JP3378208B2 - Air duct structure of vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air duct structure of an air conditioner provided on an instrument panel (hereinafter, abbreviated as instrument panel) of an automobile or the like. 2. Description of the Related Art An instrument panel of an automobile is provided with an air conditioner for maintaining the temperature in the passenger compartment in a comfortable state. Conventionally, as this type of air conditioner, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5,
A center cluster 51 is fitted into a cluster opening 50a formed in the instrument panel 50, and an air duct 52 is inserted into left and right air outlets 51a formed in the center cluster 51.
In general, the left and right downstream ports 52a of the air duct 52 are connected, and the air conditioning unit 53 is connected to the upstream port 52b of the air duct 52. The air duct 52 is manufactured by blow molding or injection molding, and is integrally formed on the instrument panel 50 by tapping 54 (not shown).
To secure it. In some cases, a tray 55 for storing small items is disposed on the upper wall of the instrument panel 50 by utilizing the empty space above the air duct 52. The tray 55 is placed in a concave portion 50 b formed in the upper wall of the instrument panel 50.
5 (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-102554). However, the conventional air conditioner has a structure in which a dedicated air duct formed separately from the instrument panel is attached by tapping, and the cost is increased by the number of parts and the number of work steps. There is a problem of rising. Generally, after the air duct is assembled on the instrument panel, the instrument panel is attached to the air conditioning unit together with the instrument panel.However, since the air duct is only fixed to the instrument panel by tapping, the upstream port connected to the air conditioning unit is wobbled inside the instrument panel. There is also a problem that workability when installing the air duct is low. Also, in the conventional air conditioner, the lower surface of the accessory storage compartment 55 easily interferes with the concave portion 50b formed on the upper wall of the instrument panel 50 and the upper surface of the air duct 52, and rubbing noise and the like are generated. In order to prevent this, a sufficient gap s must be provided, and the depth of the accessory storage tray is limited. Further, in the conventional air conditioner, when changing the direction of the air blown out from the downstream port of the air duct, it is necessary to change a large air duct, which also raises a problem that the cost increases. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and can reduce the number of parts and the number of working steps, thereby reducing costs, and can secure the depth of a tray for storing small items located above an air duct. It is another object of the present invention to provide an air duct structure for a vehicle air conditioner that can suppress an increase in cost when changing the wind direction of an air duct. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an instrument panel provided in front of a driver's seat.
In the air duct structure of a vehicle air conditioner in which a cluster having an air outlet is mounted, a downstream port of an air duct is connected to the air outlet, and an air conditioning unit is connected to an upstream port of the air duct, the instrument panel has a left air duct, A concave portion forming the right side wall and the bottom wall is recessed, and a cylindrical duct portion following the concave portion is integrally formed at an upstream end of the concave portion, and an accessory case forming an upper wall of the air duct at an upper end opening of the concave portion. A tray for air conditioning, connecting the outlet to a downstream port formed by a bottom wall and a recess of the tray , and connecting the air conditioning unit to an upstream port of the duct section, The bottom of the bottom wall
A locating rib that contacts the inner edge of the mouth is formed.
On the lower surface of the bottom wall of the tray,
Are formed integrally, and the lower end of the fin is
Is characterized in that it is in contact with or close to the bottom wall of the recess . According to the air duct structure of the present invention,
A concave portion forming the left, right side wall and bottom wall of the air duct is formed in the instrument panel, and a cylindrical duct portion is formed integrally with the concave portion, thereby forming the air duct integrally with the instrument panel. This eliminates the need for dedicated parts and tapping for mounting, and can reduce the number of parts and the number of work steps, thereby reducing costs. [0012] In the present invention, bets on the upper end opening of the recess
Since the upper wall of the air duct was formed by arranging the rays ,
Simple and easy work of installing the tray from outside, and since the instrument panel and the air duct are integrally formed, it is possible to prevent wobble when connecting the air duct to the air conditioning unit, and to install inside the conventional instrument panel There is an effect that workability can be improved as compared with work. In the present invention , since the upper wall of the recess is formed by using the tray disposed in front of the opening of the instrument panel,
It can also used the tray as a component of the air duct, another portion
It is possible to suppress an increase in cost when forming a material . Further, since it is not necessary to secure a gap between the tray and the air duct, the depth of the tray can be sufficiently secured. Again
Positioning ribs on the bottom wall of the ray that contact the inner edge of the recess
As it is formed, the tray is positioned and supported in the recess, and
Air can be prevented from leaking from the gap between the recess and the tray
You. In the present invention , the fins are integrally formed on the bottom wall of the tray .
