Air distribution duct for motor vehicle

• US 10,639,960 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Marceau, Thierry, Le-Leizour, Alban, Bertrand, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schult, Allen R
• Application Number:
  US14/763,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20150367706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,290 Days
• Field of Search: 454143
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00564 of air ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/242 located in the front area

Abstract

An air distribution duct configured to be connected to a heating and/or air-conditioning device of a motor vehicle, the air distribution duct including: a connection end configured to be connected to the heating and/or air conditioning device; a closed other end; a longilinear main branch with one end which forms the closed end and the other end which forms the connection end, one face of the main branch being pierced with one or a number of orifices; at least one other orifice situated on a secondary branch one end of which is connected to the main branch and the free other end of which is closed, the at least one other orifice being on a face situated on a same side of the duct as the other orifices of the main branch.

Claims

1. An air distribution duct configured to be connected to a heating and/or air-conditioning device of a motor vehicle, the air distribution duct comprising:

a connection end including an opening and configured to be connected to the heating and/or air-conditioning device;

a closed end;

a longilinear main branch extending in a transverse direction and including one end which forms the closed end and an other end which forms the connection end, one face of the main branch being pierced with a plurality of orifices comprising a first orifice provided at said closed end, and a second orifice located upstream of said first orifice in a direction of air flow from the connection end toward the closed end;

a single branch extending from the main branch, wherein the single branch is a secondary branch extending from a shared portion of the main branch, the secondary branch and the main branch being positioned on opposite sides of a common wall, with one end of the secondary branch connected to the main branch and a free other end that is closed, the secondary branch including at least one other orifice on a face located on a same side of the duct as the plurality of orifices of the main branch, the at least one other orifice located on the secondary branch is positioned above the first orifice and the second orifice of the main branch in a vertical direction; and

an attachment bracket positioned extending outward from the closed end, the opening of the connection end and the attachment bracket forming opposite ends of the air distribution duct in a longitudinal direction,

wherein the secondary branch is located between said connection end and said second orifice and airflow traveling through the air distribution duct from the heating and/or air conditioning device is distributed to the first and second orifice of the main branch and the other orifice of the secondary branch, and

wherein the orifices pierced in the main and secondary branches open out on a same plane and the attachment bracket and the connection end extend in front of the plane in the longitudinal direction.

2. The air distribution duct as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one other orifice comprises only a single orifice located on the secondary branch.

3. The air distribution duct as claimed in claim 2, wherein the secondary branch is as long as the single other orifice.

4. The air distribution duct as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary branch extends along the main branch.

5. The air distribution duct as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary branch is rigidly connected to the main branch along an entire length of the secondary branch.

6. The air distribution duct as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least three orifices, at least two orifices pierced in the main branch and a single orifice pierced in the secondary branch.

7. The air distribution duct as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary branch is connected to the main branch between all of the plurality of orifices of the main branch and the connection end.

8. A motor vehicle comprising a heating and/or air-conditioning device for the passenger compartment and at least one air distribution duct as claimed in claim 1 connected to the heating and/or air-conditioning device and in which the orifices open into inside of the passenger compartment, above a floor of the vehicle.

9. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the main branch of the at least one air distribution duct extends transversely inside the vehicle.

10. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary branch is located between the second orifice of the main branch and the connection end of the main branch.

11. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 1, wherein the second orifice of the main branch is smaller than the first orifice of the main branch.

12. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary branch is rectilinear.

13. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 1, wherein the main branch is rectilinear between the closed end of the main branch and a connection of the main branch to the secondary branch.

14. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 13, wherein the secondary branch extends along a length that is one-third of a length of the main branch from the connection to the secondary branch and the closed end of the main branch.

15. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary branch is rectilinear.

16. The air distribution duct claimed in claim 1, wherein the common wall of the air distribution duct is substantially parallel to the airflow in the main branch and the secondary branch located adjacent to the wall.