U.S. patent application number 09/814247 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-09 for vehicle headliner mounting structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to Deere & Company. Invention is credited to Boyce, Dean Arden, Mueller, Daniel Joseph, Schreyer, Bernard Eugene.
Application Number | 20010011834 09/814247 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46257632 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010011834 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boyce, Dean Arden ; et
al. |
August 9, 2001 |
Vehicle headliner mounting structure
Abstract
The roof structure of a work vehicle cab is provided with a roof
panel having a top surface exposed to the outside and a bottom
surface facing the interior of the cab. A sound insulating foam
liner is located under the roof panel and secured thereto by
adhesives. The bottom surface of the foam liner is provided with
ventilating channels. The ventilating channels have two sidewalls
and a top wall extending between the sidewalls. A headliner is
located below the foam liner and encloses the ventilating channels
formed in the foam liner thereby forming ventilating ducts. A
headliner mounting structure is also disclosed in which upstanding
flanges around the perimeter of the headliner have slots that
receive inward extending tabs on the frame to support the
headliner.
Inventors: |
Boyce, Dean Arden;
(Waterloo, IA) ; Schreyer, Bernard Eugene;
(Dubuque, IA) ; Mueller, Daniel Joseph; (Dbuque,
IA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles T. Graham
Patent Department
DEERE & COMPANY
John Deere Road
Moline
IL
61265-8098
US
|
Assignee: |
Deere & Company,
|
Family ID: |
46257632 |
Appl. No.: |
09/814247 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09814247 |
Mar 21, 2001 |
|
|
|
09412913 |
Oct 5, 1999 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/190.09 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 13/02 20130101;
B60R 13/0846 20130101; B60R 2013/0287 20130101; B60R 13/0212
20130101; B60H 1/247 20130101; B60R 13/0815 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/190.09 |
International
Class: |
B60J 007/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An operator's compartment for a vehicle comprising: a structural
frame having generally horizontal upper members at an upper end of
the frame; an interior headliner having at least one upwardly
extending flange along a portion of a perimeter of the headliner
with an opening through the flange; a generally horizontal member
projecting inward from the upper member of the frame and extending
through the opening in the headliner flange to support the
headliner on the frame.
2. The operator's compartment as defined by claim 1 wherein the
headliner has a plurality of flanges and openings and the frame has
a plurality of projecting members.
3. The operator's compartment as defined by claim 1 wherein the
frame is a rollover protective structure.
4. The operator's compartment as defined by claim 1 wherein the
headliner is a laminate body having a substrate layer, a foam layer
on the substrate and a cover layer in the foam layer forming an
interior surface of the headliner in the operator's
compartment.
5. The operator's compartment as defined by claim 4 wherein the
substrate is resilient to enable the flange to be deflected
inwardly as the headliner is raised into position until the
projecting member aligns with the opening.
6. The operator's compartment as defined by claim 4 wherein the
foam on the flange is compressed by the frame structure to form a
tight fit between the headliner and the frame.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application
number Ser. No. 09/412,913 file Oct. 5, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention is directed to the headliner of a vehicle and
in particular to the mounting structure for the headliner that uses
upstanding flanges with slots therein about the perimeter of the
headliner, and tabs extending from the vehicle structure through
the slots to support the headliner.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] The operator's compartment on work vehicles used in
construction, agriculture mining and forestry operations is
typically provided with a roll over protection system (ROPS). In
addition to protecting the operator, the operator's compartment
performs many other functions. The compartment must conform to
various standards and regulations for operator noise comfort,
visibility and interior size. As such, the operator's compartment
includes sound absorbing materials to reduce noise levels in the
compartment. In addition, the operator's compartment maybe provided
with a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system (HVAC) to
maintain a comfortable operator work environment. The HVAC system
can be mounted in the roof structure of the operator's compartment.
The air is routed through a series of ducts that are usually formed
of molded plastic and are provided with additional insulation to
reduce heat transfer from and to the air in the duct. The ducts are
usually attached to each other, the HVAC unit, to the insulation
and the roof structure by various mechanical mechanisms.
[0006] Typically separate components are used for sound absorption
and HVAC airflow distribution functions. Sound absorption is
accomplished by adhering or mechanically fastening foam sheets to
either the roof or bonding them to the headliner.
