JP2023540823A - cover - Google Patents

Abstract

A cover (100) that is attached to a heated element (10) of a vehicle, particularly a heated element disposed inside a passenger compartment, to cover the heated element (10). The cover (100) includes ribs (110) configured on its outer surface. The ribs (110) are integrally formed with the cover (100) during molding. The cover (100) on which the ribs (110) are formed reduces the contact caused by the body of the vehicle occupant coming into contact with or approaching the heated cover, and substantially prevents the body of the vehicle occupant from being burned. to prevent.

Description

The present invention relates to a cover, and in particular to a cover for a heated element of a vehicle located in a passenger compartment.

A radiator is a heat exchanger that is part of a vehicle's engine cooling system. A radiator is generally mounted at the front of a vehicle and directly receives ram air for cooling the coolant flowing through the radiator's heat exchange tubes. The radiator supplies coolant cooled by ram air to the vehicle engine through the first pipe. The coolant is heated as it flows around the vehicle's engine and extracts heat therefrom. The heated coolant flows back to the radiator via a second pipe in order to cool and reuse the heated coolant. A second pipe that supplies heated coolant from the engine to the radiator is typically located in the passenger compartment and is heated due to the heated coolant flowing through it. Since the second heated pipe is located in the passenger cabin, if any part of the body of a person (occupant) riding in the vehicle, especially the legs, accidentally comes into contact with the heated pipe, it may cause damage to the passenger. cause burns.

To prevent such burns, a cover is used to cover the heated second pipe. However, since the cover is close to the second heated pipe, the cover is also heated. FIG. 1a shows an isometric view of a conventional cover 1 covering at least one heated pipe 2. FIG. FIG. 1b shows a schematic diagram depicting the interaction between the body "b" of the occupant and a conventional cover 1 covering the heated pipe 2. FIG. Due to the plain outer surface of the cover 1, the cover 1 has a relatively larger surface area that is contacted by the body "b" of the occupant than the surface area of the second heated pipe 2. Therefore, if the occupant's body "b" accidentally comes into contact with the cover 1 or approaches the cover 1, there is a greater possibility that the cover 1 will inflict burns on the occupant's body "b". This configuration of conventional covers defeats the purpose of cover "b". If the occupant of the vehicle is the driver of the vehicle, burns can distract the driver and lead to an accident. The heated cover 1 may also be exposed to other elements, such as electrical wiring harnesses coated with plastic or fluid conveying pipes made of plastic material, which may be placed in the passenger compartment and accidentally come into contact with the heated cover 1. It may scorch or damage the element being obtained or the elements in its vicinity.

Although certain prior art discloses covers for covering at least one heated pipe, previously known covers cause burns to the body of occupants who come into contact with or approach the cover. It does not reduce risk. Furthermore, it is recommended to provide insulation between the heated pipe and the cover in order to prevent the cover from overheating and to prevent burns to the body parts of the occupants who come into contact with or approach the cover. There is little prior art to suggest it. However, such prior art still cannot prevent burns to the body of an occupant who comes into contact with or approaches the cover. This is because conventionally known covers do not allow heat to dissipate from the cover and therefore cannot prevent the cover from overheating.

Therefore, there is a need for a cover for covering a heated pipe that substantially prevents the risk of burns to the occupant's body even if the occupant's body comes into contact with or approaches the cover. ing. Additionally, there is a need for a cover that is simple in construction and easy to manufacture. Additionally, there is a need for a cover that can incorporate elements to prevent burns to the occupant's body if the occupant's body contacts the cover without making many modifications to the cover. Still further, there is a need for a cover that is configured with elements for dissipating heat from the cover to prevent overheating of the cover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a cover for a heated pipe of a vehicle engine cooling system, which overcomes the disadvantages associated with conventional covers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cover that substantially prevents burns to the occupant's body due to contact or proximity of the occupant's body to the cover.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cover that is simple in structure and easy to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cover that prevents overheating of the cover by being configured with elements for dissipating heat from the cover.

It is another object of the present invention to be conveniently incorporated into existing covers without much modification to the cover so that even if the occupant's body comes into contact with or approaches the cover, the occupant's body will not be exposed to burns. The objective is to provide elements that can prevent such injuries.

In this specification, some elements or parameters may be indexed such as a first element and a second element. In this case, unless stated otherwise, this index is only meant to distinguish between similar but not identical elements. No idea of priority should be inferred from such index, as these terms are interchangeable without detracting from the invention. Additionally, this index does not indicate the order of installation or use of the elements of the invention.

The invention contemplates a cover according to embodiments of the invention. The cover is attached to and covers the heated element of the vehicle. The cover includes ribs configured on its outer surface.

