Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10744858-B2
Application number	US-201615281231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle body structure includes a wall and a removable panel. The wall has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The wall defines a vent opening with a peripheral edge extending between the first surface and the second surface. The wall includes an air vent structure open to the vent opening. The removable panel has a trim surface and an attachment surface with a plurality of air vent slots extending from the attachment surface to the trim surface. The attachment surface has a retaining structure configured to retain an air filter along the attachment surface and an attachment structure configured to attach to the wall covering the vent opening with the retaining structure extending at least partially within the air vent structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body structure, comprising
a wall having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the wall defining a vent opening with a peripheral edge extending between the first surface and the second surface, the wall including an air vent structure open to the vent opening, a lower area of the peripheral edge having a pair of slots; and
a removable panel having a trim surface, an attachment surface and an outer peripheral edge flange that defines an outermost outer peripheral surface of the removable panel, the removable panel defining a plurality of air vent slots extending from the attachment surface to the trim surface, the outer peripheral edge flange and the outer peripheral surface extending in directions that are perpendicular to the attachment surface, the removable panel further having a pair of projections, a retaining structure and an attachment structure, the pair of projections extending away from the attachment surface in a direction parallel to the attachment surface, the pair of projections being parallel to one another and being inserted into the pair of slots in the lower area of the peripheral edge of the vent opening in the wall, the retaining structure being defined by a first hook-shaped protrusion and a second hook-shaped protrusion being spaced apart from the pair of projections and extending from the outer peripheral edge flange away from the attachment surface of the removable panel, the first hook-shaped protrusion having a main surface extending from and being co-planar with a first section of the outer peripheral surface and the second hook-shaped protrusion having a main surface extending from and being co-planar with a second section of the outer peripheral surface, the first hook-shaped protrusion and the second hook-shaped protrusion facing one another and being located on opposite sides of the removable panel, the first hook-shaped protrusion and the second hook-shaped protrusion being configured to retain an air filter along the attachment surface, the attachment structure including a first snap-fitting projection configured to contact the wall with the removable panel covering the vent opening with the retaining structure extending at least partially within the air vent structure.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the trim surface of the removable panel is flush with the first surface of the wall with the removable panel installed to the wall.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the attachment structure further includes a second snap-fitting projection dimensioned and positioned to contact the peripheral edge of the vent opening of the wall, the first snap-fitting projection and the second snap-fitting projection being integrally formed along respective ones of the main surfaces of the first and second hook-shaped protrusions.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the air vent structure includes a blower motor adjacent to the vent opening in the wall such that with the blower motor operating air is drawn in through the air vent slots in the removable panel, through the filter and into the blower motor.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising
a passenger compartment structure that defines a passenger compartment having a first zone and a second zone, the wall separating the first zone from the second zone.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 5 , further comprising
an air conditioning system configured to provide conditioned air to the air vent structure in the wall.

7. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the peripheral edge of the vent opening in the wall includes a lip that defines a stop surface that restricts movement of the removable panel relative to the vent opening.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the peripheral edge flange of the removable panel includes a plurality of convex portions dimensioned to contact the lip of the peripheral edge of the vent opening in the wall.

9. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the outer peripheral edge flange of the removable panel extends around at least three edges of the attachment surface.

10. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the retaining structure is further defined by a third hook-shaped protrusion that includes a main surface extending from and being co-planar with a third section of the outer peripheral surface of the removable panel, the third hook-shaped protrusion being perpendicular to the first and second hook-shaped protrusions.

11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the first hook-shaped protrusion has a first retaining projection that extends from a distal end of the main surface of the first hook-shaped protrusion in a direction parallel to the attachment surface, and, the second hook-shaped protrusion has a second retaining projection that extends from a distal end of the main surface of the second hook-shaped protrusion in a direction parallel to the attachment surface, the first retaining projection and the second retaining projection extending toward one another such the air filter inserted between the attachment surface and the first and second retaining projections is retained therebetween.

12. A vehicle body structure, comprising
a wall having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the wall defining a vent opening with a peripheral edge extending between the first surface and the second surface, the wall including an air vent structure open to the vent opening, a lower area of the peripheral edge having a pair of slots; and
a removable panel having a trim surface, an attachment surface and an outer peripheral edge flange that defines an outermost outer peripheral surface of the removable panel, the removable panel defining a plurality of air vent slots extending from the attachment surface to the trim surface, the outer peripheral edge flange and the outer peripheral surface extending in directions that are perpendicular to the attachment surface, the removable panel further having a pair of projections, a retaining structure and an attachment structure, the pair of projections extending away from the attachment surface in a direction parallel to the attachment surface, the pair of projections being parallel to one another and being inserted into the pair of slots in the lower area of the peripheral edge of the vent opening in the wall, the retaining structure being defined by at least two hook-shaped protrusions being spaced apart from the pair of projections and extending from away from the attachment surface of the removable panel and being located on opposite sides of the removable panel, the at least two hook-shaped protrusions being configured to retain an air filter along the attachment surface, the attachment structure including a first snap-fitting projection and a second snap-fitting projection, the first snap-fitting projection having a main surface extending from and being co-planar with a first section of the outer peripheral surface and the second snap-fitting projection having a main surface extending from and being co-planar with a second section of the outer peripheral surface, the first snap-fitting projection and the second snap-fitting projection being located at opposite sides of the attachment surface and configured to contact the wall with the removable panel covering the vent opening with the retaining structure extending at least partially within the air vent structure.

13. The vehicle body structure according to claim

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Olivares Carlos Alberto Castro
• Infante Amilkar Abraham Soto

Classifications

• B60H1/248

  Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior · CPC title

• B60H1/243

  located in the lateral area (e.g. doors, pillars) · CPC title

• B60H2003/065

  Details for holding filter elements in position · CPC title

• B60H3/0616 Primary

  with provisions for replacing the filter element · CPC title