JPS6144897Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for melting snow accumulated on a cowl portion of an automobile air conditioner or an automobile heater in which an air intake is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in an automobile, an air intake 2 for an automobile air conditioner or an automobile heater is provided inside a cowl 1 in front of the windshield where ram pressure acts. Efforts are being made to introduce outside air. Here, the cowl 1 serves as a cover that protects the air intake 2 from rainwater and dust. However, when it snows, snow accumulates on the cowl 1 and blocks the slit 4, making it impossible to introduce outside air. Further, snow accumulated from the cowl 1 to the windshield 5 impairs visibility and prevents the wiper 6 from operating, so it is necessary to remove the snow as soon as possible. However, conventional automobiles are not equipped with a snow removal mechanism near cowl 1, so cowl 1
The snow that has accumulated on the vehicle must be manually removed, which is not only a cumbersome task, but also poses the problem of gradually narrowing the field of view while the vehicle is running, jeopardizing the safety of the vehicle.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a snow melting device for an automobile that can melt snow accumulated near the cowl.A hot water pipe is installed in the cowl part, and a hot water circuit on the heater core side in which engine cooling water circulates through the hot water pipe. Alternatively, by connecting to the radiator side hot water circuit and providing a partition valve in the hot water pipe, high temperature engine cooling water is passed through the hot water pipe to heat the cowl part and melt snow near the cowl. It is configured.

The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

The snow melting device of the present invention is provided with a hot water pipe 10 inside a cowl 1, and introduces engine cooling water into the pipe 10 to melt snow on the cowl 1.

In the case of this embodiment, the hot water pipe 10 is connected to the heater core side hot water circuit A which extracts high temperature cooling water from the water jacket of the engine E and circulates it, as shown in FIG.
Some of the warm water heading towards 1 is flowing. The hot water pipe 10 is attached to either the cowl top panel 12 or the cowl box 13 via a bracket 14, and is installed above the cowl 1. In addition, the hot water pipe 10 is connected to the cowl top panel 12.
If the cowl top is placed directly below the slit 4, snow on the slit 4 can be melted preferentially and outside air can be efficiently introduced into the cowl 1.As shown in FIG. If it is hung directly below the panel 12, snow near the windshield 5 can be quickly melted and visibility can be secured quickly, and it has the advantage of not causing inflow resistance when outside air is introduced, so it can be installed above the inside of the cowl 1. Although preferred, it may be located elsewhere within the cowl 1.

The hot water pipe 10 described above is preferably a metal pipe from the viewpoint of heat dissipation. However, if the entire area is made of metal pipes, piping work in the narrow engine room becomes more difficult, so the hot water pipe 10 usually incorporates a rubber pipe or a resin pipe. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, the hot water pipe 10 is designed so that only the portion that occupies the inside of the cowl 1 is made of a metal pipe, and the other portion is made of a flexible pipe such as a rubber pipe to facilitate the piping work. ing. However, this does not prevent the entire hot water pipe 10 from being made of a metal pipe, a rubber pipe, or a resin pipe. This is because the hot water pipe in this case does not exhibit particularly excellent effects in terms of piping workability or heat dissipation, and does not significantly impair the snow melting effect. Furthermore, this hot water pipe 1
0 is attached via a metal bracket 14 in order to conduct heat directly to the cowl top panel 12, but it can also be attached to the cowl top panel 12 or cowl box 13 via a resin bracket or by direct welding. Sometimes.

Further, the hot water pipe 10 is provided with a partition valve 15, as shown in FIG. The partition valve 15 is connected via a control cable 16 to a control lever (not shown) incorporated in the instrument panel, and is provided so that it can be opened and closed in the vehicle interior 3. Therefore, by opening and closing the partition valve 15 from the driver's seat, an arbitrary amount of engine cooling water can flow into the hot water pipe 10 as needed. Of course, it is also possible to directly operate the partition valve 15 without using the control cable 16 or the like.

According to the automotive snow melting device of the present invention configured as described above, when the partition valve 15 is opened by operation from the driver's seat, high temperature engine cooling water flows into the hot water pipe 10 in the cowl 1. The engine cooling water flowing through this hot water pipe 10 is always kept at a high temperature and is kept inside the cowl 1 and inside the cowl top panel 12.
To warm up the snow, the snow that accumulates on cowl 1 and clogs slit 4 is melted.

Although the hot water pipe 10 is connected to the heater core side hot water circuit A in this embodiment, it may be connected to the radiator side hot water circuit B.

As is clear from the above explanation, the present invention has a hot water pipe inside the cowl, and the engine cooling water is guided into this pipe to warm the cowl, so that the snow accumulated on the cowl is melted and the eyes of the cowl are heated. Can remove blockages. In addition, the present snow melting device melts snow accumulated from the cowl to the front window, so it can melt the snow accumulated at the bottom of the window, which could not be removed by the wiper, while causing it to slide down toward the cowl. Therefore, good forward visibility can be ensured.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are a plan view and a schematic sectional view taken along the - line, respectively, showing a conventional automobile without a snow melting device. Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams relating to the automotive snow melting device of the present invention, where Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cowl portion, Figure 4 is a piping diagram, and Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the connection structure of the gate valve. . 1... Cowl, 10... Hot water pipe, 12... Cowl top panel, 13... Cowl box, 15
...Partition valve, A...Heater core side hot water circuit,
16...Radiator side hot water circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A hot water pipe is installed inside the cowl, and the hot water pipe is connected to a heater core side hot water circuit or a radiator side hot water circuit through which engine cooling water circulates, and a gate valve is provided on the hot water pipe to direct hot engine cooling water to the hot water pipe. A snow melting device for an automobile, characterized in that the cowl portion is heated by passing it through a hot water pipe.