[0007] Headliners are typically mounted to the frame structure of
the operator's compartment by a number of fasteners. These
fasteners can be time consuming to install and are often visible
from within the operator's compartment, detracting from an
aesthetically pleasing interior appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The operator's cab of a work vehicle is typically provided
with a ROPS on which is mounted a roof structure. The roof
structure is provided with a roof having a top surface exposed to
the outside and a bottom surface facing the interior of the
operator's compartment. A sound insulating foam liner having a top
surface and a bottom surface is located under the roof. The top
surface of the foam liner is secured to the bottom surface of the
roof by adhesives. The bottom surface of the foam liner is provided
with ventilating channels. The ventilating channels have two
sidewalls and a top wall extending between the sidewalls. A
headliner is located below the foam liner. The headliner has a top
surface facing the bottom surface of the foam liner and a bottom
surface facing the interior of the operator's compartment. The top
surface of the headliner encloses the ventilating channels formed
in the foam liner thereby forming ventilating ducts. The top
surface of the headliner forming the bottom wall, whereas the foam
liner forms the two sidewalls and the top wall of the ventilating
duct.
[0009] In another aspect of the invention, the headliner is mounted
to the structural frame of the operator's station by a plurality of
upstanding flanges at the perimeter of the headliner with slots
therethrough. The slots receive tabs extending inward from the
frame. The headliner flanges are deflected inward to install the
headliner and once the slots align with the tabs, the flanges
return to, or near to, their nominal positions. The headliner has a
foam layer that is preferably pressed against the frame to form a
tight, attractive fit between the headliner and the frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of thew roof
structure of an operator's compartment.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the roof structure of the
operator's compartment the roof structure being provided with a
headliner duct.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 in
FIG. 2.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the roof structure
without the foam liner which has been eliminated for illustration
purposes.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper surface of a
headliner.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the headliner of FIG. 5
mounted to the structural frame of the operator's compartment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates the roof structure 10 of an operator's
compartment for a work vehicle. The operator's compartment is
defined by six vertically extending posts 12. Four of the posts 12
are tubular members that extend into horizontally extending members
14 forming the ROPS for the compartment. Two flanges 16 extend
between two pairs of ROPS posts 12 downwardly from the
corresponding horizontal extending members 14. The openings between
the ROPS posts are provided with windows 17 (only shown in FIG. 3)
and doors (not shown). A HVAC compartment 18 is located to the rear
of the operator's compartment and is designed to hold a HVAC unit,
not shown.
[0017] The operator's compartment is provided with a roof structure
having three main components, a roof 20, a rigid sound insulating
foam liner 22, and a headliner 24. In the preferred embodiment the
roof is formed of sheet metal and is welded to the steel
horizontally extending 14 members of the ROPS. The roof 20 also
extends over the HVAC compartment 18 and is provided with drip
channels 26. The roof has a top surface 28 facing the outside and a
bottom surface 30 facing the interior of the operator's
compartment.
[0018] The sound insulating foam liner 22 is located below the roof
20 and is formed from a polyurethane expanding foam or some similar
material. The foam liner is manufactured or molded to fill the
cavity formed below the roof with sound absorbing material. The
foam liner could be a single part or be made up of several parts. A
central forward section 31 is left open to accommodate HVAC
controls and/or a radio in the roof structure. The top surface 32
of the foam liner 22 is fixed to the bottom surface 30 of the roof
by adhesives. In addition, the expansion of the foam and adhesives
secure the foam liner 22 to the flanges 16. The bottom surface 34
of the foam liner is provided with ventilating channels 36 having
sidewalls 38 and top walls 40. These ventilating channels 36 can be
placed and sized for proper air velocity and distribution. In
addition, the foam reduces the airflow noise level of the HVAC
system as air is moving through the ventilating channels 36.
[0019] Located immediately below the foam liner 22 is the headliner
24. The headliner is porous so that noise form the interior of the
operator's compartment can be deadened by the foam liner. The
headliner 24 comprises two pieces a front half 41 and a back half
43. The headliner has a top surface 42 facing the foam liner 22 and
a bottom surface 44 facing the interior of the operator's
compartment. The headliner 24 cooperates with the ventilating
channels 36 formed in the foam liner 22 to form ventilating ducts.
The headliner 24 enclosing the ventilating channels 36 by forming
the bottom wall. To better seal the ventilating ducts the foam
liner may be provided with molded in raised edges to increase its
sealing effect when the foam liner is compressed into place. The
headliner is provided with louvered vents 46 that are in pneumatic
communication with the ventilating ducts to direct air into and
from the interior of the operator's compartment.