It is only necessary to change the ray, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the entire air duct is changed. And fins
Since it can contact the bottom wall of the recess, the items stored in the tray
Deformation of the tray due to the weight of the product can be prevented. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 3 are views for explaining an air duct structure of an automotive air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the instrument panel (a cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 3). FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an air duct portion of the instrument panel, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the instrument panel. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an instrument panel disposed in front of a driver's seat, and a concave portion 1a for inserting and supporting a steering shaft (not shown) is cut out on the driver's seat side of the instrument panel 1. A meter unit 2 having a speedometer or the like is provided above the concave portion 1a. A storage box 3 is provided on the front passenger seat side of the instrument panel 1 so as to be openable and closable, and an article storage portion 1b is recessed above the storage box 3 of the instrument panel 1. In addition, 7 is a windshield. An air conditioner 4 is provided on the instrument panel 1. The air conditioner 4 is for adjusting the temperature in the passenger compartment to a comfortable temperature. The air conditioner 4 is mainly provided with an air conditioner unit 5 in which a heater and an inside / outside air switching damper are arranged, and a switching lever and a temperature adjusting lever 6a. An air conditioning control panel 6 is provided. A rectangular cluster opening 1c extending in the vertical direction is formed at the center of the instrument panel 1 in the vehicle width direction, and a center cluster 10 is mounted in the cluster opening 1c. The center cluster 10 has a pair of left and right air outlets 10a, 10a in order from the top, a panel opening 10b in which the air conditioning control panel 6 is mounted,
And a radio opening 10c to which a radio (not shown) is attached. At the center of the cluster opening 1c, a beam 1f extending in the vehicle width direction is formed to span.
In the beam portion 1f, both openings 10b, 1 of the center cluster 10 are provided.
The positioning recess 10d formed during the interval 0c is engaged. Each of the air outlets 10a has a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape formed independently on the left and right sides, and the outlets 10a protrude into the instrument panel 1. In each of the outlets 10a, a register 11 for adjusting the wind direction is provided.
It is arranged to be able to swing left and right. The center cluster 10 of the instrument panel 1
A storage portion 1d is recessed on the front side of the vehicle, and the accessory storage tray 15 is stored and arranged in the storage portion 1d so as to form a continuous surface with the outer surface (design surface) of the instrument panel 1. The tray 15 has a structure in which a flange 15b is formed on a peripheral edge of a tray body 15a having a substantially dish shape, and a plurality of claw portions 15c are formed on a lower surface of the flange 15b. Engagement hole 1e formed in instrument panel 1
It is fitted in. The upper edge of the center cluster 10 is engaged with the front edge of the flange 15b so as to form a continuous surface. The air conditioning unit 5 and the air outlet 10a are connected by an air duct 16 which is a feature of the present embodiment. The air duct 16 is formed integrally with the instrument panel 1 and has the storage portion 1d.
A concave portion 16d is formed following the bottom of the air duct 16 and forms left and right side walls 16a, 16b and a bottom wall 16c on the downstream side of the air duct 16, and extends obliquely downward to the upstream end of the concave portion 16d. And a duct portion 16e in the form of a square tube constituting the upstream side of the air duct 16. The upper end opening 16f of the recess 16d is covered by a bottom wall 15d of the tray 15,
The upper wall of the downstream side of the air duct 16 is constituted by d. The air outlet 10a is connected to a downstream port 16g formed by the bottom wall 15d and the recess 16d, and the air outlet 5a of the air conditioning unit 5 is connected to an upstream port 16h of the duct 16e. I have. [0024] The above the lower surface of the bottom wall 15d of the tray 15 is formed a positioning rib 15e which abuts the inner edge of the opening 16f of the recess 16d, has been tray 15 recesses 1
6d and the concave portion 16d of the instrument panel 1
And air leakage from the gap between the accessory storage tray 15. The bottom surface of the bottom wall 15d has V in plan view.
