Integrated cross car structural duct cluster
AssigneeDavidson Textron Inc.
InventorsJosh Kelman, John Gray
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automotive vehicle body has an integrated cross car structural duct cluster that is a composite that is connected to side pillars located on opposite sides of the vehicle body. The composite acts as a cross beam and provides four ducts that extend across the width of the vehicle body. Three ducts are related to the HVAC system of the vehicle and the fourth is a wiring duct. Five variations are disclosed. In two the composite comprises steel rods embedded in a molded plastic body. In the other three the composite comprises a steel plate that is attached to a molded plastic body.
Claims24
An integrated cross car structural duct cluster comprising;
- a composite that is adapted for connection to side pillars located on opposite sides of a vehicle body so as to act as a cross beam, the composite including at least one metal member that extends from one end of the composite to an opposite end of the composite to provide cross car stiffness and at least one molded plastic body that extends from the one end to the opposite end for defining at least one wall that extends from the one end to the opposite end of the composite for a duct that extends from the one end to the opposite end of the composite.
An integrated cross car structural duct cluster comprising;
- a composite that is adapted for connection to side pillars located on opposite sides of a vehicle body so as to act as a cross beam, the composite including at least one metal member that extends from one end of the composite to an opposite end of the composite to provide cross car stiffness and at least one molded plastic body that is attached to the metal member and that extends from the one end to the opposite end for defining at least one wall of a plurality of ducts that extend from the one end to the opposite end of the composite.
An integrated cross car structural duct cluster comprising;
- a composite that is adapted for connection to side pillars located on opposite sides of a vehicle body so as to act as a cross beam, the composite including at least one molded plastic body that extends from one end to an opposite end of the composite for defining at least one wall of a plurality of ducts that extend from the one end to the opposite end of the composite and a plurality of metal members that are embedded in the molded plastic body and that extend from one end of the composite to the opposite end of the composite to provide cross car stiffness.
An integrated cross car structural duct cluster comprising;
- a composite that is adapted for connection to side pillars located on opposite sides of a vehicle body so as to act as a cross beam, the composite including at least one metal member that extends from one end of the composite to an opposite end of the composite to provide cross car stiffness and to define at least one wall of a plurality of ducts that extend from the one end to the other end and at least one molded plastic body that is attached to the metal member and that extends from the one end to the opposite end for defining another wall of each of the ducts.
An integrated cross car structural duct cluster comprising;
- a composite that is adapted for connection to side pillars located on opposite sides of a vehicle body so as to act as a cross beam, the composite including a metal member that extends from one end of the composite to an opposite end of the composite to provide cross car stiffness and a molded plastic body that has an end wall that supports a plurality of cantilevered walls that are attached to the metal member at their free end so that the metal plate defines one wall of a plurality of air ducts that extend from the one end to the opposite end of the composite, the end wall of the molded plastic body defining an opposite wall for each of the air ducts and each of the cantilevered walls providing a side wall for at least one of the air ducts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.