JP3491581B2 - Air duct for vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an air duct for an air conditioner formed in an instrument panel of a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Air conditioning of an automobile or the like is realized by sending air such as warm air or cold air through an air duct from an air conditioner provided in the lower rear part of an instrument panel or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, which will be described later, this air duct is provided with a center duct 11 formed in an instrument panel 15, and a center duct 11 diverging from the center duct 11 toward both sides of the vehicle body. It is composed of a side duct 12 of a book and the like. A center register 151 is provided on the front of the instrument panel 15,
Air is sent out from here via the center duct 11. In addition, the air that has passed through the side duct 12 is the side register 1 provided at the tip of the side duct 12.
It is sent out from the vehicle 52 or the like into the vehicle.

[0004]

By the way, as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the air 80 from the air conditioner 10 is directed to the center register 151 in the center duct 11 and the rest is diverted to the side duct 12. Dividing rib 13
Is provided. The air 80 is split into the air 81 and 82 in two directions in the flow dividing rib 13, but the air flow direction suddenly changes in the vicinity of the flow dividing rib 13, so that it is a different sound source.

The instrument panel 15 is provided at the front of the vehicle body at a position facing the driver's seat and the passenger's seat, and the center duct 11 is inside the instrument panel 15. Since the different sound source is located near the driver or the passenger in the passenger seat, the passenger is likely to feel uncomfortable, and improvement is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air duct for a vehicle air conditioner in which generation of abnormal noise due to a flow dividing rib is reduced.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a center duct connected to a vehicle air conditioner and formed inside an instrument panel, and a side duct branched from the center duct. And a ceiling surface of the center duct is formed by an inner wall surface of an instrument panel, and a diversion rib is erected on the above-mentioned branch portion on the ceiling surface. An air duct configured to divide the inflowing air into the side duct and a center register provided in the instrument panel, wherein the surface of the flow dividing rib is an inner wall of the instrument panel.
Is coated with a resin layer as a heat insulating layer covering the surface, the vehicle, characterized in that between the front end of the diversion ribs from the ceiling surface is formed in a curved shape by the trees <br/> fat layer It is located in the air duct of the air conditioner.

What is most noticeable in the present invention is that the surface of the flow dividing rib is covered with a resin layer, and a curved surface is formed between the ceiling surface and the tip of the flow dividing rib (FIG. 2).
reference). In this way, the smooth curved surface between the ceiling surface and the tips of the flow dividing ribs makes it difficult for the air to change abruptly when the air is divided by the flow dividing ribs, thus causing abnormal noise. hard.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the air duct of the vehicle air conditioner in which the generation of the abnormal noise due to the flow dividing rib is reduced.

Next, the resin layer of the present invention is a heat insulating layer that covers the inner wall surface of the instrument panel . The ceiling surface of the center duct is composed of the inner wall surface of the instrument panel, and a heat insulating layer may be placed on this inner wall surface to prevent condensation on the outer surface of the instrument panel. And a resin layer covering the insulation layer and the diversion ribs
Combined use. In this case, since the resin layer can be formed at the same time when the heat insulating layer is formed, it is not necessary to separately provide a coating process with the resin layer, and it is possible to prevent an increase in cost and man-hours in manufacturing.

Next, as in the invention described in claim 2, it is preferable that the resin layer is made of one or more kinds selected from a polypropylene foam material, a polyethylene foam material, and a polyurethane foam material. As a result, it is possible to obtain an effect that the heat insulating function is sufficiently achieved and the weight is not increased at a low cost.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An air duct of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the air duct 1 of this example is connected to a vehicle air conditioner 10, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a center duct 11 and a center duct 11 formed inside an instrument panel 15 It has two side ducts 12 which are branched and are respectively arranged toward both sides of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 2, the center duct 1 is provided.
The ceiling surface of 1 is the inner wall surface 15 of the instrument panel 15.
9 and the diverting ribs 13 are erected on the above-mentioned branch portion 139 on the ceiling surface.
The air 80 flowing in from the vehicle air conditioner 10 by the air 3 is supplied to the two side ducts 12 and the center register 151 provided on the instrument panel 15 by the air 8
It is configured to be divided as 1, 82. The surface of the flow dividing rib 13 is covered with a resin layer 14, and the resin layer 14 forms a curved surface between the ceiling surface and the tip 131 of the flow dividing rib 13.