[0020] The side edges 47 of the back half 43 of the headliner 24
rests on the top edges of windows 17 as seen in FIG. 3. The front
half 41 of the headliner 24 is provided with side slots 48 and tabs
50 for supporting the headliner. The side slots 48 engages tabs 52
mounted to the horizontal members of the ROPS as shown in FIG. 4.
Whereas tabs 50 are inserted into apertures formed in the ROPS also
shown in FIG. 4. It should be noted that the foam liner has not
been illustrated in FIG. 4 to better illustrate the headliner
mounting structure.
[0021] The headliner's primary function is noise reduction and it
is constructed of a conventional porous material to let sound from
the interior of the operator's compartment pass through to the
sound absorbing foam liner where the sound is absorbed. This
reduces operator's compartment noise level. The headliner's
secondary function is to be the bottom wall of the ventilating
ducts for the HVAC system, and retain the adjustable or fixed
louvers for operator controlled or directed airflow.
[0022] An alternative embodiment of the headliner is shown in FIG.
5 and designated generally as 124. The headliner 124 is mounted to
the frame structure using flanges with slots that receive tabs
similar to the slots 48 and tabs 52 described above and shown in
FIG. 4. The headliner 124 is formed with an upstanding rib 60 about
the perimeter of the headliner. The rib 60 extends substantially
about the entire perimeter but may have some interruptions. The rib
60 increases the bending strength of the headliner. At periodic
locations about the perimeter of the headliner, upstanding flanges
62 are provided that extend above the rib 60. The upstanding
flanges 62 extend upward and slightly outward at an angle of five
to ten degrees from vertical. The flanges 62 each have an opening
therethrough such a slot 68.
[0023] The headliner 124 is mounted to the horizontal members 64 of
the operator's compartment structural frame as shown in FIG. 6. In
this case, the structural frame is a roll over protective structure
(ROPS). The horizontal members 64 are metal tubes with tabs 66
attached thereto by welding or by other fasteners. The tabs 66
extend inward from the horizontal members 64. The headliner is
installed in the operator's compartment by deflecting the flanges
62 inward so that the upper end of each flange passes over the
distal end of the respective tab 66. Once the tab 66 is aligned
with the slot 68 in the flange 62, the flange 62 will return to, or
near to, its nominal position.
[0024] The headliner 124 is of a laminate structure having a
plastic substrate 76 of ABS, styrene or similar material. The
substrate 76 is perforated to permit sound from the interior of the
operator's compartment to pass through the headliner and into the
foam liner 22 as described above. A layer of open cell foam 78 is
bonded to the lower surface of the substrate 76 by an adhesive in a
roll coating process. An interior cover 80 is applied to the inner
surface of the foam 78 through a flame bonding process. The cover
80 can be a non-woven or woven fabric, perforated vinyl or leather
etc.
[0025] Once the laminate structure is formed and cut to length in a
sheet, it is heated and vacuum formed to the desired shape. After
forming, various openings and cut outs are made by water jet trim.
The vacuum forming process, which turns up the rib 60 and flanges
62, creates a living hinge where the substrate is bent upward. The
hinge provides resiliency to the substrate to enable the flanges 62
to flex inward to install the headliner. Once the tabs 66 are
aligned with the slots 68, the flanges will return toward the
nominal position but may not fully return there due to the presence
of the structural frame horizontal members 64. This results in the
foam layer 78 being partially compressed and the formation of a
tight or snug fit between the headliner and the upper horizontal
members 64 of the frame. The result is a pleasing appearance to the
interior appearance of the operator's compartment without any
visible fasteners for the headliner. Furthermore, it is easier and
faster to install the headliner.
[0026] The headliner 124 has openings 70, 72 for ventilation
grills, radio or HVAC control panels, etc. In the embodiment shown,
the headliner 124 has a flat portion 74 along the front. The flat
portion 74 rests beneath the horizontal member 64 of the ROPS at
the front of the operator's compartment. The structural strength
provided to the headliner by the molded plastic substrate and the
rib 60 allows the headliner to span across the front of the
operator's compartment without additional attachments to the
structural frame at that the front. Alternatively, various interior
components, such as a sun visor and/or rear view mirror can be
bolted through the headliner into the frame along the front, which
would provide additional attachment of the headliner to the frame
structure.
[0027] The headliner 124 can be used as described above to complete
air ducts in the roof. Alternatively, the headliner 124 can be used
in applications where it is not used to form air ducts.
[0028] The invention should not be limited by the above described
embodiment, but should be limited solely by the claims that follow.
For example, the openings through the flanges 62 may be round holes
fitted over inwardly extending pins on the frame.
* * * * *