A wind-shaped fin 15f in the shape of a letter is formed to protrude,
The lower end of the fin 15f is in contact with or close to the bottom wall 16c of the recess 16d. The fins 15f branch the air blown from the air conditioning unit 5 to the left and right air outlets 10a, 10a. Further, the fin 15f can be brought into contact with the bottom wall 16c, thereby preventing the tray 15 from being deformed by the weight of the articles stored in the tray 15. In the present embodiment, the accessory storage tray 15 is of an open top type,
An opening / closing lid may be provided so that the opening / closing lid forms a continuous surface with the outer surface of the instrument panel 1. Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described. According to the air conditioner 4 of the present embodiment, the recess 16 d that forms the downstream side of the air duct 16 is recessed in the storage portion 1 d that is recessed in the instrument panel 1, and the air duct 16 follows the upstream end of the recess 16 d. Since the rectangular duct 16e constituting the upstream side is integrally formed, and the air duct 16 is integrally formed with the instrument panel 1, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of a separate component dedicated to the conventional air duct and tapping for mounting.
The number of parts and the number of work steps can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. In the present embodiment, the upper end opening 16f of the concave portion 16d is closed by the bottom wall 15d of the tray 15 provided in the storage portion 1d to form the upper wall of the air duct 16. Tray 15 can also be used as a component of the air duct.
This can avoid an increase in cost when closing the device. Further, since there is no need to secure a gap required when the air duct and the accessory storage tray are formed separately, the depth of the accessory storage tray can be sufficiently ensured, and the storage capacity can be increased. The tray 15 is mounted on the upper opening 16f of the recess 16d from above by a simple and easy mounting operation, and the workability can be improved as compared with the conventional mounting operation in the instrument panel. Further, when changing the wind direction of the air duct 16 or increasing or decreasing the number of blow-out points,
Only the tray 15 needs to be changed, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the entire conventional large air duct is changed. In this embodiment, since the air duct 16 is formed integrally with the instrument panel 1, it is possible to reduce the generation of abnormal noise when the conventional air duct of another component is attached to the instrument panel, and it is easy to recycle. In addition, since the air duct 16 is integrally formed at the center of the instrument panel, the rigidity of the entire instrument panel can be improved, and deformation due to an external force when the instrument panel is attached or handled can be prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view (I in FIG. 3) for explaining an air duct structure of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
-I line sectional view). FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a central portion of an instrument panel in which the air duct is integrally formed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the instrument panel. FIG. 4 is a sectional side view showing a conventional air duct structure. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional air duct structure. [Description of Signs] 1 Instrument panel 1c Cluster opening 4 Air conditioner 5 Air conditioning unit 10 Cluster 10a Air outlet 15 Tray (lid) 15d Bottom wall 15f Fin 16 Air duct 16a, 16b Side wall 16c Bottom wall 16d Recess 16e Duct 16f Upper end Opening 16g Downstream port 16h Upstream port

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60H 1/34 B60K 37/00 B60H 1/00 102

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] A cluster having an air outlet is attached to an opening of an instrument panel disposed in front of a driver's seat, and a downstream port of an air duct is connected to the air outlet, In the air duct structure of a vehicle air conditioner in which an air conditioning unit is connected to an upstream opening of the air duct, recesses forming left, right side and bottom walls of the air duct are recessed in the instrument panel, and the recess is formed at an upstream end of the recess. A cylindrical duct portion following the recess is integrally formed, and a small item tray forming the upper wall of the air duct is disposed at the upper end opening of the recess.
Then, the outlet is connected to the downstream port formed by the bottom wall and the concave portion of the tray, and the air conditioning unit is connected to the upstream port of the duct section, and the bottom wall of the tray is
A positioning rib on the lower surface that contacts the inner edge of the opening of the recess
Are formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the tray.
The fins that change the direction of the wind located inside the
And the lower end of the fin can abut or abut on the bottom wall of the recess
An air duct structure for an air conditioner for a vehicle, wherein the air duct structure is in proximity to a vehicle.