Windshield Defroster for a Vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle has a windshield, a cladding element having a front surface, which faces the windshield, a rear surface, which faces away from the windshield, and a top surface, which is arranged between the front surface and the rear surface and is angled toward the front surface and rear surface. An airflow element has a wall element, a grille element and an air inlet. At least the front surface and the top surface of the cladding element have a recess in which the wall element and the grille element are arranged. The grille element is designed to direct air from the airflow element to the windshield.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A vehicle, comprising: a windshield; a covering element with a front surface which faces the windshield, a rear surface which faces away from the windshield, and a top surface which is arranged between the front surface and the rear surface and is angled with respect to the front surface and the rear surface; and an air-guiding element with a wall element, a grille element, and an air supply, wherein at least the front surface and the top surface of the covering element have a recess in which the wall element and the grille element are arranged, and wherein the grille element is configured for conducting air from the air-guiding element onto the windshield.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the front surface and the wall element form an elevation-free and/or depression-free surface.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the recess extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle over an entire front surface and/or in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle over at least part of the top surface.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the wall element covers the entire recess of the front surface and/or the grille element covers the entire recess of the top surface.

15. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the top surface protrudes in relation to the grille element in a vertical direction of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the covering element extends over an entire width between A pillars of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a grille element width of the grille element is at least 50% of a maximum windshield width of the windshield.

18. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the top surface of the covering element is angled by an angle of at maximum 10° in relation to horizontal.

19. The vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising: a dashboard surface which adjoins the rear surface of the covering element and forms a step with the rear surface and the top surface.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the top surface is arranged above the dashboard surface with respect to the vertical direction of the vehicle.

21. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the recess extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle over an entire front surface and/or in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle over at least part of the top surface.

22. The vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the wall element covers the entire recess of the front surface and/or the grille element covers the entire recess of the top surface.

23. The vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the top surface protrudes in relation to the grille element in a vertical direction of the vehicle.

24. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the covering element extends over an entire width between A pillars of the vehicle.

25. The vehicle according to claim 24, wherein a grille element width of the grille element is at least 50% of a maximum windshield width of the windshield.

26. The vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the top surface of the covering element is angled by an angle of at maximum 10° in relation to horizontal.

27. The vehicle according to claim 26, further comprising: a dashboard surface which adjoins the rear surface of the covering element and forms a step with the rear surface and the top surface.

28. The vehicle according to claim 27, wherein the top surface is arranged above the dashboard surface with respect to the vertical direction of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 shows schematically a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows schematically a partial region of the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0020] FIG. 3 shows schematically a sectional view of the partial region of the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 shows schematically a vehicle 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The vehicle 1 has a windshield 2 onto which an air flow can be directed. This serves in particular for defrosting the windshield 2. There is a grille element 10 for conducting the air flow onto the windshield 2. The grille element 10 has air-conducting elements which adjust a flow direction of the air flowing through the grille element 10. It is provided that the grille element 10 has a grille element width 100 which corresponds to at least 50% of a maximum windshield width 200 of the windshield. In particular, for this purpose, the corresponding dimensions of the windshield 2 and grille element 10 along the transverse direction y of the vehicle 1 are used.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the vehicle 1, in particular of the region of the windshield 2. FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of this region. FIGS. 2 and 3 are described together below.

[0023] The vehicle has a covering element 3 which in turn comprises a front surface 4, a rear surface 5 and a top surface 6. The covering element extends preferably along the entire width in the transverse direction y of the vehicle 1 between the A pillars 14 of the vehicle 1. The front surface 4 faces the windshield 2 while the rear surface 5 faces away from the windshield 2. The top surface 6 is arranged between the front surface 4 and the rear surface 5 and is angled with respect to the front surface 4 and the rear surface 5. In particular, it is provided that the top surface 6 extends predominantly along the longitudinal direction x and transverse direction y of the vehicle 1. By contrast, the front surface 4 and the rear surface 5 extend predominantly along the vertical direction z and transverse direction y of the vehicle 1. This means in particular that the top surface 6 is smaller along the vertical direction z than the front surface 4 and/or rear surface 5. An inclination of the top surface 6 in relation to the horizontal plane is 10° at maximum. The front surface 4 with respect to its entire size in the vertical direction z of the vehicle 1 is preferably opposite the windshield 2. A spacing which is at least partially filled in particular with a filling element, for example foam, remains here between the windshield 2 and the front surface 4.

