Refrigeration – With vehicle feature – Occupant-type vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-15
2003-10-07
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With vehicle feature
Occupant-type vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06629424
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an automotive air conditioner and an instrument panel module, and more particularly to an automotive air conditioner and an instrument panel module which can cope with a change in the location of a steering member.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 28
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional automotive air conditioner.
This automotive air conditioner is arranged in a space defined by an instrument panel (not shown), a floor panel Fl, and a fire panel Fi.
The fire panel Fi divides between an engine room ER and a compartment R, while the floor panel forms the floor of the compartment R. The automotive air conditioner and the instrument panel are located within the compartment R.
A steering member S is located between the instrument panel and the automotive air conditioner.
This automotive air conditioner has a casing
501
in which are accommodated a blower
503
, an evaporator
505
, an air-mixing door
506
, and a heater core
507
.
The casing
501
is formed with a defroster outlet d, a vent outlet v, and a foot outlet f.
The defroster outlet d and the vent outlet v are located in an upper part of the casing
501
, while the foot outlet f is located in a lower part of the same. Air is blown into the cabin space of the compartment R from the respective outlets d, v, f via ducts (not shown).
On an automotive assembly line, when the automotive air conditioner, the steering member S, and the like are mounted on an automotive vehicle, the automotive air conditioner is mounted first. In doing this, ends of pipes of an evaporator
505
and a heater core
507
are projected via holes of the fire panel into the engine room.
Next, the steering member S is mounted.
Finally, the instrument panel is laid over the steering member S and the automotive air conditioner, and an upper part of the instrument panel is screwed to a cowl, while a lower part of the instrument panel is screwed to the floor panel Fl.
From the viewpoint of safety in collision in recent years, a vehicle came into existence which has a steering member arranged in a location lower than and ahead of that of the steering member S shown in
FIG. 28
In this kind of vehicle, the space in which only the automotive vehicle alone has been installed is crossed by the steering member S.
As a result, when an attempt is made to first mount the automotive air conditioner on the vehicle, and then mount the steering member S, the steering member S is interfered with the automotive air conditioner, and hence cannot be mounted. Inversely, when an attempt is made to first mount the steering member S on the vehicle, and then mount the automotive air conditioner, the automotive air conditioner is interfered with the steering S and cannot be mounted.
As described above, a change in the mounting location of the steering member S has brought about a problem that both the air conditioner and the steering member S cannot be installed on the vehicle.
The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automotive air conditioner and an instrument panel module which can cope with a change in the mounting location of the steering member.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a casing having at least one of air-introducing means for introducing air, blowing means for blowing the air from the air-introducing means, cooling means for cooling the air introduced by the blowing means from the air-introducing means, heating means for heating the air introduced by the blowing means from the air-introducing means, and air-distributing means for distributing the cooled air or the heated air, and a steering member-accommodating portion formed in the casing, for accommodating a steering member extending in a right-left direction of a vehicle, wherein the casing can be divided at least into an instrument panel-side part adjacent to an instrument panel and a fire panel-side part adjacent to a fire panel.
An automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a casing having at least one of air-introducing means for introducing air, blowing means for blowing the air from the air-introducing means, cooling means for cooling the air introduced by the blowing means from the air-introducing means, heating means for heating the air introduced by the blowing means from the air-introducing means, and air-distributing means for distributing the cooled air or the heated air, and a steering member interference-avoiding portion formed in the casing, for avoiding interference with a steering member extending in a right-left direction of a vehicle, wherein the casing can be divided at least into an instrument panel-side part adjacent to an instrument panel and a fire panel-side part adjacent to a fire panel.
An automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a casing having at least one of air-introducing means for introducing air, blowing means for blowing the air from the air-introducing means, cooling means for cooling the air introduced by the blowing means from the air-introducing means, heating means for heating the air introduced by the blowing means from the air-introducing means, and air-distributing means for distributing the cooled air or the heated air, and a steering member arranging-space portion formed in the casing, for arranging therein a steering member extending in a right-left direction of a vehicle, wherein the casing can be divided at least into an instrument panel-side part adjacent to an instrument panel and a fire panel-side part adjacent to a fire panel.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that the steering member-accommodating portion is a hole extending through the casing in the right-left direction of the vehicle or a recess formed in an outer surface of the casing in the right-left direction of the vehicle.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that the steering member interference-avoiding portion is a hole extending through the casing in the right-left direction of the vehicle or a recess formed in an outer surface of the casing in the right-left direction of the vehicle.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that the steering member-arranging space portion is a hole extending through the casing in the right-left direction of the vehicle or a recess formed in an outer surface of the casing in the right-left direction of the vehicle.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that the instrument panel-side part can be removed in one direction.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that air conditioner components including the cooling means, the heating means, and the air-distributing means are systematically classified into groups, and that ones of the air conditioner components belonging to a first group are assigned to the instrument panel-side part, and ones of the air conditioner components belonging to a second group are assigned to the fire panel-side part.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that the instrument panel-side part can be removed in one direction, that air conditioner components including the cooling means, the heating means, and the air-distributing means are systematically classified into groups, and that ones of the air conditioner components belonging to a first group are assigned to the instrument panel-side part, and ones of the air conditioner components belonging to a second group are assigned to the fire panel-side part.
The automotive air conditioner according to the present invention is characterized in that the fire panel-side part is commonly usable in a plurality of kinds of vehicles, and the instrument panel-side part is usable for only a specific kind of vehicles.
The
Araki Daisuke
Katchi Kazuhisa
Matsumoto Takehide
Nagano Hideki
Nakamigawa Tsutomu
Ali Mohammad M.
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Tapolcai William E.
Zexel Valeo Climate Control Corporation
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