The details will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, an instrument panel 15 is installed in the front part of the interior of the automobile. A center register 151 is provided in the center of the instrument panel 15, side defrosters 153 and side registers 152 are provided on both left and right sides of the instrument panel 15, and a rear side of the instrument panel 15 is below the windshield. A defroster 154 is provided. Each of these registers 15
1, 152 and defrosters 153, 154 are outlets of air from the vehicle air conditioner 10, and the registers 151, 1
52 and defrosters 153 and 154 and the vehicle air conditioner 1
An air duct 1 is arranged between the air duct 1 and the air duct 0.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air duct 1 is
It has a center duct 11 and two side ducts 12 branching left and right on both sides of the vehicle body. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the above, various ducts such as the rear heater duct 18 are arranged at various parts inside the vehicle, and air is sent out from the registers and defrosters provided at those parts (not shown). .

As shown in FIG. 1, the center duct 11 is connected to the air conditioner 10. The air conditioner 10 is arranged in the lower rear part of the instrument panel 15 and is configured to generate cold air or warm air and take in outside air.

As shown in FIG. 2, the center duct 1 is provided.
The ceiling surface of No. 1 is also the inner wall surface 159 of the instrument panel 15, on which the flow dividing ribs 13 are integrally provided. Further, a heat insulating layer for preventing dew condensation on the outer surface 158 is provided on the inner wall surface 159 of the instrument panel 15. This heat insulating layer serves as the resin layer 14 that covers the surface of the flow dividing rib 13 as it is, and the resin layer 14 forms a smooth curved surface from the tip 131 of the flow dividing rib 13 to the ceiling surface. Further, a hollow portion 130 is formed between the flow dividing rib 13 and the resin layer 14 (heat insulating layer). The resin layer 14 (heat insulating layer) is made of polypropylene foam material, the instrument panel 15 is made of polypropylene, and the center duct 11 and the side duct 12 are also made of polypropylene.

The flow of air in the air duct 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, air 80 flows from the air conditioner 10 into the center duct. The air 80 collides with the flow dividing rib 13 and is divided into the air 81 and the air 82. The air 81 reaches the center resist 151 through the inside of the instrument panel 15 and is blown into the vehicle from here. Also, the air 82 is the instrument panel 15
Of the side register 1 in the end of the side register 1
52, and blows out into the vehicle from a side defroster (not shown).

The function and effect of this example will be described. As described above, in the air duct 1 of the present embodiment, the flow dividing rib 13 has the resin layer 1
4 is provided, and a curved surface is formed between the ceiling surface which is also the inner wall surface 159 of the instrument panel 15 and the tip 131 of the flow dividing rib 13. Therefore, the shunt rib 1
When the air 80 is diverted in 3, it is difficult for an abrupt change in direction to occur, and thus abnormal noise is unlikely to occur. Further, in this example, since the heat insulating layer provided on the instrument panel 15 also serves as the resin layer 14, it is possible to suppress an increase in the cost of the instrument panel 15, the air duct 1, the number of manufacturing steps, and the like.

As described above, according to this example, it is possible to provide the air duct of the vehicle air conditioner in which the generation of the abnormal noise due to the flow dividing rib is reduced.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide the air duct of the vehicle air conditioner in which the generation of abnormal noise due to the flow dividing rib is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of an air duct in an embodiment example.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a main part of a center duct according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an instrument panel in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a main part of a center duct in a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. ． ． Air duct, 10. ． ． Air conditioner, 11. ． ． Center duct, 12. ． ． Side duct, 13. ． ． Shunt rib, 14. ． ． Resin layer, 131. ． ． tip, 15. ． ． instrument panel, 152. ． ． Side register, 80-84. ． ． air,

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-8-127223 (JP, A) JP-A-11-165563 (JP, A) JP-A-11-141965 (JP, A) JP-A-8- 268041 (JP, A) Actually open 4-90409 (JP, U) Actually open 48-5448 (JP, U) Actually open 61-31913 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60H 1/00-3/06

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A ceiling surface of the center duct, the center duct being connected to a vehicle air conditioner, the center duct being formed inside the instrument panel, and the side duct being branched from the center duct. Is composed of the inner wall surface of the instrument panel, and the ceiling surface is
An air duct is provided such that a diverting rib is erected on the branch portion, and the air flowing from the vehicle air conditioner is diverted by the diverting rib to the side duct and the center register provided on the instrument panel. The surface of the flow dividing rib is the surface of the instrument panel.
The inner wall surface is covered with a resin layer as a heat insulating layer ,
An air duct for a vehicle air conditioner, wherein the resin layer forms a curved surface between the ceiling surface and the tip of the flow dividing rib. 2. The resin layer according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer is a polyp
From ropylene foam material, polyethylene foam material, polyurethane
An air duct for a vehicle air conditioner, comprising at least one selected from foam materials .