JP7159531B2 - duct - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a duct used for air intake, air conditioning, cooling, etc. in a vehicle, for example.

The duct is configured in a tubular shape with an air flow passage defined inside by combining an upper groove-shaped gutter-shaped member and a similar groove-shaped gutter-shaped lower member by abutting the edges of each other and combining them. There is (for example, see Patent Document 1). The upper member is a resin molded product by injection molding, and has a plurality of engaging claws spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the edge that abuts against the lower member. Further, the lower member is a resin molded product by injection molding, and engaging holes are provided corresponding to the plurality of engaging pawls in the edge that abuts against the upper member. In the duct disclosed in Patent Document 1, the edge of the upper member and the edge of the lower member are butted against each other, and the engagement claw is inserted into the engagement hole, whereby the engagement claw and the engagement hole are engaged with each other. The structure is such that the upper and lower members mate.

Japanese Patent No. 5832111

As described above, since the upper member and the lower member are resin-molded products, there may be unavoidable variations in precision due to molding shrinkage or the like. Therefore, if the engaging claw of the upper member and the engaging hole of the lower member are misaligned, the load when inserting the engaging claw into the engaging hole increases, and the insertion of the engaging claw is insufficient. In this case, there is a possibility that the engaging claw and the engaging hole are not properly fitted to each other. Therefore, as a measure to solve this problem, the size of the engagement hole is set to have a margin with respect to the engagement claw, thereby absorbing variations in dimensional accuracy and positional deviation. However, if the gap between the engaging claw and the engaging hole that are engaged with the claw becomes large, the upper member and the lower member may rattle, the strength against twisting of the duct may not be as designed, or abnormal noise may occur. Various problems may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art, and has been proposed to preferably solve them. for the purpose.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the duct of the present invention is
A duct in which at least a portion of an air flow passage is defined by a first split body and a second split body that are assembled end-to-end,
a locking portion projecting from the edge of the first split body toward the second split body and having a plurality of locking claws arranged side by side at intervals in the extending direction of the edge;
a plurality of locking claws of the locking portion are provided on the edge of the second divided body so as to be able to receive the plurality of locking claws of the locking portion, and the edge of the first divided body is butted against the edge of the second divided body; a locking receiving portion that catches and prevents the locking pawl from slipping off;
a regulating portion provided in the second split body and positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of locking claws hooked on the locking receiving portion to regulate movement of the locking claws in the extending direction; and

According to the duct according to the present invention, the two split bodies are assembled with high precision in a stable state in which rattling is prevented by engaging the claws.

1 is a perspective view of a duct according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the essential parts of the duct of the embodiment; (a) is a sectional view taken along the line A--A of FIG. 2, and (b) is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the main parts of the duct of the embodiment in an exploded state; (a) is a cross-sectional view along the BB line in FIG. 2, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along the DD line in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the assembly|attachment of the latching|locking part and latching receiving part of an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the locking claw of a modification.

Next, preferred embodiments of the duct according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the duct 10 according to the embodiment has a cylindrical shape with an air flow passage 12 through which air flows. It is formed so that it bends. The duct 10 of the embodiment has a curved shape such that the air inlet 10a and the air outlet 10b are oriented in the same direction. The duct 10 is surrounded by a first split body 14 and a second split body 16 which are assembled by a claw-fitting structure with their edges abutted against each other to define at least a portion of the airflow passage 12 . In the embodiment, part of the duct 10 on the side of the air outlet 10b is composed of the tubular part of the first split body 14, while the other most part is composed of two split trough-like split bodies 14, . 16 are combined to form a cylindrical shape. Each of the split bodies 14 and 16 is made of solid resin (solid synthetic resin) such as polypropylene (PP) or high density polyethylene (HDPE), and is a molded product obtained by injection molding or the like. Since the duct 10 is composed of two split bodies 14, 16 divided along the air circulation direction of the air circulation passage 12, the extending direction of the edge of each split body 14, 16 is along the air circulation direction. ing. Therefore, in the following description, the extending direction of the edges of the divided bodies 14 and 16 may be referred to as the air circulation direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first split body 14 has a cylindrical portion on the side of the air outlet 10b, and the other portion is formed in a groove-shaped gutter shape with an arcuate cross-section opening downward to form a second air outlet 10b. When combined with split body 16 it constitutes the upper half of duct 10 . The second split body 16 is formed in the shape of a gutter with an arcuate cross-section opening upward, and constitutes the lower half of the duct 10 when combined with the first split body 14 . The first split body 14 is formed so that the edge of the groove-shaped gutter-shaped portion projects outward from the flow path wall 14a forming the air flow path 12 and then extends downward. 18 extends downward from the channel wall 14a (see FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). The edge of the second divided body 16 is upwardly formed by an inner wall 16a forming the air flow passage 12, an outer wall 20 arranged opposite to the outer side of the inner wall 16a, and a bottom portion 22 connecting the lower ends of the inner wall 16a and the outer wall 20. It is formed in an open groove shape (see FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 5(a), the duct 10 is configured such that the extending portion 18 of the edge of the first split body 14 is fitted into the groove shape of the edge of the second split body 16, and , the lower end of the flow path wall 14a of the first split body 14 and the upper end of the inner wall 16a of the second split body 16 are butted against each other, and the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 are connected by a claw fitting structure. there is

