Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2002-05-14
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S627000, C361S632000, C361S633000, C361S636000, C361S643000, C361S647000, C296S070000, C296S072000, C307S009100, C307S010100, C174S07100B, C174S0720TR, C180S090000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06388881
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a center cluster assembling structure in which a plurality of electrical devices disposed nearly centrally in a transverse direction of a vehicular instrument panel, such as an audio unit, a display unit, a navigation unit, and an air-conditioning operating unit, are clustered as an integral structure. In addition, the present invention relates to an electrical connection structure of the electrical devices.
2. Description of Related Art
As shown in
FIGS. 11A
,
11
B, a center cluster
101
is constructed by an audio unit
140
and an air-conditioning operating unit
180
which are disposed centrally in a transverse direction (width direction) of a vehicular instrument panel.
In the audio unit
140
, switch portions (not shown) of operating members
140
S for operating the audio unit
140
, a CD deck
142
, and a main electrical circuit substrate
161
are fixed within a case
107
by clamping means such as screws. Brackets
108
mounted sideways of the case
107
are clamped respectively to instrument panel-side mounting members
109
by bolts
108
a
to hold the audio unit
140
in the vehicular instrument panel.
The case
107
includes a case body
107
a
which is formed into a box shape using a sheet metal, an ornamental panel
107
b
made of resin and covering an opening of the case body
107
a,
opened toward an inside of a passenger compartment, and a heat radiating fin
107
c
which contacts a power IC
161
a
formed on the main electrical circuit substrate
161
and which functions to radiate heat from the power IC
161
a.
The operating members
140
S having the switch portions are disposed so as to be exposed directly into the passenger compartment from apertures formed in the ornament panel
107
b.
The ornamental panel
107
b
and the heat radiating fin
107
c
are fastened to the case body
107
a
using screws
107
d
from both side and rear portions of the case body
107
a.
Also, in the air-conditioning operating unit
180
, similarly to the audio unit
140
, a case
107
which incorporates therein switch portions (not shown) of operating members
180
S and a main substrate (not shown) is clamped to the instrument panel-side mounting members
109
through brackets
108
. One or more connectors
106
a
of one or more vehicle-side wire harnesses
106
on the vehicle front side are connected to center cluster
101
.
A frame-shaped front panel
110
is fitted on outer edges of the cases
107
of the audio unit
140
and the air-conditioning operating unit
180
from the inside of the passenger compartment so that the brackets
108
and the like are hidden from the interior of the passenger compartment.
However, in a case where the CD deck
142
or the substrate
161
are to be taken out from the center cluster
101
into the passenger compartment, when an attempt is made to remove the ornamental panel
107
b
from the case body
107
a
, the air-conditioning operating unit
180
is an obstacle to removal of the ornamental panel
107
b
because it is disposed just above the screws
107
d.
Therefore, in a state where the case body
107
a
is fixed to the instrument panel, it is impossible to remove the CD deck
142
and the main electrical circuit substrate
161
from the inside of the passenger compartment. Unless the case
107
is once taken out into the passenger compartment and is disassembled, it is impossible to take out the CD deck
142
and the main electrical circuit substrate
161
from the interior of the case
107
into the passenger compartment.
More particularly, for taking out the CD deck
142
and the main electrical circuit substrate
161
from the center cluster
101
into the passenger compartment, first the ornamental panel
110
is removed and the case
107
is removed from the instrument panel-side mounting members
109
, then the ornamental panel
107
b
or the heat radiating fin
107
c
is removed from the case body
108
a
, and thereafter the CD deck
142
and the main electrical circuit substrate
161
are removed from the case body
107
a.
Thus, even when only the CD deck
142
or the main substrate
161
is to be taken out into the passenger compartment, it is required to once take out the whole of the audio unit
140
into the passenger compartment. Such a manual work for removing the whole of the audio unit
140
which is heavy has been a heavy labor. Besides, an additional work is needed for disassembling the case
107
into the case body
107
a
, the ornamental panel
107
b
and the heat radiating fin
107
c
. Thus, the operation for removing the CD deck
142
and the substrate
161
is made to be complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a center cluster assembling structure which facilitates operation for removing such electrical devices of a vehicular center cluster as a CD deck and a main electrical circuit substrate.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide an electrical connection structure of plural electrical devices of a vehicle center cluster, which improves electrical connection operation and electrical removing operation between the electrical devices and a wire harness.
According to the present invention, in an assembling structure of a center cluster disposed inside a dashboard of a vehicle at an approximate center portion in a vehicle right-left direction, electrical devices are assembled to a holding member to be respectively detachable from an inside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle while the holding member is fixed to the dashboard. Therefore, when one of the electrical devices (e.g., a deck) is removed from the center cluster, only the one of the electrical devices can be detached from the holding member without detaching the other electrical devices, in a state where the holding member is fixed to the dashboard. Further, when the center cluster is assembled to the vehicle, first, the holding member is fixed to the dashboard from the inside of the passenger compartment, and then the electrical devices are respectively assembled to the holding member from the inside of the passenger compartment. As a result, any one of the electrical devices can be readily removed from the passenger compartment, and removing operation of the electrical device can be made simple.
Preferably, the electrical deck and the electrical circuit substrate are disposed to be stacked in a vertical direction. Therefore, the electrical deck and the electrical circuit substrate can be readily removed from the passenger compartment, among the electrical devices.
More preferably, the electrical devices have front side surfaces opposite to the inside of the passenger compartment in a vehicle front-rear direction, the front side surfaces of the electrical devices have engagement portions, respectively, being detachably engaged with engagement portions of the holding member, and at least one of the engagement portions of the electrical devices and the engagements of the holding member is elastically deformed while being engaged. Therefore, the electrical devices and the holding member can be fitted by an elastic deformation. Accordingly, the electrical devices can be readily detachably assembled to the holding member fixed to the dashboard.
On the other hand, in an electrical connection structure of the vehicle center cluster, a wire harness for supplying electrical power to the electrical devices is electrically connected to one electrical device through a connection portion disposed at a vehicle rear side position of the one electrical device, and an ornamental panel is disposed at a vehicle rear side of the connection portion and the electrical devices and is assembled to be detachable from the inside of the passenger compartment. Accordingly, the electrical devices, the wire harness and the connection portion can be covered by the ornamental panel to be prevented from being exposed into the passenger compartment. Further, because the connection portion
Ichino Masahiro
Imanaka Noritoshi
Mori Ken-ichi
Nakata Kenji
Yamauchi Shouji
Chervinsky Boris L.
Denso Corporation
Harness Dickey & Pierce PLC
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