Generally, the ribs are integrally formed with the cover during molding.

Alternatively, the rib is separate from and attached to the cover.

Generally, the ribs have a rectangular cross section.

Typically, the ribs are arranged throughout the cover.

Furthermore, the ribs are disposed on the cover in either an intermittent or continuous manner.

Typically, the spacing between the ribs is in the range 3 mm to 10 mm, and the pitch of the ribs is less than the thinnest part of the occupant's body.

Overall, the ribs are at a height in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm, the ribs having a height that keeps the occupant's body away from the cover.

Generally, the ribs are arranged on the cover in at least one of horizontal, vertical, and angled directions.

Alternatively, the ribs are arranged on the cover along at least one of a cross, a hexagon, a circle, an oval, an octagon, and any other closed pattern.

Specifically, the rib is formed in a portion of the cover that faces the occupant and is most likely to come into contact with the occupant's body.

More specifically, the ribs are formed on at least a portion of the cover closer to the heated element covered by the cover.

Generally, the ribs are made of one of plastic and metal.

Also disclosed is a cooling system for a motor vehicle engine. The cooling system includes pipes and the cover disclosed above. The cover is attached to the pipe.

Other features, details and advantages of the invention can be deduced from the following description of the invention. A more complete understanding of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will become readily apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1a shows an isometric view of a conventional cover attached to and covering a heated pipe. FIG. 1b shows a schematic diagram depicting the interaction between the occupant's body and the conventional cover of FIG. 1a. FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of a cover according to an embodiment of the invention that is attached to and covers a heated pipe. FIG. 3 shows another isometric view of the cover of FIG. 2. 4 shows yet another isometric view of the cover of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram depicting the interaction between the body of an occupant and a cover according to an embodiment of the invention covering a heated pipe.

It should be noted that the drawings disclose the invention in sufficient detail for implementation and that these drawings help to better define the invention if necessary. However, the invention should not be limited to the embodiments disclosed herein.

The present invention contemplates a protective cover that covers the heated elements of a vehicle's engine cooling system, particularly the tubes that constitute the fluid flow from the vehicle's engine to the radiator. The tube is placed in the cabin and is easily touched by people riding in the vehicle (occupants). The protective cover is attached to and covers the heated element of the vehicle. The cover is configured on its outer surface to minimize contact between the occupant's body parts and the heated cover to prevent burns to the occupant's body parts if the occupant's body parts come into contact with the cover. Contains cooked ribs. The ribs also dissipate heat away from the cover. In the following description and accompanying drawings, the present invention will be explained by way of example of a cover for covering a heated pipe that supplies hot coolant from an engine to a radiator. However, the cover of the present invention is not limited to application to a vehicle engine cooling system. The cover of the present invention can be used in a vehicle environment to cover any other heated element that a person's body could come into contact with and cause burns.

FIG. 1a shows an isometric view of a conventional cover 1 mounted on and covering at least one heated pipe 2. FIG. FIG. 1b shows a schematic diagram depicting the interaction between the body "b" of the occupant and a conventional cover 1 covering the heated pipe 2. FIG. The conventional cover 1 has a plain outer surface and a relatively larger surface area that is contacted by the body "b" of the occupant than the surface area of the second heated pipe 2. Therefore, if the occupant's body "b" accidentally comes into contact with the cover 1 or approaches the cover 1, there is a greater possibility that the cover 1 will inflict burns on the occupant's body "b".

The present invention envisions a cover that overcomes the drawbacks of conventional covers.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention which is attached to and covers at least one heated element heated by the flow of a heated cooling liquid, in particular at least one heated pipe 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as pipe 10). 1 shows an isometric view of a cover 100 according to the configuration. More specifically, pipe 10 is part of the vehicle's engine cooling system, providing fluid flow from the radiator to the vehicle's engine. FIG. 3 shows another isometric view of the cover 100. FIG. 4 shows yet another isometric view of cover 100 alone. The cover 100 is attached to the pipe 10 to cover it. The cover 100 is adapted to the shape of the element to be covered, in this example the pipe 10. The cover has a shape and configuration such that the cover covers the pipe 10 and prevents the occupant from coming into direct contact with the pipe 10. Since the cover 100 is close to the pipe 10, the cover 100 is also heated. However, since the cover 100 is formed so as to significantly reduce contact between the cover 100 and a body part of the vehicle occupant (hereinafter referred to as the occupant's body "B"), for example, the legs of the vehicle occupant. This prevents the occupant's body from being burned due to the occupant's body coming into contact with or approaching the heated cover 100. More specifically, the cover 100 of the present invention includes a rib 110 formed on the side of the cover 100 that faces the occupant. With this configuration of the cover 100, the contact between the occupant's body "B" and the cover 100 is a line contact instead of the surface contact between the occupant's body "B" and the conventional cover 1. Therefore, the contact between the occupant's body "B" and the cover 100 is significantly reduced, and even if the occupant's body "B" comes into contact with the cover 100 or approaches the cover 100, the occupant's body will not be burned. is prevented. Furthermore, this configuration of the cover 100 causes heat radiation from the cover 100, thereby preventing the cover 100 from overheating.

