Partition for use in vehicles

ABSTRACT

A surface, which receives shocks when hit by a radio unit upon a vehicle collision, has grooves defined in a peripheral region thereof. The surface also has a protrusion in a region, which can possibly be hit by the radio unit. Upon a vehicle collision, a rear surface of the radio unit initially impinges upon the protrusion. Stresses are concentrated on the protrusion, developing a crack in a groove near the protrusion. Once the crack is developed, it easily spreads along the groove.

INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A partition in a vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 through 5B.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle air-conditioning system , which incorporates the partition according to the present invention, serves to adjust the temperature and humidity of air in a passenger's compartment of a vehicle , and is disposed within a front console of the vehicle . The vehicle air-conditioning system has a blower fan (not shown) for selecting and supplying internal air or external air, an evaporator for cooling and dehumidifying air supplied from the blower fan by evaporating a refrigerant, a heater core for heating air through a heat exchange by cooling water from an engine , an inlet pipe for introducing hot water from the engine into the heater core , and an outlet pipe for delivering hot water, which has heated air, from the heater core to the engine . The inlet pipe extends below the evaporator and is connected to the engine . The outlet pipe extends over the evaporator and is connected to the engine . The hot water means cooling water heated by the waste heat generated by the engine .

The vehicle air-conditioning system also has a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve (not shown). The refrigerant, which is evaporated by the evaporator , is compressed by the compressor and then liquefied by the condenser. The liquefied refrigerant is converted by the expansion valve into a mist, which returns to the evaporator for circulation.

The vehicle air-conditioning system also has an air mixing door for adjusting the amount of air that has passed through the evaporator and which is to be introduced into the heater core , and two selector doors , for selecting three air outlets, i.e., a defroster outlet , a face outlet , and a foot outlet , by changing air passages.

Air supplied from the blower fan is introduced into a space in front of the evaporator , flows through the evaporator , and the direction of the flow is controlled by the air mixing door . Part or all of the air is introduced into the heater core by the air mixing door depending on its opening. When the air mixing door is fully closed, the air is blocked from entering into the heater core .

When the air mixing door is fully opened, all of the air that has passed through the evaporator is introduced into the heater core . After having passed through the heater core , the air flows upwardly through a first air passage into a space at an outlet of the first air passage . When the air mixing door is fully closed, the air that has passed through the evaporator is not supplied to the heater core , but directly supplied to the space . From the space , the air is delivered into the passenger's compartment from the defroster outlet and/or the face outlet by the selector doors , depending on their opening. Also, depending on the opening of the selector doors , , part of or all of the air is introduced into a second air passage (space) , from which the air is delivered into the passenger's compartment through the foot outlet . Specifically, the air introduced into the defroster outlet is delivered through a duct toward a front windshield . The air introduced into the face outlet is delivered through a duct and a ventilation grill into the passenger's compartment. The air introduced into the foot outlet is delivered through a duct (not shown) toward the feet of the passenger.

The second air passage of the vehicle air-conditioning system is partly defined by a partition comprising a resin panel . A radio unit (another component) mounted on the front console is positioned near the resin panel . The resin panel is molded of polypropylene, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inlet pipe is covered partly with a first protective cover and a second protective cover . The outlet pipe is covered partly with an insulation member . The first protective cover , the second protective cover , and the insulation member serve to prevent persons (passengers or maintenance personnel) from directly touching the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe inadvertently.

The resin panel has a grid-like pattern of vertical and horizontal grooves defined in a peripheral region of its surface (collision surface) close to the radio unit (see FIG. ). The resin panel has a sufficient thickness in the grooves for providing desired mechanical strength to the resin panel for resistance against vibrations and fatigue while the vehicle is running normally.

The resin panel also has a plurality of blocks surrounded by the grooves in the grid-like pattern. The surface of the resin panel has a protrusion disposed substantially centrally thereon to the radio unit . The protrusion projects toward the radio unit . When the vehicle collides with another vehicle or object, the area of the resin panel where the protrusion is positioned is assumed to initially hit the radio unit .

As shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion is in the form of a tubular pin having a round hole with its opening in a flat upper surface . The round hole may alternatively have its opening in it's the lower surface facing the second air passage (see FIG. ). The side surface of the protrusion is joined to the surface by four triangular ribs (supports) which are angularly spaced at 90° intervals around the protrusion .

Since the protrusion has the round hole defined therein, its wall thickness is relatively small. Therefore, any thermal strains caused in the protrusion immediately after molding are minimized. Because the upper surface of the protrusion is flat, the radio unit will reliably press the upper surface when the ratio unit impinges upon the protrusion . The protrusion , which is supported by the triangular ribs , is prevented from being broken when pressed by the radio unit , and hence, can reliably transmit forces from the radio unit to the surface .

An action of the vehicle air-conditioning system absorbing impact forces when the vehicle collides with another vehicle or object will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4, A, B and .

When the vehicle , while running, collides with another vehicle or object in front of the vehicle , passengers in the vehicle , which is facing the front console , may possibly hit the radio unit that is disposed substantially centrally on the front console . Passengers seated on left and right front seats of the vehicle are less likely to hit the central radio unit , but a passenger seated centrally on a front or rear bench seat in the vehicle is likely to hit the central radio unit if the passenger has forgotten to fasten the seatbelt.

When the passenger hits the radio unit , the radio unit is pushed toward the front of the vehicle , and has its rear surface of the radio unit pressed against the protrusion of the vehicle air-conditioning system . As shown in FIG. 4, the rear surface pushes the upper surface of the protrusion under an impact load F. At this time, since the upper surface is flat, the impact load F is reliably transmitted to the protrusion . The triangular ribs joined to the protrusion near the lower end prevent the protrusion from being broken and allow the impact load F to be reliably transmitted to the surface .

Inasmuch as the impact load F is transmitted only to the protrusion , stresses are concentrated on the protrusion , causing a groove near the protrusion to develop a crack . Specifically, while the resin panel is sufficiently thick in the grooves for resistance against vibrations and fatigue while the vehicle is running normally, the crack can easily be developed in a groove near the protrusion under the stress concentration.

Thereafter, the radio unit is pushed into the second air passage (see FIG. 1) under the impact load F, causing the crack to spread along the groove . Specifically, once the crack is produced, shear stresses are subsequently concentrated on ends of the crack , and widening the crack easily . Since the grooves are arranged in a grid-like pattern, the crack is developed vertically and horizontally along the grooves .

While the crack is progressively spreading, shocks that the passenger receives through the radio unit are weak because of the spreading crack . Accordingly, the impact that is applied to the passenger through the radio unit is reduced.

If it were not for the protrusion , then when the vehicle suffers a collision, the rear surface of the radio unit would directly contact the surface of the resin panel , so that stresses would be less liable to be concentrated on the surface . In this case, in order to allow the resin panel to be easily broken upon a vehicle collision, the grooves would need to be deeper, making the resin panel less mechanically strong during the normal travel of the vehicle .

If the radio unit contacts the resin panel at a plurality of regions, then the resin panel may have a plurality of protrusions . For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, two protrusions , may be provided on the surface at laterally spaced locations. According to this modification, even when the radio unit is moved obliquely toward the resin panel , one of the protrusions , first impinges upon the rear surface of the radio unit . Therefore, stresses are concentrated on the resin panel under the impact load, causing the resin panel to be easily broken.

FIG. 5B shows a vehicle air-conditioning system having a casing made up of left and right components , of synthetic resin which are joined by a seam , but separable from each other. The radio unit can impinge upon left and right surfaces of the left and right components If the seam between the left and right components is relatively thick, then a crack (see FIG. ), which has started to spread under the impact force, may possibly be stopped by the seam .

If the seam is relatively thick, then the left and right surfaces , may have respective protrusions , which are of a height greater from the left and right surfaces , than the seam (see FIG. B). Upon a vehicle collision, the rear surface of the radio unit impinges upon the protrusion and/or the protrusion , and the surface is broken under stresses concentrated on the protrusion , and the surface is broken under stresses concentrated on the protrusion . After the surface and/or the surface is broken, stresses are also concentrated on the seam , thereby breaking the seam . Therefore, the resin panel is sufficiently broken, absorbing shocks under the impact load.

