, and the like that enter the occupant compartment 60 can be suitably blocked and absorbed, and the quietness in the occupant compartment 60 can be greatly improved. Further, the operation noise of the blower driven in the air conditioner unit 55 is the first to third concave portions 3.
0, 31, 32 and the seventh concave portion 66 and the eighth concave portion 67.
6, 37, 39, 70, 70 and each air outlet 18, 19,
Leakage into the passenger compartment 60 via 20, 21, 69, 70 is also suitably prevented. Also, even if the back substrate 12 and another member come into contact, unpleasant noise does not occur.

Further, the instrument panel 1 of the present embodiment
0, the wire harness 46 and the in-vehicle computer 47
And the antenna 48 and the like are inserted between the panel base material 11 and the back base material 12, so that the wire harness 46 is rocked or pulled due to vibrations during running of the vehicle. Preferably avoided. In addition, the wire harness 46, the in-vehicle computer 47, and the antenna 48 connect the back substrate 12 to the back surface 11b of the panel substrate 11.
Prior to joining, the installation work is completed only by setting the corresponding equipment installation sections 40, 41, 42 on the backing base material 12, so that there is no need for mounting parts or troublesome screw tightening work. Cost reduction and rationalization of installation work can be achieved.

The instrument panel 1 of the present embodiment
In the case of 0, the air flow passages 36, 37, 39, 70, 71 are formed extending along the back surface 11b of the panel substrate 11, so that the space occupied by the air-conditioning-related components inside the instrument panel 10 is reduced. . Thereby, the installation space of various in-vehicle devices arranged inside the instrument panel 10 is increased, and the degree of freedom in designing the in-vehicle devices is increased.

[0022]

[Modification] FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views of an essential part illustrating an instrument panel 10 according to a modification. Among them, the instrument panel 10 shown in FIG.
Shape holding member 65 formed into a shape that matches the surface shape of
It has. The backing base material 12 having such a shape holding member 65 is preferably capable of appropriately controlling the entire torsion and bending deformation, and the wire harness 46 and the in-vehicle computer accommodated in each of the device installation sections 40, 41, 42. 4
The holding performance of the antenna 7 and the antenna 48 can be improved. The shape holding member 65 is a synthetic resin molded product made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like, or a metal molded product of aluminum or the like. In particular, when made of metal, it has a function as an electromagnetic wave shielding material. Erroneous operation of the in-vehicle computer 47 or the like due to the above-mentioned is suitably prevented.

In the instrument panel 10 shown in FIG. 6, the back substrate 12 has a front surface 12a and a back surface 12b.
The shape holding member 65 (65a, 65b) is provided on the side. That is, each air flow passage 36, 37, 39, 70, 7
The recesses 30, 31, 32, 66, and 67 corresponding to No. 1 are provided with the shape holding member 65a on the back surface 12b side of the backing base material 12, and the recesses 33, 34, and 34 corresponding to the device installation sections 40, 41, and 42, respectively. 3
5 is a shape holding member 65 on the front surface 12a side of the backing substrate 12.
b. Such a shape holding member 65
a, 65b, the back substrate 12 is provided with each of the recesses 30, 31,
32, 66, 67 are the respective air flow passages 36, 37, 39, 7
0,71 so that the air flow passages 36,37,3
The shape can be maintained without impairing the heat insulating effect and the sound absorbing effect on 9, 70, 71, and the concave portions 30, 31, 3
Since portions other than 2, 66, 67 are exposed to the back side of the panel base material 11, the shape is maintained without impairing the sound insulation effect and the sound absorption effect against the air conditioner unit 55, engine noise, and the like.

When the backing material 12 is not required to have a sound insulating effect or a sound absorbing effect against noise of the air conditioner unit 55 or the engine, the shape holding member 65 is attached to the back surface 1 of the base material 12.
2b may be mounted on the entire surface. The shape holding member 65 is a portion of the back substrate 12 that needs to hold the shape of the front surface 12 a or the back surface 12 b, for example, the wire harness 4.
6 and the computer 47 and the antenna 48 may be mounted only in the recesses 33, 34, 35 to which the weight is directly added.

