Installation structure for vehicle-mounted device

• US 9,868,334 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US14/958,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00521 Mounting or fastening of components in housings, e.g. heat exchangers, fans, electronic regulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/04 Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device is provided with an air conditioning unit disposed on the rear side of a dashboard panel separating an engine room and a vehicle chamber, and internally including an air passage through which conditioned air is allowed to flow; and an emergency call device disposed on the rear side of the air conditioning unit, and configured to perform an emergency call to a service center on the outside of a vehicle at a time of vehicle collision. This is advantageous in protecting the emergency call device at the time of frontal collision of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device, comprising:

an air conditioning unit disposed on a rear side of a dashboard panel separating an engine room and a vehicle chamber, and internally including an air passage through which conditioned air is allowed to flow;

an emergency call device disposed on a rear side of the air conditioning unit, and configured to perform an emergency call to a service center on an outside of a vehicle at a time of vehicle collision; and

a protection member which covers a front surface of the emergency call device.

2. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein

the air conditioning unit includes a case constituting an outer shell of the air conditioning unit,

the case includes a plurality of case blocks obtained by dividing the case in a vehicle width direction or in an up-down direction, and

a parting line formed between the adjacent case blocks is disposed on a front side of the emergency call device.

3. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, wherein

an engagement segment which connects between the adjacent case blocks is disposed at a position where the engagement segment and the protection member overlap each other in a vehicle front view.

4. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3, wherein

the protection member is formed to cover not only the front surface of the emergency call device but also a rear surface of the emergency call device.

5. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 4, wherein

a gap is formed between the protection member and the front surface of the emergency call device.

6. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein

the protection member is formed to cover not only the front surface of the emergency call device but also a rear surface of the emergency call device.

7. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 6, wherein

a gap is formed between the protection member and the front surface of the emergency call device.

8. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein

a front surface of the protection member includes a protrusion configured to come into contact with the air conditioning unit and thereby promote breakage of the air conditioning unit when the air conditioning unit is retracted at the time of frontal collision of the vehicle.

9. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instrument panel support member which supports an instrument panel, wherein

the instrument panel support member includes;

a beam member extending in a vehicle width direction in a front portion of the vehicle chamber; and

a center stay which connects between the beam member and a vehicle body floor at a vehicle-widthwise center portion of the instrument panel support member, and

the emergency call device is fixed to at least the center stay via a first fixing unit.

10. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 9, wherein

the instrument panel support member includes an auxiliary stay fixed to the beam member at a position away from the center stay in the vehicle width direction, and

the emergency call device is fixed to the auxiliary stay via a second fixing unit.

11. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 10, wherein

the first and second fixing units are configured such that the fixation by the second fixing unit is easily released, as compared with the fixation by the first fixing unit when an external force is exerted at the time of vehicle collision.

12. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 10, wherein

the second fixing unit includes a slit-like mounting hole having an opening end, and a fastening member passing through the mounting hole.

13. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 9, wherein

the emergency call device is disposed at a position where the emergency call device overlaps the center stay in side view.

14. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 6, wherein

the protection member includes an opening portion for mounting and dismounting, through which the emergency call device is allowed to pass, the opening portion being formed such that the emergency call device is dismountably mounted to the protection member therethrough.

15. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 14, wherein

the emergency call device is fixed to the protection member via a connection member,

the opening portion has a size capable of passing a combination of the emergency call device and the connection member therethrough so that the combination is dismountably mounted to the protection member through the opening portion, and

an opening direction of the opening portion is set in a direction different from a mounting direction in which the protection member is mounted to a vehicle body.

16. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 14, wherein

the protection member is formed such that a width of one end of the protection member which defines the opening portion is set larger than a width of the other portion thereof,

the emergency call device includes a connector portion, and

the connector portion is disposed to face the opening portion in a state that the emergency call device is fixed to the protection member.

17. The installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a stopper member mounted on the protection member in such a manner as to extend in a front-rear direction while traversing the opening portion.

18. An installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device, comprising:

an instrument panel support member which supports an instrument panel; and

an emergency call device mounted on the instrument panel support member, and configured to perform an emergency call to a service center on an outside of a vehicle at a time of vehicle collision, wherein

the instrument panel support member includes;

a beam member extending in a vehicle width direction in a front portion of a vehicle chamber;

a center stay which connects between the beam member and a vehicle body floor at a vehicle-widthwise center portion of the instrument panel support member; and

an auxiliary stay fixed to the beam member at a position away from the center stay in the vehicle width direction,

the emergency call device is fixed to the center stay via a first fixing unit, and is fixed to the auxiliary stay via a second fixing unit,

the first and second fixing units are configured such that the fixation by the second fixing unit is easily released, as compared with the fixation by the first fixing unit when an external force is exerted at the time of vehicle collision,

the second fixing unit includes a slit-like mounting hole having an opening end, and a fastening member passing through the mounting hole, and

the emergency call device is disposed at a position where the emergency call device overlaps the center stay in side view.

19. An installation structure for a vehicle-mounted device, comprising:

an emergency call device which performs an emergency call to a service center on an outside of a vehicle at a time of vehicle collision;

a protection member formed to surround the emergency call device; and

a connection member which connects between the emergency call device and the protection member, wherein

the protection member includes an opening portion for mounting and dismounting, through which a combination of the emergency call device and the connection member is allowed to pass, the combination being dismountably mounted to the protection member through the opening portion,

an opening direction of the opening portion is set in a direction different from a mounting direction in which the protection member is mounted to a vehicle body,

the protection member is formed such that a width of one end of the protection member which defines the opening portion is set larger than a width of the other portion thereof,

the emergency call device includes a connector portion,

the connector portion is disposed to face the opening portion in a state that the emergency call device is fixed to the protection member via the connection member, and

the installation structure further includes a stopper member mounted on the protection member in such a manner as to extend in a front-rear direction while traversing the opening portion.