MOTOR-VEHICLE DASHBOARD, CENTRAL VENT UNIT, AND CORRESPONDING FASTENING SEAT

Abstract

A dashboard assembly for a motor vehicle includes a shaped reinforcement body, which includes a fastening seat configured for receiving and fastening a central vent unit. The fastening seat includes two adjacent frames provided for selectively receiving supporting and flow-guide bodies of the vent unit. Each frame includes a bottom frame side defined by a thinned-out strip, provided on which are fastening portions mutually engaged with respective snap-action means of the vent unit.

Claims

1. A dashboard assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a main dashboard body defining a passenger-side portion, a central portion, and a driver-side portion; a shaped reinforcement body associated to said main dashboard body; and a central vent unit configured for directing a flow of air towards an inside of the motor vehicle, wherein said central vent unit comprises two air vents arranged side by side and respective supporting and flow-guide bodies, wherein said shaped reinforcement body comprises a fastening seat in said central portion and configured for receiving and fastening said central vent unit, wherein said fastening seat comprises two adjacent fastening frames provided for selectively receiving said supporting and flow-guide bodies, and wherein each fastening frame comprises a bottom frame side-defined by a thinned-out strip, provided on which are fastening portions mutually engaged with respective snap-action means of the respective air vent, said bottom frame side having an elastic behaviour when the central vent unit is mounted within the fastening frames.

2. The dashboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said fastening frames are in a bottom area of a central portion of the shaped reinforcement body with reference to a final assembled condition.

3. The dashboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shaped reinforcement body is made of a single piece of polycarbonate.

4. The dashboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein each fastening frame has a substantially rectangular shape defining said bottom frame side, a top side, and lateral frame portions.

5. The dashboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein each thinned-out strip comprises two fastening portions spaced apart substantially at the ends of the thinned-out strip.

6. The dashboard assembly according to claim 5, wherein the thinned-out strip has a substantially L-shaped body defining a main side extending towards an inside of the dashboard assembly in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the supporting and flow-guide body, and a second side extending in a vertical direction with reference to a final assembled condition.

7. The dashboard assembly according to claim 6, wherein dimensions of each bottom side differ along an extension of the thinned-out strip, and wherein said second side in an area of the fastening portions has a smaller extension than does a central area of the thinned-out strip where coupling with the snap-action means is not envisaged.

8. The dashboard assembly according to claim 6, wherein the snap-action means of the central vent unit comprise an elastically compliant body with a tooth-like portion engaged to the second side of the strip.

9. The dashboard assembly according to claim 7, wherein in said central area of the thinned-out strip, the thinned-out strip is not in contact with the supporting and flow-guide body.

10. The dashboard assembly according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of welded areas for constraining the shaped reinforcement body to the main dashboard body, where, in each welded area, the main dashboard body comprises a hollow portion sized for receiving respective projecting elements of the shaped reinforcement body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the ensuing description with reference to the annexed drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor-vehicle dashboard, including a central vent unit, according to a preferred embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the central vent unit illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a shaped reinforcement body for fastening the central vent unit, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective view at an enlarged scale that illustrates some components of the previous figures;

[0021] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view according to the line V-V appearing in FIG. 4, which illustrates the dashboard in an assembled configuration;

[0022] FIG. 5B is a perspective view at an enlarged scale of some components of FIG. 5A;

[0023] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view according to the line VI-VI appearing in the FIG. 5B, which illustrates the dashboard in an assembled configuration;

[0024] FIG. 6B is a perspective view at an enlarged scale that illustrates some components of FIG. 6A;

[0025] FIG. 7 is a further perspective view of the shaped reinforcement body illustrated in FIG. 3; and

[0026] FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views at an enlarged scale, which illustrate some details of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A NUMBER OF EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In the ensuing description, various specific details are illustrated aimed at enabling an in-depth understanding of examples of one or more embodiments. The embodiments may be obtained without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail so that various aspects of the embodiments will not be obscured. Reference to an embodiment or one embodiment in the framework of the present description is intended to indicate that a particular configuration, structure, or characteristic described in relation to the embodiment is comprised in at least one embodiment. Hence, phrases such as in an embodiment or in one embodiment that may be present in various points in this description do not necessarily refer to one and the same embodiment. Moreover, particular conformations, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any adequate way in one or more embodiments and/or associated to the embodiments in a way different from what has been illustrated herein so that, for example, a characteristic exemplified herein in relation to one figure may be applied to one or more embodiments exemplified in a different figure.

[0028] The references used herein are provided only for convenience and hence do not limit the sphere of protection or the scope of the embodiments.

[0029] Designated as a whole by the reference 1 is a dashboard assembly of a motor-vehicle interior. The dashboard assembly 1 is mounted, in use, on a purposely provided supporting structure (not illustrated) carried by a portion of chassis of the motor vehicle (not illustrated). The dashboard assembly 1 extends throughout the width of the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and is designed to perform various functions, amongst which to make available for use the instrument cluster, various pushbutton panels, regulating sliders, the radio/satellite-navigator system, etc.

[0030] In the annexed drawings, designated by the reference number 2 is a main dashboard body, which defines a passenger-side portion, a central portion, and a driver-side portion. Designated as a whole by the reference number 5 is a central vent unit provided for directing a flow of air towards the inside of the motor vehicle, in particular towards the passengers. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the unit 5. The central vent unit 5 comprises a pair of vents 5, 5 arranged side by side and means for regulating autonomously the direction of outflow. Each vent 5, 5 comprises respective supporting and flow-guide bodies 5, 5 provided for channelling the flow of air towards the outlet of the vents 5, 5. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the supporting and flow-guide bodies 5, 5 are substantially parallelepipedal in shape.