The impact load, which is applied to the vehicle air-conditioning system , is divided into two impact loads Fa, Fb. Therefore, stresses applied to break the resin panel are also divided into stresses applied to two areas and hence reduced in intensity. However, the divided stresses are strong enough to break the resin panel sufficiently. If the seam is relatively thin, then only one protrusion may be provided on the resin panel .

In the illustrated embodiments, the grooves are defined in the surface of the resin panel which faces the radio unit . However, the grooves may be defined in a rear surface of the resin panel , which faces away from the radio unit . The grooves and the protrusion may be provided on a dividing panel (see FIG. 1) by which the first air passage and the second air passage are divided from each other. With this arrangement, since the radio unit can break the dividing panel after it has broken the resin panel , more shocks can be absorbed.

The grooves are not required to be of a uniform depth, but may be deeper in an area near the protrusion than in other areas (see FIG. ). The deeper grooves near the protrusion allow a crack to be developed more easily in those grooves when the radio unit impinges upon the protrusion . Once the crack is produced, it tends to spread easily under stresses concentrated on ends , , (see FIG. ). Therefore, the grooves may be shallower in areas remote from the protrusion .

The protrusion may not be integrally molded with the resin panel , but may be fastened by screws or an adhesive. The protrusion , which is fastened by screws or an adhesive, can freely be positioned in alignment with the radio unit .

The grooves and the protrusion may be provided on the surface of the vehicle air-conditioning system near the engine (see FIG. ). Specifically, when the vehicle collides with an obstacle positioned forwardly thereof, the engine compartment is compressed, pushing the engine into contact with the vehicle air-conditioning system . Thus, the vehicle air-conditioning system should preferably be broken because of the grooves and the protrusion that are provided on the surface of the vehicle air-conditioning system , which faces the engine . When the vehicle air-conditioning system is thus broken, the shocks from the engine can be absorbed.

The grooves and the protrusion may also be provided on another partition of the vehicle air-conditioning system .

Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a vehicle air-conditioning system and peripheral parts according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle air-conditioning system;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a protrusion and peripheral parts on a casing of the vehicle air-conditioning system;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which a radio unit collides with the protrusion on the casing of the vehicle air-conditioning system;

FIG. 5A is a plan view showing the manner in which a radio unit collides obliquely with a vehicle air-conditioning system; and

FIG. 5B is a plan view showing the manner in which a radio unit collides with a vehicle air-conditioning system having two left and right components of synthetic resin;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a vehicle partition; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vehicle air-conditioning system, viewed from a direction that is opposed to the direction from which the vehicle air-conditioning system is viewed in FIG. .

CLAIMS

1. A partition in a vehicle, comprising: a collision surface for receiving shocks when a peripheral member impinges thereon, backside of said collision surface being a space; a thin-walled region surrounding said collision surface; and a protrusion disposed on said collision surface in a region which can possibly be hit by said peripheral member.

2. The partition according to claim 1, further comprising: a support contacting a side surface of said protrusion and said collision surface.

3. The partition according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion has a tubular shape.

4. The partition according to claim 1, wherein said thin-walled region comprises a plurality of intersecting grooves.

5. The partition according to claim 4, wherein said grooves are deeper in an area close to said protrusion than in other areas.

6. The partition according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of protrusions is disposed on said collision surface.

7. The partition according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral member comprises an engine, said thin-walled region and said protrusion being positioned near said engine.

8. The partition according to claim 1, wherein said collision surface is a wall having an air passage in a vehicle air-conditioning system.

9. The partition according to claim 1, wherein said collision surface has a seam and is divided by the seam into a pair of collision surfaces, each of said collision surfaces having said protrusion.

10. The partition according to claim 9, wherein said protrusion has a greater height from said collision surface than said seam.

11. The partition according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion has a flat upper surface.

COPYRIGHT

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