Pipe joints or couplings – Side slide
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-05
2001-10-02
Luu, Teri Pham (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Side slide
C285S067000, C220S004240, C220S345300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296284
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
German Utility Model DE 94 20 291 discloses a housing of a heating and air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle, where two housing parts are connected to one another in a sealing manner along a separating plane using a tongue and groove connection. The tongues and grooves of the housing are designed to latch together. Although a latching connection of this type largely aids assembly, it cannot be effectively used for housings of heating or air-conditioning systems of motor vehicles because connections of this type can be released by straightforward tensile loading.
Accordingly, the housing parts of current heating or air-conditioning systems are screwed to one another or requires spring clips, as described for example in DE 94 20 291. Connections of this type, however, are disadvantageous in that they involve very high outlay and take a considerable amount of time to assemble, consequently increasing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a housing for a heating or air-conditioning system of an automotive vehicle and a method of assembling the housing. The present housing can be assembled cost-effectively while firmly and sealingly connecting the housing parts.
The housing has at least two housing parts, first and second housing parts. The first housing part has a first attaching member along a first portion of its periphery and a second attaching member along a second portion of its periphery. The second housing part has a third attaching member along a third portion of its periphery and a fourth attaching member along a fourth portion of its periphery.
The peripheries of the first and second housing parts are sealingly connected to one another along a plane that separates the first and second housing parts. The first attaching member is attach to the third attaching member and the second attaching member is attach to the fourth attaching member by displacing the first and second housing parts linearly along the separating plane.
The first and fourth attaching members each can comprise a tongue and the second and third attaching members each can comprise a groove to form at least two opposing tongue and groove connections. The grooves can be formed along the separating plane. The groove and the tongue of each of the first and second housing part can extend less than half of the periphery thereof.
Latches that prevent the first and second housing parts from displacing along the separating plane can be included. The latches can be provided on the first, second, third, and fourth attaching members. Each of the latches can comprise a latching lug formed on one of the first and third attaching members and one of the second and fourth attaching members, and a latching opening formed in the other of the first and third attaching members and the other of the second and fourth attaching members. The groove can have the latching openings and the tongue can have the latching lugs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 348556 (1886-09-01), Grueninger
patent: 656956 (1900-08-01), Eibee
patent: 749496 (1904-01-01), Patterson et al.
patent: 760424 (1904-05-01), Churchill
patent: 1853578 (1932-04-01), Ross
patent: 3260539 (1966-07-01), Herron
patent: 3362564 (1968-01-01), Mueller
patent: 4688023 (1987-08-01), McGill et al.
patent: 5383691 (1995-01-01), Anthony
patent: 5788109 (1998-08-01), Borghini
patent: 6019219 (2000-02-01), Takahashi
patent: 40 21 460 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 94 20 291 (1995-11-01), None
Behr GmbH & Co.
Foley & Lardner
Luu Teri Pham
LandOfFree
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