[0025]

As described above, the instrument panel according to the present invention comprises a panel base material having a required shape and a back base material which is mounted almost entirely on the back surface of the panel base material. The space defined between the two substrates by the concave portions formed in the substrates can be used for multiple purposes. That is, the space is used as a flow path for temperature-controlled air by connecting an air outlet of a panel base material and an air delivery unit of an air conditioner unit in a continuous manner, or as an equipment installation part in which various equipment members can be inserted. can do. In addition, since the backing substrate is formed from a foamed resin sheet material and has excellent properties of heat insulation, sound insulation and sound absorption, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dew condensation in the air flow passage and to reduce the operating noise of the air conditioner unit. And a stable effect can be obtained while covering the equipment members in the equipment installation part. In addition, since noise and noise are absorbed by engine noise, road noise, and the like, there is an advantage that quietness in the passenger compartment can be improved. In addition, if the shape holding member is attached to the front surface or the back surface of the back substrate, the deformation of the back substrate is appropriately prevented, and the holding performance and the protection performance for the device member are improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a panel base material and a back base material constituting the panel in a separated state.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the instrument panel installed in the passenger compartment, broken at a central portion.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the instrument panel installed in the passenger compartment, cut away in front of a passenger seat.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the instrument panel installed in the passenger compartment, cut away in front of a driver's seat.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an instrument panel employing a backing substrate having a shape holding member mounted on the surface.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an instrument panel employing a back base material in which a shape holding member is partially attached to a front surface and a back surface.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 panel base material, 11b back surface 12 back base material, 12a front surface
(Outer surface) 12b back surface (outer surface), 18 first air outlet 20 third air outlet, 21 fourth air outlet 30 first concave portion, 31 second concave portion 32 third concave portion, 33 fourth concave portion 34 fifth concave portion , 35 sixth recess 36 first air flow path (space), 37 second air flow path (space) 39 third air flow path (space), 40 first equipment installation part (space) 41 second equipment installation part (space) Spacer, 42 Third equipment installation part (space) 55 Air conditioner unit, 56 First air delivery part 57 Second air delivery part, 58 Third air delivery part 46 Wire harness (equipment member), 47 Navigation (equipment member) 48 Antenna (equipment member), 65 Shape holding member 66 Seventh concave part, 67 eighth concave part 68 Fifth air outlet, 69 sixth air outlet 70 Fourth air flow path (space), 71 fifth air flow path (space) )

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Shigeo Numazawa 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi F-term in DENSO Corporation (Reference) 3D044 BA03 BA09 BA12 BA14 BB01 BC02 BC07 BC13 BD11 BD13

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A panel base (11) made of a synthetic resin formed into a required shape, and a shape capable of being mounted almost entirely on a back surface (11b) of the panel base (11), and In the recess (30,31,32,33,34,35,66,
67) formed on the back substrate (12), when the back substrate (12) is attached to the panel substrate (11),
The space (36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 70, 71) defined by the recesses (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 66, 67) is provided in an air passage or an equipment installation section. An instrument panel characterized by being configured to be used as a multipurpose space such as. 2. A space (36, 37, 39, 70, 71) defined by the recesses (30, 31, 32, 66, 67) is provided in an air outlet (18) of the panel base material (11). , 20, 21, 68, 69) and the air delivery units (56, 57, 58) of the air conditioner unit (55) are communicatively connected, and are sent out from the air delivery units (56, 57, 58). 2. The instrument panel according to claim 1, wherein the instrument panel functions as a flow path for temperature-controlled air. 3. The space (40, 41, 42) defined by the recesses (33, 34, 35) functions as a device installation section for various device members (46, 47, 48). 2. The instrument panel according to 2. 4. The instrument panel according to claim 1, wherein the back substrate is obtained by vacuum forming a foamed resin sheet material. 5. The back substrate (12) is provided with the concave portions (30, 31, 32,
The instrument panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a shape holding member (65) that is in close contact with the outer surface (12a, 12b) including the outer surface (33, 34, 35, 66, 67).