Next, a claw fitting structure for connecting the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of engaging portions 24 are provided on the edge of the first split body 14 so as to protrude toward the second split body 16 side, while being separated from each other in the air circulation direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the locking portion 24 includes a plurality of locking claws 26 (two in the embodiment) arranged side by side in the air circulation direction (extending direction of the edge of the first split body 14). )have. A plurality of locking claws 26 are formed at the edge of the first split body 14 so as to protrude downward (to the second split body 16 side) from the extending portion 18 . The locking portion 24 of the embodiment has a bifurcated shape having two locking claws 26 , 26 , and the two locking claws 26 , 26 align the center of the locking portion 24 with the locking claw 26 (locking claw 26 ). The shape is symmetrical with respect to an imaginary line passing along the projecting direction of the portion 24). In addition, it is preferable that the engaging portion 24 is configured to be elastically deformable so that the adjacent engaging claws 26, 26 move relatively closer together. The detents 26, 26 can be elastically deformed to move closer together. The locking claw 26 has a tapered shape in which the side opposite to the mating locking claw 26 is inclined with respect to the projecting direction of the locking claw 26 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the locking claw 26 has a locking projection 26a projecting in the direction of air flow so as to intersect the direction in which the locking claw 26 protrudes. The locking projection 26a protrudes away from the other adjacent locking claw 26 . That is, two adjacent locking claws 26, 26 in the locking portion 24 are formed with respective locking projections 26a so as to protrude in mutually opposite directions toward the direction of air circulation.

As described above, the locking claw 26 is not only deformable in its entirety from its base in the direction of air circulation (see FIG. 6(b)), but is also configured such that the tip thereof is deformable in the direction of air circulation with respect to the base side. (See FIG. 6(c)). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, each locking claw 26 has a concave portion 26b that is recessed in the air circulation direction toward the adjacent locking claw 26. is provided at the base of the The recessed portion 26b is open in the direction of air circulation facing the side opposite to the other adjacent locking claw 26 . Due to the existence of the concave portion 26b, the locking claw 26 is elastically deformable in the direction of air circulation at the tip portion side of the bottom portion of the concave portion 26b.

A plurality of locking receiving portions 28 are provided on the edge of the second split body 16 so as to be separated from each other in the air circulation direction, and the locking receiving portions 28 correspond to the locking portions 24 in the duct 10. . The locking receiving portion 28 is provided so as to be able to receive the plurality of locking claws 26 of the locking portion 24, and when the edge of the first split body 14 and the edge of the second split body 16 are butted against each other, It is configured to prevent the locking claw 26 that is caught in the from coming off. As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the locking receiving portion 28 of the embodiment connects the outer wall 20 and the inner wall 16a at the groove-shaped edge of the second split body 16. It is formed so as to penetrate through the bottom portion 22 . As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the size of the opening of the locking receiving portion 28 in the direction of air circulation is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than the dimension of the locking claws 26, 26 in the direction of air circulation in the locking portion 24. . That is, when the first segment 14 and the second segment 16 are assembled, the portion of the locking portion 24 that passes through the locking receiving portion 28 has the same dimensions or dimensions as the locking receiving portion 28 in the air circulation direction. It should be slightly larger. As a result, the opening edge of the lock receiving portion 28 facing the direction of air circulation abuts or interferes with the received locking claw 26 . In the claw fitting structure, the locking protrusion 26a of the locking claw 26 inserted into the locking receiving portion 28 is caught by the lower surface of the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28 extending so as to intersect the air circulation direction. The movement of the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 in the direction of relative separation is restricted, and the assembled state of the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 is maintained.

