Vehicle passenger compartment vent structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906477-B2
Application number	US-201916375178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A rear wall structure of a passenger compartment includes a vent opening and a horizontally extending seal protruding in a vehicle forward direction. A trim panel has a rear surface facing the rear wall structure. A vertically extending seal extends from the rear surface. With the trim panel installed to the rear wall structure the vertically extending seal contacts the rear wall structure, and, the horizontally extending seal of the rear wall structure contacts the rear surface of the trim panel such that the rear surface and the vertically extending seal of the trim panel and the upright interior surface and the horizontally extending seal of the rear wall structure define an air outlet passageway that extends from an opening in the trim panel to the vent opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle passenger compartment vent structure, comprising:
a rear wall structure defining a rearward area of a passenger compartment of a vehicle and at least one vent opening that extends from an upright interior surface to an exterior surface of the rear wall structure, and, the rear wall structure having at least one horizontally extending seal protruding in a vehicle forward direction from the upright interior surface of the rear wall structure; and
a trim panel having a trim surface exposed within the passenger compartment, and, a rear surface facing the upright interior surface of the rear wall structure, with at least one vertically extending seal extending from the rear surface, and, with the trim panel installed to the rear wall structure the at least one vertically extending seal contacts the upright interior surface of the rear wall structure, and, the at least one horizontally extending seal of the rear wall structure contacts the rear surface of the trim panel such that the rear surface and the at least one vertically extending seal of the trim panel and the upright interior surface and the at least one horizontally extending seal of the rear wall structure defining an air outlet passageway that extends from an opening defined in the trim panel to the at least one vent opening.

2. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the opening in the trim panel is centrally located relative to a vehicle side-to-side direction of the passenger compartment, the opening extending from the trim surface to the rear surface, the opening exposing a portion of the air outlet passageway.

3. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 2 , further comprising
a removable access panel removably installed to the trim panel covering the opening in the trim panel, the removable access panel being formed with a plurality of louvred vent openings.

4. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 3 , wherein
the opening of the trim panel and an adjacent portion of the upright interior surface of the rear wall structure at least partially define a tool storage area that is concealed by the removable access panel.

5. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 1 , wherein
a drafter vent assembly is attached to the rear wall structure covering the vent opening in the rear wall structure.

6. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 5 , wherein
the drafter vent assembly is vertically oriented.

7. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 1 , further comprising
a baffle installed to the upright interior surface of the rear wall structure adjacent to the vent opening and extending in a forward direction from the rear wall surface to an outboard area of the rear surface of the trim panel further defining an outboard end portion of the air outlet passageway.

8. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the baffle is vertically oriented and is perpendicular to the upright interior surface of the wall structure.

9. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 8 , further comprising
a drafter vent assembly that is attached to the rear wall structure covering the vent opening in the rear wall structure, the drafter vent assembly being vertically oriented with the baffle abutting an outboard edge of the drafter vent assembly.

10. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 8 , wherein
the air outlet passageway and the baffle are configured to dampen sound from outside the passenger compartment entering through the drafter vent assembly.

11. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the air outlet passageway is shaped and configured to dampen sound from outside the passenger compartment entering through the opening in the rear wall structure.

12. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the air outlet passageway includes a first pathway, a second pathway and a third pathway, the second pathway includes the opening in the trim panel that is centrally located relative to a vehicle side-to-side direction of the passenger compartment, the opening in the trim panel extending from the trim surface to the rear surface, the opening exposing a portion of the first pathway of the air outlet passageway.

13. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 12 , further comprising
a removable access panel removably installed to the trim panel covering the opening in the trim panel, the removable access panel being formed with a plurality of louvred vent openings, the louvred vent openings defining an air inlet leading to the first pathway of the air outlet passageway.

14. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 12 , wherein
the second pathway of the air outlet passageway extends in a first vehicle outboard direction from the first pathway of the air outlet passageway to the vent opening in the rear wall structure and is defined by a portion of the rear surface and the at least one vertically extending seal of the trim panel and the upright interior surface and the at least one horizontally extending seal of the rear wall structure.

15. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 14 , wherein
the third pathway of the air outlet passageway extends in a second vehicle outboard direction from the first pathway of the air outlet passageway to a second vent opening in the rear wall structure.

16. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 15 , wherein
the third pathway of the air outlet passageway is defined by another portion of the rear surface and a second vertically extending seal formed on the rear surface of the trim panel and a second horizontally extending seal of the rear wall structure.

17. The vehicle passenger compartment vent structure according to claim 12 , wherein
the first pathway of the air outlet passageway extends vertically upward from proximate a floor of the passenger compartment to an upper rear edge of the trim panel,
the second pathway is located along the upper rear edge of the trim panel and extends in a first vehicle outboard direction to proximate an outboard side of the rear wall structure and further extends downward to the vent opening in the rear wall structure, and
the third pathway is located along the upper rear edge of the trim panel and extends in a second vehicle outboard direction away from the second pathway to proximate an opposite outboard side of the rear wall structure and further extends downward to a second vent opening in the rear wall structure.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Shaw Brian
• Schroeder Anna
• Greggs Alan
• Kappel Matthew

Classifications

• B60H1/244

  located in the rear area · CPC title

• B60R13/0237 Primary

  Side or rear panels · CPC title

• B60R13/0275

  comprising removable or hinged parts (for accessing storage compartments B60R7/04; for airbag deployment B60R21/215) · CPC title

• B60H1/248

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

• B60R2013/016

  integrating other functions or accessories · CPC title