[0031] As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 7, the dashboard assembly 1 basically comprises a shaped reinforcement body 3 associated to the main body 2 and extending mainly along said central portion and said driver-side portion of the dashboard 1. The reinforcement body 3 is not visible from outside the dashboard assembly 1 in the final assembled condition, given that it is mounted internally with respect to the front outer surface of the dashboard assembly 1 (applied, for example, on which is a decorative coating layer). The shaped reinforcement body 3, generally made of plastic material, is equipped with purposely provided fastening areas designed to enable proper positioning and fastening of various components integrated in the dashboard 1. The shaped reinforcement body 3 may be made of a single piece or else of a number of parts appropriately coupled together. Illustrated in the annexed drawings is an example of shaped reinforcement body 3 comprising a driver-side portion and a central portion made of a single piece of polycarbonate, for example polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC+ABS).

[0032] According to the invention, the shaped reinforcement body 3 is provided with a fastening seat 4 configured for receiving and fastening the central vent unit 5. As illustrated in the view at an enlarged scale of FIG. 4, the fastening seat 4 comprises two frames 6 arranged side by side provided for selectively receiving the supporting and flow-guide bodies 5 5 of the vents 5, 5. The fastening framed 6 are obtained in a bottom area of the central portion of the shaped reinforcement body 3 with reference to the final assembled condition.

[0033] Each fastening frame 6 comprises a seat substantially having a rectangular shape defining a bottom side 7, a top side 8, and lateral frame portions 9, 10. The seat is sized for receiving the supporting and flow-guide bodies 5, 5 of the vents 5, 5; for this reason the bottom side 7 and the top side 8 have a greater length than the lateral frame portions 9, 10. Each bottom side 7 is defined by a thinned-out strip, provided in which are fastening portions 11, 12 mutually engaged with respective snap-action means 13 integrated in the respective air vent 5, 5. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, each fastening frame 6 comprises a pair of fastening portions 11, 12. In other words, each strip comprises two fastening portions 11, 12 spaced apart substantially at the ends of the strip.

[0034] According to a characteristic of the invention, the dimensions of each bottom frame side 7 differ along the extension of the strip.

[0035] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the strip, according to the line V-V indicated in the previous figures, taken in a region corresponding to a fastening portion 11. As illustrated in the view at an enlarged scale of FIG. 5B, it should be noted that the strip has a substantially L-shaped body defining a main side 14 extending towards the inside of the dashboard 1 in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the supporting and flow-guide body 5, 5 and a second side 15 extending in a vertical direction with reference to the final assembled condition of installation on the motor vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 5B, the snap-action means 13 of the vent unit 5 comprise an elastically compliant body with a tooth-like portion 13 engaged with the second side 15 of the strip. It should be noted that the snap-action means 13 may be provided also at the top for mutual engagement with the top frame side 8. Designated by the reference 16 is an element made of felt that surrounds the terminal portion of the main side 14 of the strip to prevent direct contact with the supporting and flow-guide body 5. According to a preferred embodiment, in the area of the fastening portion 11 described above, the strip has the following dimensions: 25 mm for the main side 14; 7 mm for the second side 15; and 2.8 mm for the thickness defining the main side 14.

[0036] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the strip obtained in a central portion of the bottom side 7 of the frame 6, in which the snap-action means 13 of the vent unit 5 are not engaged. As illustrated in the view at an enlarged scale of FIG. 6B, it should be noted that the strip also has in this area a substantially L-shaped body defining a main side 14 extending towards the inside of the dashboard 1 in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the supporting and flow-guide body 5, 5 and a second side 15 extending in a vertical direction with reference to the final assembled condition of installation on the motor vehicle. It should be noted that, in the above central area (hence excluding the fastening portions 11, 12), the strip is not in contact with the walls that define the supporting and flow-guide body 5, 5 of the vents 5, 5. According to a preferred embodiment, in the central area described above, the strip has the following dimensions: 15.5 mm for the main side 14; 9.4 mm for the second side 15; and 2.8 mm for the thickness defining the main side 14. As regards the dimensions of the strip, more in general the aforesaid second side 15 has a smaller extension in the area of the fastening portions 11, 12, than does a central area in which coupling with the snap-action means 13 is not envisaged.

[0037] In the light of the characteristics described above, the strip defining the bottom frame side 7 has an elastic behaviour when the central vent unit 5 is mounted within the fastening frames 6, with the bottom side 7 that bends so as to enable a simple and effective connection of the central vent unit 5.

[0038] According to a further characteristic of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the proximity of the fastening seat 4, the shaped reinforcement body 3 comprises a plurality of portions constrained to the main dashboard body 2. More in particular, three welded areas 17, 18, 19 are present, in particular two welded end areas 17, 18 at opposite ends of the fastening seat 4 and a welded central area 19 between the two fastening frames 6. In a position corresponding to each welded area 17, 18, 19, the main dashboard body 2 comprises a hollow portion sized for receiving respective projecting elements 20, 21 of the shaped reinforcement body 3 (for example, integrated in a single piece with the reinforcement body 3). The projecting elements 20, 21 are welded to the main dashboard body 2 in a position corresponding to the aforesaid hollow portions.

[0039] Of course, without prejudice to the underlying principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what has been described and illustrated herein purely to way of example, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the annexed claims.