Holder for an interior trim part, and vehicle body structure

Abstract

A holder for an interior trim part, in particular for covering the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, has at least one supply line for guiding a temperature-controllable, liquid or gaseous fluid, to an outlet via which the fluid can emerge from the supply line, and an inlet via which the fluid can enter a discharge line. An interior trim part can be arranged on the holder in such a manner that the outlet of the holder is fluidically connected to an inlet of the interior trim part, and the inlet of the discharge line of the holder is fluidically connected to an outlet of the interior trim part.

Claims

1. A holder for an interior trim part, comprising: at least one supply line for guiding a temperature-controllable, liquid or gaseous fluid to an outlet via which the fluid emerges from the supply line; an inlet via which the fluid enters a discharge line, wherein an interior trim part is arrangeable on the holder such that: the outlet of the holder is fluidically connected to an inlet of the interior trim part, and the inlet of the discharge line of the holder is fluidically connected to an outlet of the interior trim part.

2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder is for an interior trim part for a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.

3. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder is configured as a sill, an A, B, C or D pillar, a roof bow, a roof side frame, a floor assembly, and/or an instrument panel carrier substructure.

4. The holder according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the inlet and the outlet is configured as a flexible coupling.

5. The holder according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the inlet and the outlet is configured as a rigid plug-in connection.

6. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the interior trim part is configured as a dimensionally stable integral foam molded part.

7. The holder according to claim 6, wherein the integral foam molded part has a cellular core and a fluid-tight outer surface.

8. The holder according to claim 7, wherein cells of the cellular core are fluidically connected to one another, and the cellular core is fluidically connected both to the inlet and to the outlet.

9. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the supply line and the discharge line are formed integrally on the holder.

10. A vehicle body structure, comprising: an interior trim part formed as a dimensionally stable integral foam part; and a holder for the interior trim part, the holder comprising: at least one supply line for guiding a temperature-controllable, liquid or gaseous fluid to an outlet via which the fluid emerges from the supply line; an inlet via which the fluid enters a discharge line, wherein an interior trim part is arrangeable on the holder such that: the outlet of the holder is fluidically connected to an inlet of the interior trim part, and the inlet of the discharge line of the holder is fluidically connected to an outlet of the interior trim part.

11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 10, wherein the holder is configured as a sill, an A, B, C or D pillar, a roof bow, a roof side frame, a floor assembly, and/or an instrument panel carrier substructure.

12. The vehicle body structure according to claim 10, wherein one or both of the inlet and the outlet is configured as a flexible coupling.

13. The vehicle body structure according to claim 10, wherein one or both of the inlet and the outlet is configured as a rigid plug-in connection.

14. The vehicle body structure according to claim 10, wherein the integral foam molded part has a cellular core and a fluid-tight outer surface.

15. The vehicle body structure according to claim 14, wherein cells of the cellular core are fluidically connected to one another, and the cellular core is fluidically connected both to the inlet and to the outlet.

16. The vehicle body structure according to claim 10, wherein the supply line and the discharge line are formed integrally on the holder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel carrier.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holder for an instrument panel carrier.

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view through an assembly in which an interior trim part is arranged on a holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(4) FIG. 1 shows by way of example an instrument panel carrier 20 which is intended to serve as an exemplary interior trim part 20 for explaining the invention. As an alternative to the panel carrier illustrated, all other trim parts situated in the interior, such as glove compartments, center armrests, panels, armrests in the door trims, door trims, roof linings, etc., or partial regions thereof, can also serve for this purpose. This instrument panel carrier 20 has a surface 20o which is relatively large and is therefore particularly suitable for serving as surface heating.

(5) As illustrated in FIG. 1, the surface 20o may relate only to a portion, such as, for example, the upper surface of the hood of what is referred to as the instrument cluster. However, the surface 20o used for the heat exchange may also be that part of the surface of the carrier structure 10 which would be able to be seen by a vehicle occupant in the interior of the vehicle or is oriented toward the passenger compartment. Furthermore alternatively, the surface 20o may also comprise the entire surface of the instrument panel carrier 20, wherein even regions of the instrument panel carrier 20 which cannot be seen by a vehicle occupant would then contribute to the convection.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a substructure 10 on which the instrument panel carrier from FIG. 1 is mounted. Of course, in further embodiments (not illustrated) of the invention, the substructure 10 can be provided with individual segments of the interior trim part 20. The instrument panel carrier here is constructed from different individual portions which are connected separately in a positionally fixed manner to the holder 10 located therebelow. Although the invention is explained with reference to an instrument panel carrier 20 and a holder therefor, the invention is not intended to be restricted thereto. It would also be possible for the holder to be configured as a B pillar and for the interior trim parts to be trim parts of the B pillar, for example in the region of the belt guide. The same is also true of other structural elements of the body in the region of the A pillar, the C pillar of the roof side frame, etc., which can serve as a holder for interior trims. A common feature of all these elements is that they are in any case necessary for forming the body structure. A media guide can therefore be integrated into said components which are often configured in the manner of a prism with a closed profile.

(7) FIG. 3 schematically depicts a holder 10. An interior trim part 20 is mounted on the holder 10. A supply line 11 and a discharge line 13 are formed in the holder 10. In order to control the temperature of the interior trim part 20, and therefore to control the temperature of the passenger compartment, a medium (not illustrated) in a temperature control device is brought to a predetermined temperature. The medium is subsequently guided via the line 31 to the holder 10. The medium flows here into the holder 10. In the holder 10, the medium flows through the supply line 11 as far as an outlet 12. Said outlet is connected in a fluidically sealed manner to an inlet 22 on the interior trim part 20 such that the fluid can flow into the interior of the interior trim part 20. Owing to the porous open cell structure of the interior trim part 20, said fluid flows through the interior trim part and, in the process, dispenses thermal energy to the surroundings of the interior trim part 20 via the surface 20o thereof. An outlet 23 of the interior trim part is depicted in the right half of the figure of the interior trim part 20. The outlet 23 is connected in a fluidically sealed manner to an inlet 14 of the holder. The fluid enters here again into the holder 10, flows through the latter through the discharge channel 13 as far as the line 30 via which the fluid is guided again to the temperature control device.

(8) Compared with surface heaters known from the prior art for motor vehicles, the media-conducting lines are now no longer laid separately, but rather are directly integrated in the holder of the interior trim part. In particular if the holder 10 is formed from plastic, the lines 11 and 13 can be realized integrally during the production of the holder. The hollow space of the lines can be produced in an injection molding process by the known gas internal pressure process during the injection molding of the component. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the holder 10 is then configured as a relatively thin-walled plastics component. As an alternative thereto, a tubular line can already be inserted in the injection molding process and insert molded in the injection molding process.

(9) Instead of plastics parts, components made of metal, in which tubular supply and discharge lines are integrated, can also be used for the holder 10.

(10) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.