Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Dashboards
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-25
2001-03-20
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Dashboards
C296S208000, C180S090000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203092
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly of interior parts at a front portion of an automobile, comprising a steering hanger member which is connected at opposite ends thereof to left and right front pillars of a vehicle body to support a steering column, and an air conditioning duct and an instrument panel which are supported on the steering hanger member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a conventional assembly of interior parts at a front portion of an automobile is formed by sequentially screwing an air conditioning duct and an instrument panel to a steering hanger member, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.8-58431.
In the assembly of interior parts formed by screwing the air conditioning duct and the instrument panel to the steering hanger member in the above manner, a large number of threaded members are required, and moreover, the number of assembling steps is increased. Therefore, the reduction in cost is limited.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive assembly of interior parts at a front portion of an automobile, wherein no threaded member is required, or the use of threaded members can be remarkably decreased, and the number of assembling steps is small.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect and feature of the present invention, there is provided an assembly of interior parts at a front portion of an automobile, comprising a steering hanger member which is connected at opposite ends there of to left and right front pillars of a vehicle body to support a steering column, and an air conditioning duct and an instrument panel which are supported on the steering hanger member, wherein the air conditioning duct made of a synthetic resin has a support boss made of a synthetic resin which is integrally formed thereon and coupled to the steering hanger member so as to cover the steering hanger member, and the instrument panel made of a synthetic resin is welded or bonded to the air conditioning duct.
With the first feature, the assembly of interior parts at the front portion of the automobile can be provided without use of threaded members, or with a remarkably decreased number of threaded members used, by the formation of and the coupling of the air conditioning duct to the steering hanger member and by the welding or bonding of the instrument panel to the air conditioning duct. Moreover, the steering hanger member, the air conditioning duct and the instrument panel reinforce one another, thereby enhancing the strength of the interior part assembly and at the same time, contributing to enhancements in rigidity between the left and right front pillars of the vehicle body and the supported rigidity of the steering column.
According to a second aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the first feature, the instrument panel is formed by coating a skin of a synthetic resin to a surface of a panel body made of a synthetic resin foam, and the air conditioning duct made of the synthetic resin foam having a compatibility with the panel body is welded to the panel body.
With the second feature, the welding of the instrument panel and the air conditioning duct can simply and reliably be performed, and the air conditioning duct having an excellent heat-insulating property can be provided.
According to a third aspect and feature of the present invention, in addition to the second feature, air-conditioning air passage means are defined between opposed surfaces of the panel body of the instrument panel and the air conditioning duct.
With the third feature, the instrument panel also serves as an air conditioning duct element, whereby the structure of the air conditioning duct having the plurality of air passage means can be simplified.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5556153 (1996-09-01), Kelman et al.
patent: 5685598 (1997-11-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 5979965 (1999-04-01), Nishijima et al.
patent: 5997078 (1999-12-01), Beck et al.
patent: 8-58431 (1996-03-01), None
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Dayoan D. Glenn
Moriroku Kabushiki Kaisha
Morrow Jason
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