[0024] A dashboard surface 7 extends, adjoining the rear surface 5, in particular predominantly along the longitudinal direction x and transverse direction y of the vehicle 1. The dashboard surface 7 is angled in relation to the rear surface 5. This provides a step which is formed by the top surface 6, the rear surface 5 and the dashboard surface 7. This means that the dashboard surface 7 is arranged lower with respect to the vertical direction than the top surface 6. The covering element 3 thus forms a visual framing of the dashboard surface 7 and at least visually delimits the dashboard surface 7 from the windshield 2.

[0025] In order to enable the air to be directed onto the windshield 2, there is an air-guiding element 8. The latter is provided in a recess of the covering element 3 and has a wall element 9, which is arranged in a recess of the front surface 4, and the grille element 10, which is provided in a recess of the top surface 6. The grille element 10 and the wall element 9 are provided as a combined component in the covering element 3. This means that the air-guiding element 8, in particular the wall element 9 and the grille element 10, are formed integrally, or the air-guiding element 8 is assembled from a plurality of parts prior to being mounted in the covering element 3.

[0026] Owing to the fact that the wall element 9 and the grille element 10 can be installed as a combined component, the grille element 10 can be configured so as to be delicate. This is achieved in particular in that the grille element 10 is narrow with respect to the longitudinal direction x and is long with respect to the transverse direction y, in particular with the relative ratio with respect to the windshield 2 as described previously. By means of the combination of grille element 10 and wall element 9 as a unit to be installed, stability is provided even when the grille element 10 is configured to be delicate. The grille element 10 can therefore be arranged invisibly, or virtually invisibly, to occupants of the vehicle 1. The described size of the grille element 10, in particular in the transverse direction y, also ensures an optimum distribution of air on the windshield 2. Defrosting can thus take place in an optimum way.

[0027] The grille element 10 is particularly advantageously recessed in the top surface 6, i.e. the top surface protrudes in relation to the grille element 10, in particular in the vertical direction z. The effect achieved by this is that the grille element 10 is provided inconspicuously and cannot be perceived, or virtually cannot be perceived, by occupants of the vehicle 1.

[0028] The wall element 9 and the grille element 10 completely fill the corresponding recesses of the front surface 4 and the rear surface 5. The recess of the front surface 4 extends in particular along the complete size of the front surface 4 along the vertical direction z. The wall element 9 and the front surface 4 here form a continuous surface without an elevation or depression. The wall element 9 thus fits seamlessly into the recess of the front surface 4.

[0029] The wall element 9 also serves for guiding the air within the air-guiding element 8. The air-guiding element 8 has an air supply 11 via which air, which can be directed via the grille element 10 onto the windshield 2, can be supplied via the air-guiding element 8. The air supply 11 can be connected in particular to a conventional hot air shell 12. In addition to the wall element 9, the air-guiding element 8 preferably has an additional wall element 13 which, together with the wall element 9, forms a shaft which extends from the air supply 11 to the grille element 10.

[0030] The air-guiding element 8 thus permits reliable defrosting of the windshield 2, in particular since the air is conducted in a manner distributed optimally to the windshield 2. At the same time, the grille element 10 is arranged invisibly or virtually invisibly to the occupants of the vehicle 1. In particular a visually high-value impression is thus imparted.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0031] 1 Vehicle [0032] 2 Windshield [0033] 3 Covering element [0034] 4 Front surface [0035] 5 Rear surface [0036] 6 Top surface [0037] 7 Dashboard surface [0038] 8 Air-guiding element [0039] 9 Wall element [0040] 10 Grille element [0041] 11 Air supply [0042] 12 Hot air shell [0043] 13 Additional wall element [0044] 14 A pillar [0045] 100 Grille element width [0046] 200 Windshield width