Abstract:
A collapsible exhaust air duct for an automotive vehicle having a reconfigurable seat and an electric compartment rearward of the seat that contains heat-producing electric components. The collapsible exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the electric compartment to carry exhaust air therefrom. The duct extends forwardly beneath the seat, maintains an expanded condition when the seat is in a seating position, and is converted to a collapsed condition by movement of the seat to a stowed position. The disclosed apparatus provides a duct that maximizes usable space and flexibility in a vehicle having reconfigurable seating.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to automotive vehicles having air-cooled electric equipment compartments located behind a fold-down seating row. 
     2. Background Art 
     Current electric-powered vehicles (including battery electric and hybrid electric) utilize a variety of heat-producing electric components (such as batteries, battery chargers, voltage converters, and inverters). It is common to house such components in an electric compartment located within or adjacent to the vehicle passenger or cargo cabin. Such electric components typically require some amount of active cooling, which may be achieved by providing a relatively constant flow of air to the electric compartment from within the vehicle cabin and/or the exterior of the vehicle. The exhaust air from the electric compartment may be exhausted out of the vehicle through extractors and/or returned to the cabin through an exhaust air duct. 
     One conventional location for an electric equipment compartment is immediately behind and/or partially beneath a seating row. It is known to route the exhaust air from such a rear-mounted electric compartment through an exhaust air duct extending forwardly beneath the seating row. 
     Many automotive vehicles have convertible or reconfigurable interiors to maximize usable cargo volume and/or flexibility of accommodation. For example, it is common for one or more of the seats in the cabin to be movable between a generally upright, seating position and a stowed position wherein the seat back is generally parallel with and/or flush with a cargo floor. In some such convertible seating arrangements, the presence of an exhaust air duct beneath the seat conflicts with the desire to make the seat lay as low and flat as possible when in the stowed position. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a disclosed embodiment, apparatus for an automotive vehicle having a seat movable between a seating position and a stowed position and an electric equipment compartment rearward of the seat comprises a collapsible duct in communication with the electric compartment to carry exhaust air therefrom. The duct extends forwardly beneath the seat, maintains an expanded condition when the seat is in the seating position, and is converted to a collapsed condition by movement of the seat to the stowed position. The disclosed apparatus provides a duct that maximizes usable space and flexibility in a vehicle having reconfigurable seating. 
     In another disclosed embodiment, apparatus for an automotive vehicle having an electric compartment adjacent to a passenger cabin comprises a seat located forward of the electric compartment and movable between a seating position and a stowed position, and a collapsible exhaust air duct extending forwardly from the electric compartment and beneath the seat. The collapsible duct is movable between an expanded condition when the seat is in the seating position and a collapsed condition when the seat is in the stowed position. 
     In another disclosed embodiment, an automotive vehicle comprises a seat in a passenger cabin of the vehicle that is movable between a seating position and a stowed position, an electrical component, and an exhaust air duct extending from the electrical component compartment. The air duct includes a collapsible portion beneath the seat that is convertible between an expanded condition when the seat is in the seating condition and a collapsed condition when the seat is in the stowed condition. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings which: 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified schematic diagram of a vehicle interior including a fold-down seating row; 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified side view of the seating row of  FIG. 1  in a seating position; 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified view of the seating row of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in a stowed position; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial view showing of a folding seat frame with a mechanism for actuating a collapsible exhaust duct; 
         FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are schematic views of a first embodiment of a collapsible duct; 
         FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  are schematic views of a second embodiment of a collapsible duct; and 
         FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  are schematic views of a third embodiment of a collapsible duct. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an automotive vehicle  10  has an interior cabin (for housing passengers and/or cargo) that contains a seating row  12 . Seating row  12  comprises a generally upright seat back  14  and a generally horizontal seat bottom  16 . An electrical equipment compartment  18  is located behind seating row  12  and contains electric and/or electronic components that require cooling. Examples of electric/electronic components may include, but are not limited to, batteries, battery chargers, DC/DC, AC/DC or DC/AC converters, and inverters. Electric compartment  18  is shown located immediately behind seating row  12  and beneath a load floor  20  of a rear cargo area, but the compartment may be partially or entirely above the load floor and/or partially beneath the seating row  12 , as determined by interior layout and packaging constraints. 
