Vehicle HVAC unit having integrated retaining system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724562-B2
Application number	US-202117219385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2021
Priority date	Dec 8, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) unit includes a casing, a mount, and one or more flexible fingers. The casing is configured to condition air and direct the conditioned air to a vehicle occupant cabin. The mount extends from the casing and is configured to be mounted to an attachment surface. The mount includes an opening that has an inner surface. The flexible fingers each have a proximal end that extends from the inner surface and a distal end. One or more of the distal ends of the flexible fingers are configured to engage an attachment feature extending from the attachment surface and through the opening in the mount to secure the mount to the attachment feature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) unit comprising:
a casing configured to direct conditioned air to a vehicle occupant cabin;
a first mount extending from the casing and configured to be mounted to an attachment surface, the first mount fixed to the casing and including a first opening having a first inner surface; and
a plurality of first flexible fingers each having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end extending from the first inner surface,
wherein one or more of the distal ends of the first flexible fingers are configured to be engaged with a first attachment feature extending from the attachment surface and through the first opening in the first mount to secure the first mount to the first attachment feature,
wherein the first flexible fingers and the first mount are made of a single part, and
wherein a first set of the first flexible fingers have a first length and a second set of the first flexible fingers have a second length, the first length being different than the second length.

2. The HVAC unit according to claim 1 , wherein each first finger is tapered from the proximal end towards the distal end.

3. The HVAC unit according to claim 1 , wherein the distal ends of the first flexible fingers cooperate to form a circular-shaped opening, and wherein the circular-shaped opening is configured to receive the first attachment feature of the attachment surface.

4. The HVAC unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first inner surface is a circumferentially-shaped inner surface, and wherein the first flexible fingers are circumferentially spaced around the circumferentially-shaped inner surface.

5. The HVAC unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first inner surface is a circumferentially-shaped inner surface, and wherein the first flexible fingers extend radially inwardly from the circumferentially-shaped inner surface.

6. The HVAC unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first flexible fingers have a first thickness and the first mount has a second thickness, and wherein the second thickness is equal to or greater than the first thickness.

7. The HVAC unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second mount extending from the casing and configured to be mounted to the attachment surface, the second mount including a second opening having a second inner surface; and
one or more second flexible fingers each having a proximal end extending from the second inner surface and a distal end,
wherein one or more of the distal ends of the one or more second flexible fingers are configured to engage a second attachment feature extending from the attachment surface and through the second opening in the second mount to secure the second mount to the second attachment feature.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Bielicki Bradley
• Klinkhammer John
• Stabile Kyle

Classifications

• B60H1/00535 Primary

  Mounting or fastening of the housing to the vehicle · CPC title