Abstract:
An integrated duct and monitor housing having ductwork for environmental control via the flow of air and mounting provisions for a monitor. The entire arrangement is suitable for use in a vehicle. The housing includes an air inlet a housing mounting structure for anchoring the housing to a portion of a structure; a monitor mounting structure for anchoring a monitor to the housing and an air outlet. The air inlet, the housing monitor structure, the monitor mounting structure, the monitor mounting structure, and the air outlet form an integrated housing, the integrated housing being hollow throughout and allowing air flow throughout the housing.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/659,329 which was filed 7 Mar. 2005 and is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to housings and, more particularly, relates to monitor housings with integrated ducts for environmental control, particularly for heavy machinery such as, for example, motor graders.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Various types of monitor housings exist for heavy, off road equipment. Much of the prior art includes multiple sets of distribution ducts with separate instrument housing, specially designed duct housing separate from any instrument housing, or integrated duct housing with large plenum areas as well as large mounting areas, separate from the air flow channels, where one or more instruments or instrument panels may be mounted.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     As indicated above, much of the prior art combines air flow channels, i.e., air ducts, with the mounting structure. Such an arrangement tends to save space. However, in each case, space and cost is increased by the larger and more complex mounting structures that are separate from the duct structure. These arrangements tend to result in greater space requirements and costs due to the greater amount of material and complexity involved in the design of separate structures. Described and herein is an integrated duct and monitor housing that is hollow throughout its structure and provides monitor attachment points only at specific points on the ductwork. This tends to save space and reduce costs as no large plenum areas or separate mounting structures are required and air moves quickly through the structure with a minimum loss of energy to the materials of the housing.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     Embodiments of the invention will be described in detail, with references to the following figures, wherein:  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is an oblique frontal view of an exemplary embodiment of the housing of the invention;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is an oblique rear view of the housing illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is an oblique frontal view of the housing of  FIG. 1  with a monitor and additional structure attached;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along lines  7 - 7  of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an integrated duct and monitor housing  100  of the invention for a construction vehicle such as, for example, a motor grader. The integrated duct and monitor housing  100  includes: air inlets  110  and  111 ; a first small mounting structure  112 ; second and third duct portions  120  and  121 ; a second mounting structure  122 ; fourth and fifth duct portions  130  and  131 ; a third mounting structure  132 ; and air outlets  151  and  152  formed in an air outlet cover or louver  150  and configured as air vents with air vanes  151   a  and  152   a . The integrated duct and monitor housing  100  is hollow throughout; air flows throughout its structure.  
         [0015]     Mounting holes  101  and mounting slots  102  of the first and second mounting structures  112  and  122  are for the purpose of anchoring the integrated duct and monitor housing  100  to a portion of the structure of the vehicle (not shown). The first and second mounting structures  112  and  122  thus provide, alone or in combination, a housing mounting structure for anchoring the housing  100  the vehicle structure.  
         [0016]     Mounting holes  104  of the third mounting structure  132  are anchoring points for securing a monitor  160  to the integrated duct and monitor housing. The third mounting structure  132  thus acts as a monitor mounting structure for anchoring a monitor  160  (see  FIG. 3 ).  
         [0017]     Mounting inserts  103  at the top of the housing  100  provide anchoring points for securing, for example, a slope indicator  166  that indicates the slope of the ground on which the motor grader or other construction vehicle is operating. Finally, mounting inserts  105  are anchoring points for affixing a protective and decorative cover  170  to the integrated duct and monitor housing  100 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , to cover portions of a wiring harness from the monitor  160  and a windshield wiper motor  168  affixed to the vehicle structure (not shown) and received in a wiper motor mounting space  169  defined between bowed portions  170  and  171  of the second and third duct portions  120  and  121  that are bowed laterally outwardly away from one another. Inclusion of the bowed portions  170  and  171  thus promotes space economy, which may be especially useful in a vehicle environment.  
         [0018]     In operation, air from an air source such as, for example, a windscreen defroster  174  enters the inlets  110  and  111  a greater portion of which continues through duct portions  120  and  121 . However, a small portion of the air flowing through air inlets  110  and  111  flows into the first small mounting structure  112  which is hollow. Eventually, all of the air flowing into the first small mounting structure  112  also flows through duct portions  120  and  121  toward the second mounting structure  122  where a small portion of it flows into the second mounting structure  122  before traveling a relatively short distance, via duct portions  130  and  131  to a third mounting structure  132  where a small portion of air flows through the third mounting structure  132  and the remaining air flows through the duct portions  130  and  131  and exits the vents  151  and  152 . All air entering the mounting structure  132  also eventually exits the vents  151  and  152  as the hollow mounting structure  132  directly communicates with the vents  151  and  152 .  
         [0019]     The integrated duct and monitor housing  100  is thoroughly hollow and of sufficient strength to be anchored to the vehicle structure and to rigidly support the monitor  160 . Thus, optimal space savings and efficiency in the movement of air is possible.  
         [0020]     The air inlet  110 , duct portions  120  and  130 , and vent  152  cooperate to provide a first duct defining therein a first air flowpath  176  through the housing  100  and the air inlet  111 , duct portions  121  and  131 , and vent  151  cooperate to provide a second duct defining therein a second air flowpath  178  through the housing  100 . The first and second air flowpaths are in flow-parallel with one another to conduct air supplied by the defroster  174  through the housing  100 .  
         [0021]     As mentioned above, the mounting structures  112  and  122 , may be hollow (see  FIG. 4 ) due to, for example, the manufacturing process used to create the housing  100 . However, third and fourth air flowpaths  180  and  182  defined by the structures  112  and  122 , respectively, are sufficiently restricted due to their cross-sectional flow areas in comparison with the larger cross-sectional flow areas of the first and second air flowpaths  176  and  178  (see  FIGS. 5-8 ) so as to limit cross-flow between the first and second air flowpaths  176  and  178  through the third and fourth air flowpaths  180  and  182 . Since the air flow will tend to follow the path of least resistance, most of the air will remain in the first and second air flowpaths  176  and  178  rather than passing through the third and fourth air flowpaths  180  and  182 . As such, the first and second air flowpaths  176  and  178  are effectively discrete from one another in a lower portion of the housing  100  (i.e., the portion of the housing  100  below the third mounting structure  132 ) so as to deliver a balanced flow of air to the first and second vents  151  and  152  and thus a balanced output of air to first and second regions of the windscreen.  
         [0022]     The housing  100  may be constructed such that no cross-flow is allowed between the first and second flowpaths  176  and  178 . This may be accomplished, for example, by making each mounting structure  112 ,  122 , and  132  non-hollow or with an internal partition blocking communication between the first and second air flowpaths.  
         [0023]     Illustratively, the housing  100  is a one-piece structure. It may be made of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, plastic materials by any suitable manufacturing process such as, for example, injection molding.  
         [0024]     Additional air outlets may be formed in the first and/or second duct. Exemplarily, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , each of the first and second ducts has a number of air outlets  184  formed therein for discharge of air to defrost a lower front glass (not shown) of the vehicle.  
         [0025]     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.  
       Assignment  
       [0026]     The entire right, title and interest in and to this application and all subject matter disclosed and/or claimed therein, including any and all divisions, continuations, reissues, etc., thereof are, effective as of the date of execution of this application, assigned, transferred, sold and set over by the applicant(s) named herein to Deere &amp; Company, a Delaware corporation having offices at Moline, Ill. 61265, U.S.A., together with all rights to file, and to claim priorities in connection with, corresponding patent applications in any and all foreign countries in the name of Deere &amp; Company or otherwise.