The duct 10 has a positioning structure that defines the positional relationship in the air circulation direction between the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 that are assembled by means of a claw fitting structure. Ready for 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the second split body 16 is positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of locking claws 26, 26 hooked on the locking receiving portion 28 as a positioning structure, and contacts itself. It also has a restriction portion 30 that restricts movement of the locking claw 26 in the direction of air circulation. The restricting portion 30 is arranged below the lock receiving portion 28 (on the side where the received locking claw 26 protrudes), and is provided at a position corresponding to the central portion of the lock receiving portion 28 in the air circulation direction. there is The regulating portion 30 is formed in the shape of a protrusion protruding from the outer surface of the second split body 16 (see FIG. 3), and is arranged between the first split body 14 and the second split body 14 so that the locking pawl 26 is received in the locking receiving portion 28 . When combined with the split body 16, it is positioned between the two forked locking claws 26, 26 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the receiving surface 30a of the restricting portion 30 that contacts the locking claw 26 is inclined in a direction that intersects the locking claw 26 as it goes from the root side of the locking claw 26 to the distal end side. is formed as The restricting portion 30 of the embodiment has a triangular shape having receiving surfaces 30a, 30a inclined symmetrically with respect to an imaginary line passing through the center of the locking receiving portion 28 in the projecting direction of the locking pawl 26. As shown in FIG. When the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 are combined, the receiving surface 30a of the regulating portion 30 faces the inner edge of the distal end of the locking claw 26, and a gap between the receiving surface 30a and the locking claw 26 is provided. Although there may be a slight gap between them, it is preferable that the receiving surface 30a and the locking claw 26 come into contact with each other. Further, the restricting portion 30 may be set so that the receiving surface 30a interferes with the locking claw 26 when the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 are combined. A configuration may be employed in which the locking pawl 26 is pushed in the air circulation direction away from the other adjacent locking pawl 26 .

Assembly of the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 in the duct 10 described above will be described with reference to FIG. The first split body 14 and the second split body 16 are brought relatively close to each other, and both the locking claws 26, 26 of the locking portion 24 are inserted into the locking receiving portion 28 (see FIG. 6(a)). At this time, the locking protrusion 26a of the locking claw 26 contacts the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28, and the two locking claws 26 arranged in the air circulation direction are elastically deformed so as to approach each other, thereby locking. The protrusion 26a can now pass through the lock receiving portion 28 (see FIG. 6(b)). Even if the locking portion 24 and the locking receiving portion 28 are misaligned, the locking claw 26 abuts the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28 , but the locking claw 26 does not form a pair with the locking portion 24 . , the locking claw 26 that hits the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28 is deformed and escapes. As a result, even when the locking portion 24 and the locking receiving portion 28 are misaligned, the insertion of the locking claws 26, 26 into the locking receiving portion 28 is allowed while suppressing an increase in the insertion load. be done. Further, the positional deviation between the locking portion 24 and the locking receiving portion 28 is corrected by elastic contact of the locking claw 26 with the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28 .

If the locking claw 26 hits the receiving surface 30a of the regulating portion 30 before the locking protrusion 26a passes through the locking receiving portion 28, the tip of the locking claw 26 is pushed by the receiving surface 30a and the other adjacent locking member is engaged. Further insertion of the locking pawl 26 into the locking receiving portion 28 is allowed by elastically deforming away from the locking pawl 26 (see FIG. 6(c)). When the locking projection 26a passes through the locking receiving portion 28, the locking claws 26, 26 elastically deformed so as to approach each other are elastically restored, and the locking projection 26a moves toward the locking receiving portion 28. (See FIG. 6(d)). A restricting portion 30 is arranged between the two engaging claws 26 , 26 aligned in the engaging portion 24 .