     The seating row is depicted in  FIG. 1  as a “60/40-split fold-down” seat in which the seat back and seat bottom is divided into left and right portions of unequal width and the left and right portions may be folded up/down separately or together as desired. As such, two separate exhaust air ducts  24 ,  26  are shown below the left and right portions of seat bottom  16 . This seat configuration is intended by way of example only, as the present invention may be applied to a vehicle having a seating row with any number of seating positions and having any number of lateral portions. The rest of the description herein will discuss only left air duct  24 , and it is to be understood that the description likewise applies to right air duct  26  and/or to a single air duct if the seating row is not subdivided into left and right portions. 
     As best seen in  FIG. 2 , when seating row  12  is in the passenger seating position seat bottom  16  is spaced above a vehicle floor  22  such that exhaust air duct  24  may extend between the floor and the seat bottom. Duct  24  comprises a rear, non-collapsing portion  24   a  and a forward, collapsible portion  24   b . Non-collapsing duct  24   a  is in direct fluid communication with electric compartment  18  and the rearmost end of collapsible duct  24   b  is in fluid communication with the non-collapsing duct. The rearmost end of collapsible duct  24   b  may, for example, extend into and overlap with the forward end of non-collapsing duct  24 . Seals (not shown) may be located between the overlapping surfaces of the two duct portions  24   a ,  24   b  if desired to prevent excessive leakage of exhaust air. A fan  24  may be located in or near electric compartment  18  to induce cooling air flow through the electric compartment and forwardly through duct portions  24   a ,  24   b.    
     The term “collapsible” as used herein describes a duct that is engineered and constructed so as to be easily and repeatedly convertible between a fully expanded condition and a lower-profile condition, and back to the expanded condition an effectively unlimited number of times over the service life of the vehicle. 
     Seat bottom  16  is supported above floor  22  by rotating links  30  and is preferably retained in the seating position by a latch mechanism (not shown), as is well known in the automotive interiors art. To move the seat from the seating position to the stowed position, a user first releases the latch and then moves seat bottom  16  forwardly, the swing links  30  pivoting about both ends so that the seat bottom moves to the stowed position shown in  FIG. 3 . Seat back  14  may then be moved to the stowed position by, for example, pivoting it about an axis  48  so that it lies on top of seat bottom  16  so that the rear/upper surface of the seat back may serve as a cargo floor. The seat latch and/or folding mechanisms may be assisted by springs and/or may be power-actuated, as is also well known in the art. 
     Seating row  12  is of the fold-flat type movable/convertible between a seating position, shown in  FIG. 2 , adapted for carrying passengers and a stowed position optimized for carrying cargo, as shown in  FIG. 3 . It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to any type of vehicle seat that is moveable between a seating position and a stowed position, and that the disclosed nature of the motion between seating and stowed positions as well and the mechanical components used to achieve the motion are by way of example only. 
     The movement of seat  12  to the stowed position shown in  FIG. 3  converts collapsible duct  24   b  to a collapsed condition in which it has a reduced vertical height (compared with the expanded, full-height condition shown in  FIG. 2 ) so that seat bottom  16  may be closer to the underlying vehicle structure when in the stowed position. In the collapsed condition, the embodiment of duct  24   b  is flattened so that little or no exhaust air from electric compartment  18  is able to flow through it. In this collapsed, reduced-height condition, exhaust air exiting non-collapsing duct  24   a  flows upwardly along an alternate passage  50  (as indicated by the flow arrows in  FIG. 3 ) defined by spaces between non-collapsing duct  24   a , seat back  14 , and seat bottom  16 . A trim panel  52  may be provided to cover any gap between seat back  14  and electric compartment  18  and/or load floor  20 . Trim panel  52  may include a grill  54  that is slotted, perforated, or otherwise air-permeable to permit a relatively free passage of exhaust air upwardly therethrough. 
     Collapsible duct  24   b  may be constructed so that it naturally maintains the expanded condition and is sufficiently flexible and resilient so that application of a relatively small amount of force to its upper portion will urge it downward to the collapsed condition, and it will return to the expanded condition when downward force is released. When seat bottom  16  is moved to the stowed position, the lower portion of the seat bottom presses downwardly on the upper portion of collapsible duct  24   b  to force it to the collapsed condition. When seat bottom  16  is moved upwardly to the seating position, the force holding collapsible duct  24   b  down is released so that the duct returns or “springs” back to its expanded condition. The ability of duct  24   b  to maintain the necessary resiliency over the service life of the vehicle may be achieved by the use of spring-assisted inserts in the duct. 
     Collapsible duct  24   b  may be of any cross-sectional shape necessary to provide the required amount of air flow while fitting into the available packaging space. The cross-sectional shape and area of duct  24   b  may vary along the length of the duct. In the  FIG. 4  embodiment, collapsible duct  24   b  is generally rectangular in cross-section when in the expanded condition and comprises an upper wall  32 , a lower wall  34 , and left and right side walls  36 . Each of side walls  36  comprises a fold line  38  dividing the wall into an upper portion and a lower portion. Fold lines  38  are preferably located approximately half way between upper and lower walls  32 ,  34 . Fold lines  38  allow the upper and lower portions of side walls  36  to fold relative to one another to a flat or near-flat position. As discussed above, side walls  36  may be provided with spring-assist devices (not shown) that hold the duct  24   a  in and/or urge it to the expanded condition. 
       FIG. 4  also illustrates a duct actuating mechanism. A tab  40  projects upwardly from upper wall  32  of collapsible duct  24   b  and a slot  42  is formed therein. A bar  44  has ends attached to left and right seat rails  46   a ,  46   b  and passes through slot  42 . 
     As seat bottom  16  moves forward and downward from the seating position to the stowed position, bar  44  moves along slot  42  and acts as an actuating member, pressing downwardly on a follower surface provided by the interior of the slot, thereby urging the tab  40  and attached duct top surface  32  downwardly. It should be noted that slot  42  need not be straight, as shown, but may be curved, angled, or otherwise non-linear to achieve the desired motion of duct  24   b  relative to seat bottom  16 . Fold lines  38  allow side walls  36  to deflect inwardly and collapsible duct  24   b  assumes the collapsed condition wherein the vertical dimension of the duct is reduced to permit seat bottom  16  to assume a lower position when stowed. In this specific embodiment, upper wall  32  is touching or closely adjacent to lower wall  34  (leaving little or no room for air flow) and seat bottom  16  is touching or closely adjacent to upper wall  32 . 
     When seat bottom  16  is returned to the seating position, its upward and rearward motion results in bar  44  pulling upwardly against the follower surface provided by the interior of slot  42 . This urges upwardly on upper duct wall  32  and so returns collapsible duct  24   b  to the expanded condition wherein it is in fluid communication with non-collapsing duct  24   a.    
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  illustrate in greater detail the configuration of the collapsible duct of  FIG. 4 . As seen in  FIG. 5   b , fold lines  38  allow the side walls  36  to assume a folded-flat condition in which the upper portions lay on top the respective lower portions when in the collapsed position, so that the overall height of duct  24   b  is reduced to as small as possible. 
       FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  illustrate an alternative embodiment of a collapsible duct  124   a  comprising a top wall  132 , a bottom wall  134 , and left and right side walls  136 . When top wall  132  is urged downwardly towards bottom wall  134 , the duct maintains a parallelogram-shaped cross-section, with side walls  136  pivoting about their lower ends while remaining parallel during movement to the collapsed condition shown in  FIG. 6   b.    
       FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  illustrate a third embodiment of a collapsible duct  224   b , wherein an upper duct portion  232  and a lower duct portion  234  have respective side walls that are parallel to one another and slide past one another during movement between the expanded and collapsed positions. It should be noted that duct  224   b  in the collapsed condition does not have as low a profile as the other embodiments, but such a geometry may be used if permitted by vehicle interior packaging constraints. 
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.