Insulated vehicle wall structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016265644-A1
Application number	US-201514643226-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle subsystem according to an exemplary aspect of the present discourse includes, among other things, a wall structure and a thermal resistance feature internal to the wall structure and configured to inhibit heat loss through the wall structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle subsystem, comprising:
a wall structure; and a thermal resistance feature internal to said wall structure and configured to inhibit heat loss through said wall structure.

2 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wall structure is part of an engine.

3 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wall structure is part of a transaxle.

4 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 1 , wherein said thermal resistance feature includes an air pocket formed inside said wall structure.

5 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 4 , wherein said air pocket has been evacuated of air.

6 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 4 , comprising a rib that extends across said air pocket between at least two solid surfaces of said wall structure.

7 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 1 , wherein said thermal resistance feature includes insulation that is sandwiched between a first layer and a second layer of said wall structure.

8 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 7 , comprising at least one fastener extending through said first layer, said insulation and said second layer.

9 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wall structure includes an external wall, an internal wall, a top wall and a bottom wall.

10 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 9 , wherein said thermal resistance feature is disposed between said external wall and said internal wall.

11 . The vehicle subsystem as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wall structure includes at least one solid section adjacent to said thermal resistance feature.

12 . A vehicle, comprising:
an engine; a transaxle selectively driven by said engine; and at least one of said engine and said transaxle including a wall structure having a thermal resistance feature built into said wall structure and configured to inhibit heat loss out of said engine or said transaxle.

13 . The vehicle as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal resistance feature includes an air pocket formed inside said wall structure.

14 . The vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein said air pocket extends between an external wall and an internal wall of said wall structure.

15 . The vehicle as recited in claim 14 , comprising a rib that extends across said air pocket between a first solid surface and a second solid surface.

16 . The vehicle as recited in claim 15 , wherein said first solid surface and said second solid surface are internal surfaces of said wall structure.

17 . The vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein said air pocket has been evacuated of air.

18 . The vehicle as recited in claim 12 , wherein said thermal resistance feature includes insulation that is sandwiched between a first layer and a second layer of said wall structure.

19 . The vehicle as recited in claim 18 , comprising at least one fastener extending through said first layer, said insulation and said second layer.

20 . The vehicle as recited in claim 12 , comprising an electric machine configured to selectively drive said transaxle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hussain Quazi
• Schwartz William Samuel
• Jennings Mark John

Classifications

• F16H57/02 Primary

  Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein · CPC title

• B62D63/04

  Component parts or accessories · CPC title

• B60R13/0876

  for mounting around heat sources, e.g. exhaust pipes · CPC title

• B60R13/08

  Insulating elements, e.g. for sound insulation {(sound insulating linings for trains B61D17/185; drivers' cabs for load-carrying vehicles insulated against vibrations or noise B62D33/0604; thermal or acoustic insulation of engines F02B77/11; damping of sounds using compensation by electro-acoustic methods G10K11/178)} · CPC title

• F16H57/029

  characterised by means for sealing the gearboxes, e.g. to improve airtightness · CPC title