Conventionally, a heat exchanger for a vehicle such as a radiator is attached to a vehicle body-side supporting member (e.g., front end panel) through a bracket having a vibration proof member made of an elastic body. The heat exchanger of this kind is supported by the vehicle using the vibration proof member (e.g., rubber). However, in its mount condition, the heat exchanger is not appropriately supported so that a vibration-proof function of the member may be hindered.
As measures against such a hindrance to the vibration-proof function, a configuration of the bracket that can compensate a size variation of the heat exchanger by the bracket for attaching the heat exchanger to the supporting member is proposed (see, for example, WO2006-026591).
A bracket described in WO2006-026591 is constituted of a fixed member that is fixed to a vehicle body (supporting member), and a movable member that is configured slidably along a guide formed at the fixed member and that includes a joining section coupled with a heat exchanger. Accordingly, by sliding the movable, member to an appropriate position in accordance with a shape of the heat exchanger to adjust a joint position between the movable member and the heat exchanger, a size variation of the heat exchanger can be compensated at the bracket.
Specifically, at the time of attachment of the heat exchanger, the movable member of the bracket slides on the guide formed at the fixed member along a projecting direction of a projection (pin) formed on the heat exchanger. A vibration proof member including a hole region, into which the projection of the heat exchanger can be inserted, is attached to a region of the movable member opposed to the projection of the heat exchanger.
By sliding the movable member to approach the heat exchanger with the fixed member fixed to the supporting member, the projection of the heat exchanger is inserted into the hole region of the vibration proof member of the movable member. The movable member and the heat exchanger are joined together with the vibration proof member pressed.
A ratchet mechanism for limiting a sliding direction of the movable member to a direction in which the movable member approaches the heat exchanger is provided for the guide of the fixed member and a region of the movable member opposed to the guide. The projection of the heat exchanger is not removed from the hole region of the vibration proof member.
As described in WO2006-026591, at the time of attachment of the heat exchanger to the supporting member, the heat exchanger and the bracket are joined together by sliding the movable member in the projecting direction of the projection of the heat exchanger. As a result, in accordance with a slide amount of the movable member, excess force is applied to the vibration proof member provided for the movable member, so that a variation occurs in a press allowance of the vibration proof member. If the press allowance of the vibration proof member varies in this manner, vibration cannot be appropriately absorbed by the vibration proof member, so that the heat exchanger may not be properly protected.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds