JPH068725A - Air-conditioning device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an instrument panel with a noble design and various functions by arranging a hollow member, extending in the width direction of a vehicle, above the instrument panel and utilizing the hollow member as an air-conditioning duct. CONSTITUTION:A pipe 12 running throughout the overall length, in the direction of the width of a vehicle, of an instrument panel 10 is disposed above the instrument panel 10 and at the rear end part of a vehicle. The pipe 12 is divided in the lateral direction of a vehicle with a meter hood 16 nipped therebetween, and the two end parts of left and right pipes 12a and 12b are attached to a steering support member 26. The right part 40 of three sections into which the left pipe 12a is divided is connected to an air-conditioning unit. Louvers 46 and 8 are mounted in respective discharge ports formed in right and left parts 40 and 44. A connection port formed in the right pipe 12b is connected to an air-conditioning unit. A louver 54 is attached in a discharge port formed in the right pipe 12b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner, and in particular, a part of an air conditioner duct is projected above an instrument panel to enable a novel design of the instrument panel and addition of various functions. The present invention relates to an automobile air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in the case of a front engine type air conditioner for an automobile, a heater core for passing engine cooling water, an evaporator for adiabaticly expanding a refrigerant, an air blower, etc. are incorporated in a lower portion of an instrument panel. The air conditioning unit is housed and the air conditioning air conditioned by this air conditioning unit is passed through the air conditioning ducts located inside the instrument panel from multiple outlets formed at appropriate points on the instrument panel surface. It is designed to blow air into the room.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional automobile air conditioner, as described above, the conditioned air is blown out from the air outlet formed in the instrument panel. At this time, it is necessary to arrange the air outlet so as to have a predetermined height relationship with the driver or the passenger in the passenger seat. Further, since the instrument panel is provided with storage parts such as various meters, switches and glove box, the formation position of the outlet of the instrument panel is inevitably changed in the height direction and the vehicle width direction. There is no choice but to limit it.

For this reason, the shape of the instrument panel is greatly restricted depending on the position where the air outlet is formed, and the design of the instrument panel and the surroundings of the instrument panel that are brought out from the shape are accordingly restricted. Various functions are also subject to some restrictions.

Incidentally, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-53681 discloses that
An instrument panel in which the upper surface of the instrument panel is inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle and a hollow cross member is disposed on the front side of the instrument panel is disclosed. However, by slightly tilting the upper surface of the instrument panel in this way, a little newness can be added to the design, but the cross member is merely a function as a conventional steering support member, However, there was a problem that it would not be so different from the conventional one.

In view of such conventional problems, the present invention provides a hollow member extending in the vehicle width direction above the instrument panel, and uses this hollow member as an air conditioning duct. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile air conditioner capable of adding a novel design and various functions.

[0007]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a hollow member extending over the entire length of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction above the instrument panel. The hollow member is connected to the instrument panel side, and the hollow member is connected to an air conditioning unit to introduce conditioned air and to form an air conditioned air outlet in the hollow member.

Further, the hollow member is passed through a meter hood protruding from the upper surface of the instrument panel,
It is desirable that the instrument panel be provided continuously over the entire vehicle width direction.

Further, it is desirable that the hollow member is connected to a steering support member that supports a steering shaft.

Furthermore, the hollow member is composed of a plurality of divided members which are connected to each other, and at least one of the divided members is formed.
One can be configured as another functional member.

Further, it is desirable that a louver is provided at the air outlet formed in the hollow member and that the louver is slidably mounted in the circumferential direction of the hollow member.

Furthermore, the outside of the meter hood projecting from the upper surface of the instrument panel may have a hollow structure, the hollow member may be connected to this hollow structure portion, and the meter hood may be provided with an outlet for conditioned air. .

Furthermore, a reinforcing member having a cross-sectional area smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the hollow member is inserted inside the hollow member over the entire length of the hollow member, and both ends of the reinforcing member are connected to the vehicle body side. At the same time, the steering shaft can be supported by the reinforcing member.

Further, it is desirable that both ends of the hollow member are communicated with the inside of the door mirror, and the pressure difference during traveling generated on the front side or the rear side of the door mirror is utilized to ventilate the vehicle interior.

Further, it is desirable to provide a cup holder having a hooking portion formed on the upper end portion along the outer shape of the hollow member, and to hook the hooking portion to the hollow member in a detachable manner.

Furthermore, it is desirable to provide an air bag mounting portion on a part of the hollow member.

[0017]

In the automobile air conditioner of the present invention having the above-described structure, the hollow member disposed above the instrument panel is connected to the air conditioning unit to introduce the conditioned air, so that the hollow member is removed. It can be used as part of an air conditioning duct. The hollow member thus formed as a part of the air-conditioning duct extends over the entire vehicle width direction of the instrument panel, so that the air outlet formed in the hollow member is Each can be formed for a passenger seat passenger. Therefore, since the air outlet is exclusively formed in the hollow member and the conditioned air can be sufficiently supplied, the formation of the air outlet in the instrument panel can be omitted. For this reason,
The shape of the instrument panel can eliminate the restriction due to the air outlet, and the degree of freedom in design can be greatly increased accordingly.

Further, the hollow member is extended above the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, so that when a small object is placed on the upper surface of the instrument panel,
It is possible to prevent this small object from being dropped from the upper surface of the instrument panel even when the vehicle is accelerated by being locked by the hollow member.

Further, in such a structure, since the hollow member is connected to the instrument panel side, the rigidity of the instrument panel can be increased, and the rigidity of the vehicle body can be improved.

Further, in such a structure, the hollow member penetrates the meter hood projecting from the upper surface of the instrument panel and is continuously provided over the entire length of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the rigidity of the hollow member itself can be increased, and by extension, the rigidity of the instrument panel and the vehicle body can be further improved.

Further, by connecting the hollow member to a steering support member that supports the steering shaft, the support rigidity of the hollow member can be significantly improved.

Furthermore, the hollow member is composed of a plurality of divided members which are connected to each other, and at least one of the divided members is formed.
By configuring one as another functional member, it is possible to add another function to the hollow member in addition to the function as the air conditioning duct.

Further, a louver is provided at the air outlet formed in the hollow member, and the louver is slidably attached in the circumferential direction of the hollow member so that the direction of the conditioned air blown from the air outlet can be changed up and down. Thus, this conditioned air can be directed to the occupant in the optimum direction.

Further, the outside of the meter hood projecting from the upper surface of the instrument panel has a hollow structure, the hollow member is communicated with the hollow structure portion, and the meter hood is provided with an outlet for conditioned air. Air-conditioning air can be blown from around the meter hood to the front of the driver, and the air-conditioning effect can be improved.

Furthermore, a reinforcing member having a cross-sectional area smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the hollow member is inserted inside the hollow member over the entire length of the hollow member, and both ends of the reinforcing member are connected to the vehicle body side. At the same time, by supporting the steering shaft on the reinforcing member, the steering support bracket conventionally provided inside the instrument panel can be eliminated. Moreover, since the cross-sectional area of the reinforcing member is smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the hollow member, a space can be secured between the hollow member and the reinforcing member, and the function as an air conditioning duct can be maintained.

Further, the ventilation efficiency is improved by communicating both ends of the hollow member with the inside of the door mirror and utilizing the pressure difference at the front side or the rear side of the door mirror during traveling to ventilate the passenger compartment. Can be greatly improved.

Further, by providing a cup holder having a hooking portion formed along the outer shape of the hollow member at the upper end and detachably hooking the hooking portion to the hollow member, the hollow member is effectively used. The cup holder can be attached easily.

Furthermore, by providing an air bag mounting portion in a part of the hollow member, the instrument panel can be shared between the vehicle equipped with the airbag and the vehicle not equipped with the airbag.

[0029]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 9 show an embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of an instrument panel and an air conditioner, and FIG. 2 is a part of an instrument panel and an air conditioner. 3 is an exploded perspective view of one side portion of the hollow member used in the air conditioner of the present embodiment, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the other side portion of the hollow member, and FIG. 5 is A in FIG. -A perspective view taken along line A, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing one of the louvers provided at the air outlet, and FIG. 8 is one of the air outlets. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing the louver, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a mounted state of the louver.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner of the present embodiment extends above the instrument panel 10 and at the rear end of the vehicle over the entire length of the instrument panel 10 in the vehicle width direction. Pipe 12 as a hollow member
And the pipe 12 is used as a part of an air conditioning duct. In the figure, 14 is a steering shaft, 16 is a meter hood that covers the meter panel, and 18 is a glove box.

A peripheral wall 10a protruding upward is formed on the front side and the left and right sides of the vehicle of the instrument panel 10, and a center blower outlet 20 and a side blower outlet 22 of the defroster are formed on an upper end portion of the peripheral wall 10a. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the pipe 12 is divided in the left-right direction of the vehicle with the meter hood 16 interposed therebetween, and the left and right pipes 12a and 12b respectively divided are closed at both ends. The vehicle outer ends of the left and right pipes 12a and 12b are attached to the peripheral wall 10 of the instrument panel 10.
It is inserted into the left and right side portions of a and is attached to the steering support member 26 via annular brackets 24, 24 inside the peripheral wall 10a.

The steering support member 26 is
The instrument panel 10 is arranged inside the instrument panel 10 in the vehicle width direction. Both ends of the instrument panel 10 are fixed to the vehicle body panel, and the center of the instrument panel 10 is fixed to the floor panel via a center stay (not shown). The steering shaft 14 and the instrument panel 10 are supported by the steering support member 26.

The vehicle inner ends of the left and right pipes 12a, 12b are located on both left and right sides of the opening 10b formed in the instrument panel 10 corresponding to the mounting position of the meter hood, and the annular bracket 28 is provided. , 28 are attached to the support brackets 30 and 30 projecting from the steering support member 26. Further, the inner ends of the left and right pipes 12a and 12b are covered with notched portions 16a formed on both sides of the meter hood 16, and the annular brackets 28 and 28 are housed in the meter hood 16. To be done. As shown in FIG. 6, the pipe 12 is provided at a slight distance δ from the upper surface of the instrument panel 10.

By the way, the instrument panel 1
As shown in FIG. 6, an air conditioning unit 32 including a heater core, an evaporator, an air blower, and the like (not shown) is arranged inside the central portion of 0, and the conditioned air conditioned by the air conditioning unit 32 is shown in FIG. It is supplied to the main duct 34 shown and a side duct 36 branched from the main duct 34 to the right. The defroster air conditioned by the air conditioning unit 32 is supplied to the diff duct 38 housed in the peripheral wall 10a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the left pipe 12a is composed of three parts 40, 42 and 44 as dividing members, and the right part 40 arranged at the center of the vehicle body is connected to the above-mentioned parts through a connecting duct 40a. The outlets 40b, 40 connected to the main duct 34 and formed in the upper half thereof
Louvers 46 and 46 are attached to b. Of the three parts 40, 42, 44, the central part 42 is simply formed as a straight cylinder. A louver 48 is attached to an air outlet 44a formed on the front side (vehicle rear side) of the left side portion 44 arranged on the vehicle outer side.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the right pipe 12b has a connection port 50 connected to the side duct 36 on the lower side and a louver 54 on the air outlet 52 formed on the front side. Is installed.

The louvers 46, 48, 54 are formed in an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the pipe 12 as shown in FIG. 7, and are rectified for guiding the blown conditioned air in a fixed direction. A plurality of plates 48a are formed. And
The louvers 46, 48 and 54 are respectively the outlets 4
0b, 44a, 52 are rotatably mounted in the circumferential direction, and by rotating these louvers 46, 48, 54, the conditioned air blown from the outlets 40b, 44a, 52 can be changed in the vertical direction. It has become.
Note that FIG. 8 shows the outlet 44a in detail.

Hooks 56 are rotatably mounted at two positions, that is, at four positions in the circumferential direction at both ends of the louvers 46, 48, 54, and these hooks 56 are arranged at the air outlets 40b, 44a, 52. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the hook 56 is rotated and locked to the peripheral portions of the air outlets 40b, 44a, 52, so that the louvers 46, 48, 5 are not locked.
4 is slidably mounted.

In the air conditioner of the present embodiment having the above-described structure, the pipe 12 is arranged above the instrument panel 10 at an appropriate interval δ over the entire length of the instrument panel 10 in the vehicle width direction, This pipe 12
Left and right pipes 1 divided across the meter hood 16
2a and 12b are connected to an air conditioning unit 32 via a main duct 34 and a side duct 36, and air conditioning air is introduced into this pipe 12. Therefore,
The pipe 12 is used as a part of an air conditioning duct, and the air outlets 40b, 44a, 52 formed in the pipe 12 are used.
It is now possible to blow out conditioned air into the passenger compartment. The air outlet 40b provided in the central portion can be used for both the driver and the passenger in the passenger seat, and the air outlet 44a is exclusively used for the passenger in the passenger seat and the air outlet 52b.
Can be used exclusively for the driver.

Therefore, the supply of the conditioned air can be performed exclusively by the air outlets 40b, 44a, 52 formed in the pipe 12, so that the instrument panel 10 can be supplied.
It is not necessary to form an air conditioning air outlet in itself. For this reason, the shape of the instrument panel 10 can be freed from restrictions due to the air outlet, and accordingly, the degree of freedom in shape can be significantly increased in designing the instrument panel 10. Also, the pipe 1
2 is disposed so as to project in the vehicle width direction on the upper surface of the instrument panel 10, so that it is possible to provide a novel design that has never been seen by producing a sense of fear in its appearance.

Further, since the pipe 12 is extended above the instrument panel 10 in the vehicle width direction, the instrument panel 10 as shown in FIG.
Even when a small object 58 such as a cigarette case is placed on the upper surface of the vehicle, the small object 58 is locked to the pipe 12, so that it is possible to prevent the small object 58 from falling from the instrument panel 10 when the vehicle accelerates. it can.

Further, in this embodiment, since the pipe 12 is connected to the instrument panel 10 side, that is, the steering support member 26 to which the instrument panel 10 is attached, the rigidity of the pipe 12 is the steering support member 26. It contributes to increasing the rigidity of the instrument panel 10 and, in turn, improves the rigidity of the vehicle body.

By the way, the pipe 12 is composed of left and right pipes 12a and 12b which are arranged with the meter hood 16 interposed therebetween, and the left pipe 12a arranged on the passenger side.
Is divided into a plurality of right side portions 40, a center portion 42, and a left side portion 44, and these are connected to each other. Therefore, the central portion 42, which is simply formed as a straight cylinder, can be replaced with another functional member. For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. Back unit 6
It is designed to wear 0.

That is, the airbag unit 60 includes an airbag storage case 62 and connection pipes 64, 64 protruding from both sides of the storage case 62 in the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG. Connection pipes 64, 64
Are connected to the right side portion 40 and the left side portion 44. The storage case 62 has a double structure, and the connection pipes 64, 64 on both sides are communicated with each other through the space portion having the double structure, so that the conditioned air can flow.

Therefore, by providing the pipe 12 with other functional members in this manner, other functions can be added in addition to the function as the air conditioning duct. For this reason, other functional members conventionally incorporated in the instrument panel 10 can be eliminated from the instrument panel 10 itself, so that the degree of freedom in the shape of the instrument panel 10 is further improved.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a speaker S is provided on the rear surface of the pipe 12 and the speaker S is faced inside the pipe 12, so that the pipe 12 can be used as a cannon. It can be used as a duct. In this case, sound is emitted from the air outlets 40b, 44a, 52.

11 to 12 show another embodiment, and the same components as those of the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. 11 is a sectional view, FIG. 12 is a perspective view with the meter hood 16 removed, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing how the meter hood 16 is being attached.

That is, in this embodiment, the pipe 12 is penetrated into the meter hood 16, and the pipe 12 is continuously provided over the entire length of the instrument panel 10 in the vehicle width direction. The pipe 12 is arranged in a surplus space portion between the back surface portion 16b of the meter hood 16 and the meter unit 66 housed in the meter hood 16.

As shown in FIG. 12, the pipe 12 is first fixed to the meter bracket 68 via the annular brackets 28, 28 before the meter hood 16 is attached, and then the rear surface portion 16b of the meter hood 16 is fixed. The meter unit 66 is fixed as well as fixed. Then, finally, the main body portion 16c of the meter hood 16 is fixed. At this time, the pipe 12 is also fastened and fixed by the back surface portion 16b of the meter hood 16 and the main body portion 16c.

Therefore, in this embodiment, since the pipe 12 can be continuously formed over the entire length thereof, the rigidity of the pipe 12 itself can be remarkably increased, and further, the rigidity of the instrument panel 10 and the vehicle body. Can be further improved.

FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 show other embodiments, and the same components as those in each of the above-mentioned embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and the duplicate description will be omitted. 14 is an overall perspective view of the instrument panel 10 and the pipe 12 portion, and FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a main part.

That is, in this embodiment, the meter hood 16 is used.
Has a hollow structure outside, and the pipe 12 is communicated with the hollow structure portion, and the blowout port 7 is provided around the meter hood 16.
0 is formed.

Inside the meter hood 16, an inverted U-shaped duct 72 conforming to the inner shape of the meter hood 16 is provided.
Is provided, and the inside of the meter hood 16 is configured as a double structure by the inverted U-shaped duct 72. A louver 76 is attached to the outlet 70 of the inverted U-shaped duct 72 via a louver case 74, and then the outside of the inverted U-shaped duct 72 is covered with a meter cover 78. The meter cover 78 has an opening 8 corresponding to the outlet 70 formed in the inverted U-shaped duct 72.
0 is formed respectively.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the conditioned air is blown from the opening 80 formed around the meter hood 16, and the conditioned air can be blown from the front of the driver. Since it is possible to apply cool wind from the front of the driver on a hot day such as summer, it is possible to improve the air conditioning effect.

FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 show other embodiments, and the same components as those in each of the above-mentioned embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and the duplicate description will be omitted. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the instrument panel 10 and the air conditioner, and FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

That is, in this embodiment, the rod-shaped reinforcing member 82 is provided inside the pipe 12 over the entire length of the pipe 12.
Is inserted, and the reinforcing shaft 82 supports the steering shaft 14.

The reinforcing member 82 has a cross-sectional area smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the pipe 12, and is eccentrically arranged as shown in FIG.
And a space sufficient to circulate the conditioned air is formed therebetween. In addition, both ends of the reinforcing member 82 have the pipe 12
The reinforcing member 82 is securely supported on the vehicle body panel (not shown) by projecting from it.

A steering mounting bracket 84 is fixedly mounted on the portion of the reinforcing member 82 where the meter hood 16 is disposed, and the steering shaft 14 is mounted on the steering mounting bracket 84.

Therefore, in this embodiment, since the steering shaft 14 is supported by the reinforcing member 82 arranged in the pipe 12, the steering shaft 26 conventionally provided inside the instrument panel 10 can be eliminated. Further, even when the reinforcing member 82 is inserted into the pipe 12, a sufficient space for circulating the conditioned air is provided in the pipe 12, so that the pipe 12 can retain the function as an air conditioning duct. it can.

18 to 23 show other embodiments, and the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description will be omitted. Note that FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the side end portion of the instrument panel portion as seen from the passenger compartment, and FIG.
23 is a cross-sectional plan view of the door mirror, FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional plan view of the door mirror showing the operating state, FIG. 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the end portion of the pipe 12, FIG.
FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 21.

That is, in this embodiment, both ends of the pipe 12 or the driver's seat side end are communicated with the inside of the door mirror 86,
The inside of the vehicle compartment is ventilated by utilizing the pressure difference at the time of traveling generated on the front side or the rear side of the door mirror 86. Both ends of the pipe 12 are communicated with each other between the front cover 86a and the mirror 86b of the door mirror 86 via the connection duct 88. The air intake 9 is provided on the front cover 86a.
0 is formed and a passage 92 leading to the air intake 90 is formed.
And a passage 94 communicating with the back side of the mirror 86b can be switched by a switching door 96. The switching door 96
Can be operated from the indoor side via the switching lever 98.

On the other hand, the pipe 12 is provided with an opening / closing valve 100 shown in FIG. 21 at a portion communicating with the door mirror 86,
The on-off valve 100 switches between indoor ventilation and heating / cooling. That is, the on-off valve 100 includes a fixed disk 102 and a movable disk 104 having semicircular openings 102a and 104a formed on one side with respect to the center, and the fixed disk 102 is fixed to the duct 12 and movable. Disk 1
It is configured by rotatably mounting 04 in contact with the fixed disc 102. Then, the movable disc 104 is rotated so that the opening 104a of the movable disc 104 communicates with the opening 102a of the fixed disc 102.
00 is in an open state, while each opening 102a,
The on-off valve 100 can be closed by shifting 104a from each other.

Therefore, in this embodiment, by opening the on-off valve 100 and switching the switching door 96 to the side communicating with the passage 92, the ram pressure generated on the front surface of the door mirror 86 by the traveling of the vehicle, The outside air is introduced into the pipe 12 through the air intake 90, and the introduced outside air can be forcibly blown out into the room through the outlet formed in the pipe 12. On the other hand, by switching the switching door 96 to the side communicating with the passage 94, the negative pressure generated on the rear surface of the door mirror 86 causes the air in the pipe 12, that is, the air in the passenger compartment, to move to the mirror 86b and the cover 86.
It can be forcibly released outward from the gap between the a and the a. For this reason, in this embodiment, the ventilation efficiency in the vehicle compartment can be remarkably enhanced by the pressure difference generated between the front and rear surfaces of the door mirror 86.

FIGS. 24 and 25 show another embodiment, in which the same components as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicate description will be omitted. 24 is a perspective view of the entire instrument panel, and FIG. 25 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG.

That is, in this embodiment, the cup holder 106 is provided on the pipe 12, and the upper end of the cup holder 106 is formed with the hooking portion 108 which is curved along the outer shape of the pipe 12. This hook 1
08 is detachably hooked to the pipe 12. In addition, the lower surface 10 of the cup holder 106
6a is formed along the shape of the front upper corner of the instrument panel 10, and when the cup holder 106 is hooked on the pipe 12, the lower end rear surface 106a of the cup holder 106 contacts the instrument panel 10. It is supposed to be contacted.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the cup holder 106 can be provided by effectively utilizing the pipe 12.
A mounting space for arranging the cup holder is not required in the instrument panel 10 and its mounting can be significantly simplified. In addition, the cup holder 106 is attached to the pipe 12 and the rear surface 10
Since 6a is in contact with the instrument panel 10, the cup holder 106 is prevented from rotating and is securely held. Further, the attachment position of the cup holder 106 can be arbitrarily set at the portion where the pipe 12 is provided.

Although the pipe 12 is separated from the upper surface of the instrument panel 10 by the distance δ in each of the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pipe 12 may be in contact with the instrument panel 10. Even when they are arranged, the functions and the appearances thereof may be substantially the same.

[0069]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention.
In the automobile air-conditioning system shown in Fig. 1, the hollow member arranged above the instrument panel is connected to the air-conditioning unit to introduce the air-conditioning air, and the air-conditioning air outlet is formed in this hollow member. By using this hollow member as a part of the air conditioning duct, it is possible to blow out conditioned air from this hollow member. Since the hollow member thus formed as a part of the air-conditioning duct extends over the entire length of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, the air outlet formed in the hollow member is Each can be formed for a passenger seat passenger. Therefore, since it is possible to omit forming the blowout port in the hollow member and forming it in the instrument panel, it is possible to significantly increase the degree of freedom in designing the instrument panel by eliminating the shape restriction due to the blowout port. You can Further, the hollow member is extended above the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, so that when a small object is placed on the upper surface of the instrument panel, the small member is locked by the hollow member and the vehicle is accelerated. Even in such a case, it is possible to prevent the instrument panel from being dropped from the upper surface. Furthermore, by connecting the hollow member to the instrument panel side, it is possible to contribute to increasing the rigidity of the instrument panel and, by extension, to improve the vehicle body rigidity.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, the hollow member is penetrated through a meter hood projecting from the upper surface of the instrument panel and is continuous over the entire length of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction. Since the hollow member itself is provided, the rigidity of the hollow member itself can be increased, and the rigidity of the instrument panel and the vehicle body can be further improved.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the hollow member is connected to the steering support member which supports the steering shaft, the supporting rigidity of the hollow member can be remarkably improved.

Furthermore, in claim 4 of the present invention,
Since the hollow member is composed of a plurality of divided members that are connected to each other, and at least one of the divided members is formed as another functional member, this hollow member is added with a function other than the function as an air conditioning duct. It is possible to broaden the purpose of use.

Further, according to claim 5 of the present invention, since the louver is provided at the air outlet formed in the hollow member and the louver is slidably attached in the circumferential direction of the hollow member,
By changing the direction of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlets up and down, this conditioned air can be directed to the occupant in the optimum direction.

Further, according to claim 6 of the present invention, the outside of the meter hood projecting from the upper surface of the instrument panel has a hollow structure, the hollow member is communicated with this hollow structure portion, and the meter hood is connected. Since the air-conditioning air outlet is provided in the air conditioning air-conditioning air outlet, the air-conditioning air can be blown from around the meter hood to the front of the driver, and the air conditioning effect can be improved.

Furthermore, according to claim 7 of the present invention,
Inside the hollow member, a reinforcing member having a cross-sectional area smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the hollow member is inserted over the entire length of the hollow member, and both ends of the reinforcing member are connected to the vehicle body side, Since the steering shaft is supported, it is possible to eliminate the steering support bracket conventionally provided inside the instrument panel while securing a circulation space for the conditioned air in the hollow member into which the reinforcing member is inserted.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, both ends of the hollow member are communicated with the inside of the door mirror, and the difference in pressure generated at the front side or the rear side of the door mirror at the time of traveling is used to drive the vehicle. Since the interior is ventilated, the ventilation efficiency in the passenger compartment can be significantly improved.

Further, according to claim 9 of the present invention, a cup holder having a hooking portion along the outer shape of the hollow member formed at the upper end is provided, and the hooking portion can be attached to and detached from the hollow member. Since it is hooked, the hollow member can be effectively used to simplify the attachment of the cup holder.

Furthermore, by providing an air bag mounting portion in a part of the hollow member, various excellent effects can be obtained in that the instrument panel can be shared between the vehicle equipped with the airbag and the vehicle not equipped with the airbag. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of an instrument panel and an air conditioner showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a part of an instrument panel and an air conditioner showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a side portion of a hollow member used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the other side portion of the hollow member used in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a louver showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of an air outlet showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an attached state of the louver showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an airbag unit used in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a main part of a meter hood portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention with the meter hood removed.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the meter hood in the middle of mounting, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an overall perspective view of an instrument panel and a pipe portion showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a part of an instrument panel and an air conditioner showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a side end portion of an instrument panel portion showing another embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the vehicle interior.

FIG. 19 is a sectional plan view of a door mirror showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional plan view of a door mirror showing an operating state of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pipe end portion according to another embodiment of the present invention.

22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG.

23 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Instrument Panel 12 Pipe (Hollow Member) 14 Steering Shaft 16 Meter Hood 26 Steering Support Member 32 Air Conditioning Unit 40 Right Part (Split Member) 42 Center Part (Split Member) 44 Left Part (Split Member) 46, 48, 54
Louvers 40b, 44a, 52 Air outlet 60 Air bag unit (functional member) 82 Reinforcing member 86 Door mirror 106 Cup holder 108 Hooking part

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Mayumi Eguchi 3-1, Shinchi Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Mazda Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenji Matsuo 3-3 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Corporation (72) Inventor Kazuhisa Yamamoto No. 3 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Mazda Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshihiro Konno No. 3 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture (72) Inventor Hirashima Isao 3-1, Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Mazda Motor Corporation

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A hollow member extending over the entire length of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction is disposed above the instrument panel, and the hollow member is connected to the instrument panel side, and An air conditioner for an automobile, characterized in that the hollow member is connected to an air conditioning unit to introduce air conditioning airflow, and an air conditioning air outlet is formed in the hollow member. 2. The hollow member penetrates a meter hood projecting from the upper surface of the instrument panel and is continuously provided over the entire length of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction. Air-conditioning system for automobiles according to. 3. The air conditioner for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the hollow member is connected to a steering support member that supports a steering shaft. 4. The hollow member is composed of a plurality of divided members that are connected to each other, and at least one of the divided members is formed as another functional member. Automotive air conditioning system. 5. The automobile according to claim 1, wherein a louver is provided at the air outlet formed in the hollow member, and the louver is attached so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction of the hollow member. Air conditioner. 6. A structure in which the outside of the meter hood protruding from the upper surface of the instrument panel has a hollow structure, the hollow member is communicated with the hollow structure portion, and an outlet for conditioned air is provided in the meter hood. The air conditioner for an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3 to 5. 7. A reinforcing member having a cross-sectional area smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the hollow member is inserted inside the hollow member over the entire length of the hollow member, and both ends of the reinforcing member are connected to the vehicle body side. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 4 to 5, wherein the reinforcing member supports a steering shaft. 8. The vehicle interior is ventilated by communicating both ends of the hollow member with the inside of the door mirror and utilizing a pressure difference during traveling generated on the front side or the rear side of the door mirror. The air conditioner for an automobile according to any one of 1 to 7. 9. A cup holder having an upper end having a hooking portion along the outer shape of the hollow member is provided, and the hooking portion is detachably hooked to the hollow member. The air conditioner for an automobile according to any one of 8. 10. The air conditioner for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein an attachment portion for an airbag is provided in a part of the hollow member.