Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-14
2001-10-02
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S072000, C296S190050, C296S203020, C296S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296303
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present invention is related to Japanese patent application No. Hei. 11-333118, filed Nov. 24, 1999; 2000-201494, filed Jul. 3, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle cockpit module, and more particularly, to a vehicle cockpit module having equipment such as an air conditioner integrally mounted inside a vehicle dashboard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a conventional vehicle air conditioner, when a blower unit and an air conditioner are disposed in a vehicle dashboard, they are generally fixed by screws to a partition wall (fire wall) between a passenger compartment and an engine room, requiring them to be affixed separately from the dashboard. On the other hand, modulization simplifies the vehicle assembly process by integrating the dashboard and peripheral equipment beforehand as a cockpit module, and affixing the module to the vehicle body at the same time. However, the above-described prior art cannot cope with this modulization.
To solve this problem, the blower unit and air conditioner are integrated inside the dashboard via the rod shape reinforcement member by fixing the blower unit and air conditioner to the rod shape reinforcemnt member. However, a steering unit is supported on the above-described rod shape reinforcement member via a steering stay. Therefore, if the blower unit portion is fixed directly to the rod shape reinforcement member, vibrations due to the operation of the blower unit are transmitted to the steering unit via the rod shape reinforcement member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention integrates the blower unit into the dashboard and reduces the vibration transmitted to the steering unit. A cockpit module for a vehicle having a dashboard has the following elements. A dashboard contains at least an air conditioner and a reinforcement member including a support portion for supporting a steering unit. In the cockpit module, at least a portion of a blower unit of the air conditioner is fixed to a fixing portion for fixing the reinforcement member to a vehicle body. The blower unit is integrally mounted inside the dashboard via the reinforcemnt member.
In another aspect, the dashboard contains at least an air conditioner and a reinforcement member including a support portion for supporting a steering unit. In the cockpit module, at least a portion of a blower unit of the air conditioner is fixed to the reinforcement member. A portion is disposed within a vibration transmittance route in the reinforcemnt member between a second portion and the support portion. Here, the portion fixes the reinforcement member to a vehicle body, and the second portion is fixed to the blower unit. In the cockpit module, further, the blower unit is integrally mounted inside the dashboard via the reinforcement member.
In another aspect, the portion is disposed within a vibration transmittance route in the reinforcement member between the second portion and the support portion. Therefore, vibration transmission is stopped at the portion, from the blower unit to the support portion via the reinforcement member.
In another aspect, the dashboard contains at least an air conditioner and a reinforcement member including a support portion for supporting a steering unit. In the cockpit module, the reinforcement member is disposed inside the dashboard to extend in a vehicle lateral direction, and fixing portions are respectively disposed at each end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction. Here, each of the fixing portions is fixed to the vehicle body. In the cockpit module, further, the support portion is disposed around one end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction. At least a portion of the blower unit is fixed to the other end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction, and an air conditioner unit is fixed to the reinforcement member between the support portion and the blower unit. Here, the air conditioner unit adjusts the temperature of air blown from the blower unit and blows the adjusted air into a passenger compartment. In the cockpit module, furthermore, the blower unit and the air conditioner unit are integrally mounted inside the dashboard via the reinforcement member.
In another aspect, the reinforcement member includes a bracket provided separately from itself for fixing the reinforcement member to the vehicle body, and the fixing portion fixed to the blower unit is disposed on the bracket. In another aspect, the dashboard contains at least an air conditioner and a reinforcement member including a support portion for supporting a steering unit. In the cockpit module, the reinforcement member is disposed inside the dashboard to extend in a vehicle lateral direction. Fixing portions are respectively disposed at each end of the reinforcemnt member in the vehicle lateral direction. A blower unit of the air conditioner is disposed around one end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction, and a stiff component is disposed adjacent to the blower unit. Here, the component performs another operation different from air-blowing operation. In the cockpit module, further, the blower unit is fixed to one end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction via the component, and the blower unit is integrally mounted inside the dashboard via the component and the reinforcement member. Moreover, the blower unit is fixed to one end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction via the component.
In another aspect of the invention, a bracket is provided at one end of the reinforcement member in the vehicle lateral direction, and fixing portions are disposed on the bracket. Here, a first fixing portion is fixed to the vehicle body, a second stiff fixing portion is fixed to the component. A third fixing portion is fixed to the dashboard. In the cockpit module, further, the first fixing portion is disposed on the bracket between the second fixing portion and the third fixing portion. Further, the numeral numbers respectively labeled in parentheses for each above-described unit respectively correspond to each specific unit in below-described embodiments.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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Kamiya Tomohiro
Numazawa Shigeo
Shikata Kazushi
Denso Corporation
Harness Dickey & Pierce PLC
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
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