Overall, the cover 100 includes ribs 110 configured on the occupant-facing outer surface of the cover 100. The ribs 110 are integrally formed with the cover 100 during molding. Alternatively, the ribs 110 are separate from the cover and attached to the cover 100. As shown in FIG. 5, this configuration of the cover 100 with ribs 110 reduces the contact between the occupant's body "B" and the cover 100 to a line contact. Therefore, even if the occupant's body "B" comes into contact with the cover 100 or comes close to the cover 100, the occupant's body "B" is prevented from getting burned. Generally, rib 110 has a rectangular cross section. To further reduce contact between the occupant's body "B" and the cover 100, the rib 110 is configured with a generally chamfered or filleted structure. Furthermore, the chamfers and fillets formed on the ribs 110 prevent sharp edges at the corners of the ribs 110, thereby preventing injury to the body "B" of the occupant. Typically, the spacing between adjacent ribs 110 is in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm. More specifically, the pitch of the ribs is smaller than the thinnest part of the occupant's body. Generally, the ribs 110 are at a height in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm. In particular, the ribs 110 have a height that keeps the occupant's body away from the cover. In one embodiment, all ribs have a uniform height. In another embodiment, the ribs have different heights. The height and pitch of the ribs and the configuration of the ribs are selected to accomplish its purpose of reducing contact between the cover and the occupant's body "B" without substantially increasing the weight of the cover 100. However, the present invention is not limited to the particular configuration, number, and placement of ribs 110 formed in cover 100, so long as ribs 110 reduce contact between the occupant's body “B” and heated cover 100.

Generally, the ribs 110 are arranged on the cover 100 in at least one of horizontal, vertical, and angled directions. Alternatively, the ribs 110 are arranged on the cover 100 along at least one of a cross, a hexagon, a circle, an oval, an octagon, and any other closed pattern. Specifically, the rib 110 is arranged at least in a portion of the cover 100 that faces the occupant and is most likely to be in contact with the occupant's body. More specifically, the rib 110 is formed in at least a portion of the cover closer to the pipe 10 covered by the cover 100. Typically, ribs 110 are arranged throughout cover 100. Further, the ribs 110 are arranged on the cover 100 in either an intermittent or continuous manner. Overall, rib 110 is made of one of plastic and metal.

Also disclosed is a cooling system 200 for a motor vehicle engine. Cooling system 200 includes pipe 10 and cover 100 disclosed above. The cover 100 is attached to the pipe 10.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

In any case, the invention cannot and should not be limited to the embodiments specifically described in this document, as other embodiments may exist. The invention extends to any equivalent means and combinations of technically operational means.

Claims (13)

A cover (100) adapted to be attached to and cover a heated element (10) of a vehicle, the cover (100) comprising ribs (110) configured on its outer surface. . The rib (110) is integrally formed with the cover (100) during molding.
A cover (100) according to claim 1. The rib (110) is separate from the cover (100) and is attached to the cover (100).
A cover (100) according to claim 1. the rib (110) has a rectangular cross section;
A cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the rib (110) is arranged throughout the cover;
A cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The rib (110) is disposed on the cover (100) in either an intermittent or continuous manner;
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The distance between the ribs (110) is in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm, and the pitch of the ribs (110) is smaller than the thinnest part of the occupant's body.
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6. said rib (110) is at a height in the range of 3 mm to 10 mm, said rib (110) having a height that keeps the body of the occupant away from said cover (100);
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7. the rib (110) is arranged on the cover (100) in at least one of horizontal, vertical and angled directions;
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8. the ribs (110) are arranged on the cover (100) along at least one of a cross, a hexagon, a circle, an oval, an octagon, and any other closed pattern;
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The rib (110) is formed in at least a portion of the cover (100) that faces the occupant and is most likely to come into contact with the occupant's body.
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10. the rib (110) is formed in at least a portion of the cover (100) closer to the heated element (10) covered by the cover (100);
Cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11. Cooling system (200) for an engine of a motor vehicle, comprising a pipe and the cover (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the cover (100) being attached to the pipe.

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