In the duct 10 described above, in the assembled state in which the locking claw 26 and the locking receiving portion 28 are engaged, the second locking claw 26, 26 of the locking portion 24 of the first split body 14 is positioned between the two locking claws 26, 26. The restricting portion 30 of the split body 16 is fitted. In other words, when assembling the first split body 14 and the second split body 16, the restricting portion 30 is guided to fit between the two locking claws 26, 26, so that the first split body 14 and the second split body 14 are guided to fit. The position in the direction of air circulation with the halves 16 can be precisely aligned. Further, by fitting the two locking claws 26 and 26 into the restricting portion 30, positional deviation of the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 in the direction of air circulation is restricted. and the second division body 16 can be prevented from rattling in the direction of air flow.

Since the duct 10 can be positioned with respect to the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 by the positioning structure of the locking claw 26 and the restricting part 30, the opening dimension of the locking receiving part 28 in the air circulation direction is It is also possible to set the dimension larger than the dimension of the two locking claws 26, 26 in the locking portion 24 in the direction of air circulation. As a result, deviation between the locking portion 24 and the locking receiving portion 28 can be absorbed, and the locking portion 24 can be fitted to the locking receiving portion 28 without difficulty. When the locking portion 24 is set to be easily fitted to the locking receiving portion 28 as described above, the restricting portion 30 is configured to interfere with the locking claw 26 , so that the locking claw 26 is brought into contact with the restricting portion 30 . can be pushed in the projecting direction of the locking projection 26a. As a result, the locking projection 26a can be wrapped around the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28, and the locking projection 26a can be reliably hooked to the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28. As shown in FIG. In addition, by pressing the locking claw 26 with the restricting portion 30, the gap between the locking claw 26 and the locking receiving portion 28 is eliminated, and the rattling in the air flow direction between the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 is eliminated. can be prevented.

Since the restricting portion 30 of the duct 10 exists on the side opposite to the projecting direction of the locking projection 26a provided on the locking pawl 26, the locking projection 26a moves away from the opening edge of the locking receiving portion 28. movement of the locking pawl 26 can be blocked by the restricting portion 30 . In this manner, the restricting portion 30 makes it difficult for the locking claw 26 to come off the locking receiving portion 28, so that the mounting strength between the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 can be improved.

In this manner, the duct 10 is assembled with high precision in a stable state in which the two split bodies 14 and 16 are prevented from rattling due to the engagement of the claws. Therefore, the duct 10 can prevent the generation of abnormal noise caused by rattling between the first split body 14 and the second split body 16, chattering noise caused by ventilation, and the like. In addition, since the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 of the duct 10 are firmly assembled so as not to be displaced relative to each other in the direction of air flow, the duct 10 is strong against torsion and the like, and the rigidity as a whole is high. increase, so reinforcement can be reduced.

The duct 10 is made deformable so that the plurality of locking claws 26 in the locking portion 24 approach each other. Even if the size of the opening in the direction of air circulation does not have enough margin for the dimensions of the two locking claws 26, 26 in the direction of air circulation, the deformation of the locking claw 26 causes the locking claw 26 to move into the locking receiving portion 28. can be inserted into As a result, it is possible to reduce the gap associated with setting the opening dimension of the lock receiving portion 28 in the air circulation direction larger than the dimension of the locking claws 26, 26 in the air circulation direction. Further, the opening dimension of the locking receiving portion 28 in the air circulation direction is set equal to or slightly smaller than the dimensions of the locking claws 26, 26 in the air circulation direction, and the locking claw is inserted into the locking receiving portion 28. It is also possible to prevent a gap from forming between 26 and locking receiving portion 28 . As described above, according to the claw fitting structure described above, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the gap between the locking claw 26 inserted into the locking receiving portion 28 and the locking receiving portion 28. It is possible to prevent the rattling of the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 in the direction of air flow caused by a gap between the locking claw 26 inserted in the hole 28 and the locking receiving portion 28 . Further, since the locking claw 26 is deformed in the direction of air circulation, an increase in the insertion load of the locking claw 26 to the locking receiving portion 28 can be suppressed, and the locking projection 26a of the locking claw 26 is prevented from becoming a locking receiving portion. It is possible to avoid poor fitting of the claws that do not engage with the portion 28 . By positioning and setting the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 on a jig and pressing them up and down to apply a predetermined load, the locking portion 24 is mechanically inserted into the locking receiving portion 28 . Even when claw fitting is performed by using the claw fitting, it is possible to suppress an increase in the insertion load, so that claw fitting failure can be avoided.

