Air venting system and venting method for a truck

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021370744-A1
Application number	US-202016889186-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 1, 2020
Priority date	Jun 1, 2020
Publication date	Dec 2, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air venting system includes, among other things. A box of a truck. The box provides a cargo area. The system further includes a cab back panel of the truck. The cab back panel has an exposed section that provides a front wall of the cargo area. The cab back panel has a hidden section outside the cargo area. An air extractor is held within the hidden section of the cab back panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An air venting system, comprising:
a box of a truck, the box providing a cargo area; a cab back panel of the truck, the cab back panel having a exposed section that provides a front wall of the cargo area, the cab back panel having a hidden section outside the cargo area; and an air extractor held within the hidden section of the cab back panel.

2 . The air venting system of claim 1 , wherein the air extractor opens to an area that is outside the cargo area such that the air extractor is configured to vent air from a passenger compartment of the truck to an area that is outside the cargo area.

3 . The air venting system of claim 1 , wherein the air extractor is held within the hidden section of the cab back panel at a position that is vertically beneath a floor of the box such that the air extractor is configured to vent air from a passenger compartment of the truck to an area vertically beneath the floor of the box.

4 . The air venting system of claim 3 , wherein the floor of the box is vertically elevated relative to a floor of the passenger compartment.

5 . The air venting system of claim 1 , wherein the air extractor is held within the hidden section of the cab back panel at a position that is outboard of the cargo area such that the air extractor is configured to vent air from a passenger compartment of the truck to an area outboard the cargo area.

6 . The air venting system of claim 5 , further comprising a side wall of the box, the side wall having an inner panel and an outer panel, the air extractor opening to an area between the inner panel and the outer panel such that the air extractor is configured to vent air from the passenger compartment to the area between the inner panel and the outer panel.

7 . The air venting system of claim 6 , wherein the outer panel includes a rear wheel opening that communicates air from the area between the inner panel and the outer panel to an area outside the truck.

8 . The air venting system of claim 5 , wherein the air extractor a side air extractor, and further comprising a lower air extractor that is held within another portion of the hidden section of the cab back panel at a position that is vertically beneath a floor of the box such that the lower air extractor is configured to vent air from a passenger compartment of the truck to an area vertically beneath the floor of the box.

9 . The air venting system of claim 8 , wherein the side air extractor is a driver side air extractor that is configured to vent air from the passenger compartment to the area between the inner panel and the outer panel on a driver side of the cargo area, and further comprising a passenger side air extractor that is held within another portion of the hidden section and is configured to vent air from the passenger compartment to an area that is between an inner panel and an outer panel of a side wall on a passenger side of the cargo area.

10 . The air venting system of claim 1 , wherein the air extractor is configured to vent air from the passenger compartment into an interior of a cross-member that extends in a cross-vehicle direction, the cross-member having a box section.

11 . The air venting system of claim 10 , wherein the air extractor is a lower air extractor and the cross-member is a lower cross-member, and further comprising an upper air extractor held within the exposed section of the cab back panel and configured to vent air from the passenger compartment into an interior of an upper cross-member that extends in a cross-vehicle direction.

12 . The air extractor of claim 11 , wherein the hidden section of the cab back panel provides one side of the lower cross-member, and the exposed section of the cab back panel provides one side of the upper cross-member.

13 . The air venting system of claim 1 , wherein the exposed section of the cab back panel is exposed within the cargo area and is uncovered by any bed liner.

14 . The air venting system of claim 1 , wherein the truck has a unibody construction.

15 . An air venting system, comprising:
a box of a unibody truck, the box providing a cargo area; a cab back panel of the unibody truck; a support panel extending longitudinally in a cross-vehicle direction, the support panel joined to the cab back panel to provide a cross-member; and an air extractor held within the cab back panel, the air extractor configured to vent air from a passenger compartment of the unibody truck into an interior of the cross-member.

16 . The air extractor of claim 15 , wherein the support panel is an upper support member, the air extractor is an upper air extractor, and the cross-member is an upper cross-member, the interior of the upper cross-member vertically above a floor of the box such that the upper air extractor vents air from the passenger compartment of the unibody truck into the interior of the upper cross-member at a position vertically above the floor of the box, and further comprising
a lower support panel extending longitudinally in a cross-vehicle direction and a lower air extractor, the lower support panel joined to the cab back panel to provide a lower cross-member vertically beneath the floor of the box, the lower air extractor configured to vent air from the passenger compartment of the unibody truck to an interior of the lower cross-member at a position that is vertically beneath the floor of the box.

17 . A venting method for a passenger compartment of a truck, comprising:
using a back panel of a cab as a front wall of a cargo area within a box; and venting air from a passenger compartment through an air extractor held by the back panel, the air vented through the air extractor to an area outside the cargo area of the box.

18 . The venting method of claim 17 , wherein the area outside the cargo area of the box is vertically beneath a floor of the box.

19 . The venting method of claim 17 , wherein the area outside the cargo area of the box is between an inner panel and an outer panel of a side wall of the box.

20 . The venting method of claim 17 , wherein the truck is a truck having a unibody construction.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Gray Jeffrey
• Chimento Vince Anthony
• Yerke Eric R
• Joyce Peter
• Vijayakumar Srinath
• Hewitt Daniel
• Kena Mukdam

Classifications

• B60H1/249 Primary

  using one-way valves · CPC title

• B60H1/248 Primary

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

• B60H1/241

  characterised by the location of ventilation devices in the vehicle · CPC title

• B60H1/00564 Primary

  of air ducts · CPC title

• B60H1/00378

  for tractor or load vehicle cabins · CPC title