The duct 10 is formed so that the receiving surface 30a of the restricting portion 30 is inclined in the direction intersecting the locking claw 26 as it goes from the root side of the locking claw 26 toward the tip side, so that the receiving surface 30a may be bent during assembly. Even if the tip of the locking claw 26 hits the edge of the locking claw 26, it is possible to prevent the insertion of the locking claw 26 from being hindered. When the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 are assembled, the locking claw 26 hits the receiving surface 30a of the regulating portion 30, and the tilting of the receiving surface 30a causes the locking portion 24 to be locked. Guided to align with portion 28 . In this way, the duct 10 is configured such that when the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 are assembled, the two engaging claws 26 and 26 and the restricting portion 30 are fitted to each other so that the first split body 14 and the second split body 14 are fitted together. It is possible to naturally correct the positional relationship of the halves 16 in the direction of air flow. Therefore, in the obtained duct 10, the positions of the first split body 14 and the second split body 16 in the direction of air flow are accurately aligned.

The locking claw 26 has a concave portion 26b recessed in the air circulation direction toward the other adjacent locking claw 26, and is provided closer to the base of the locking claw 26 than the locking projection 26a. not only deforms from its base, but also the tip of the engaging portion 24 tends to deform from the bottom of the recess 26b. As a result, when the locking claw 26 hits the regulating portion 30 during assembly of the first division 14 and the second division 16 (during insertion of the locking claw 26 into the locking receiving portion 28), the locking By deforming the tip portion of the claw 26, the locking projection 26a can be smoothly passed through the locking receiving portion 28. As shown in FIG.

(Change example)
For example, the following modifications may be made without being limited to the above-described embodiment.
(1) In the embodiment, the locking projection 26a of the locking pawl 26 was formed to protrude in the direction of air circulation (extending direction of the edge of the first split body 14), but as shown in FIG. The locking projection 26a may be formed to protrude outward crossing the protruding direction of the locking claw 26. As shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 7, the same code|symbol as an Example is attached|subjected to the structure similar to an Example.
(2) In the embodiment, the first split forms the upper part of the duct and the second split forms the lower part of the duct. The two halves may form the upper part of the duct. The duct is not limited to being vertically divided into a first split body and a second split body, but it is possible to change the duct split mode as appropriate, such as splitting left and right.
(3) In the embodiment, the first split body and the second split body surround about half of the air flow passage. You may change the ratio of as appropriate.
(4) The present invention is applicable to intake ducts, brake ducts, air conditioning ducts, and the like.
(5) The locking portion of the embodiment is configured to be elastically deformable so that the adjacent locking claws come closer to each other. good too. Even if the size of the opening of the lock receiving portion in the direction of air circulation is set to be larger than the size of the locking claws in the direction of air circulation in the locking portion, the contact between the locking claws and the restricting portion may cause the locking portion to break. It is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise or the like due to the relative deviation in the air flow direction between the first split body and the second split body in the duct after the engagement of the lock receiving portion with the lock receiving portion.

12 air flow passage, 14 first split body, 16 second split body, 24 locking portion, 26 locking claw,
28 locking receiving portion, 30 restricting portion, 30a receiving surface

Claims (4)

A duct in which at least a portion of an air flow passage is defined by a first split body and a second split body that are assembled end-to-end,
a locking portion projecting from the edge of the first split body toward the second split body and having a plurality of locking claws arranged side by side at intervals in the extending direction of the edge;
a plurality of locking claws of the locking portion are provided on the edge of the second divided body so as to be able to receive the plurality of locking claws of the locking portion, and the edge of the first divided body is butted against the edge of the second divided body; a locking receiving portion that catches and prevents the locking pawl from slipping off;
a regulating portion provided in the second split body and positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of locking claws hooked on the locking receiving portion to regulate movement of the locking claws in the extending direction; and a duct. 2. The restricting portion according to claim 1, wherein a receiving surface that contacts the locking claw is formed so as to be inclined in a direction intersecting the locking claw as it goes from the root side of the locking claw toward the tip side thereof. duct. The locking portion is configured to be deformable so that the adjacent locking pawls approach each other, and the adjacent locking pawls have locking projections protruding in opposite directions to each other in the extending direction, 3. The duct according to claim 1 or 2, which is hooked on said lock receiving portion. 4. The duct according to claim 3, wherein each of said locking claws has a concave portion which is recessed in said extending direction toward an adjacent locking claw and is provided closer to the base of said locking claw than said locking projection.

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