JP2000219040A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cool only seats with occupants by providing a damper capable of changing the direction of air flow in the air flow passage blown off from a blow-off port on the ceiling in a vehicle room, in an air conditioner for vehicle in which air conditioning in a vehicle having a plurality of seats is performed from the blow-off port provided in front of a driver's seat in the vehicle. SOLUTION: In a vehicle 1 having a plurality of seats for occupants 2, 3, an air conditioner 4 for vehicle is arranged in a vehicle room, and the blow-off port 5 is arranged on a driver's seat board 6 in the front part in the vehicle. A damper 7 and an occupant detecting device 8 are provided on the ceiling between a front seat 2 and a rear seat 3, and when the occupant detecting device 8 detects no occupant on the rear seat 3, the device outputs the changeover indication of the damper 7 to a control device 9, and the control device 9 operates the damper 7. Hereby, cold air blown off from the blow-off port 5 of the air conditioner for vehicle 4 is let flow directly after the front seat 2 as shown with the arrow mark B, the front seat 2 only is cooled, and the periphery of the front seat with occupant can be quickly cooled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, and more particularly to an air conditioner useful for air conditioner control according to the number of occupants.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a conventional air conditioner for a vehicle and an air flow generated by the air conditioner. In FIG. 2, a vehicle 1 having a plurality of occupant seats 2 and 3 has a vehicle air conditioner 14 disposed in the vehicle, and an outlet 5 of the vehicle air conditioner 14 having a driver seat board 6 in front of the vehicle. Are located in

[0003] When the vehicle air conditioner 14 is in a cooling operation, particularly in a cooling operation from a high temperature condition in the vehicle, such as when the engine is stopped in summer, the inside of the vehicle is rapidly cooled. The blower of the vehicle air conditioner 14 has the maximum air volume in response to the maximum cooling operation instruction from the control device that does not perform the operation.

[0004] The cool air blown from the outlet 5 of the vehicle air conditioner 14 at the maximum air volume is blown upward or obliquely upward from the outlet 5 to form an airflow indicated by an arrow in FIG. Cool.

[0005]

As described above, the vehicle air conditioner 14 rapidly cools the inside of the vehicle at the maximum air volume, but it takes time to cool the entire inside of the vehicle. When there is an occupant in the rear seat 3, it is necessary to cool the entire interior of the vehicle, but there is no occupant in the rear seat 3 and the front seat 2
If there is only an occupant, the cooling of the front seat 2 with the occupant is delayed in order to cool the wasted space at the rear, and it takes time for the occupant to obtain a cooling feeling, which is not efficient. was there.

Further, since the blower of the vehicle air conditioner 14 is in the state of the maximum air flow for a long time, a state in which a large load is applied to the blower continues for a long time, and the horsepower of the engine is absorbed by the blower. As a result, there are also problems such as deterioration of the acceleration performance of the vehicle and deterioration of the fuel efficiency.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a vehicle for air-conditioning a vehicle having a plurality of rows of seats through an outlet provided in front of a driver's seat of the vehicle. The air conditioner is characterized in that the air conditioner is a vehicle air conditioner in which a damper for changing a direction of an airflow is provided in an airflow passage blown out from the outlet.

[0008] Further, the damper is a reversible damper, and has a switching instruction means installed in the vehicle, and a control means for switching the damper between an active state and an inactive state in accordance with an instruction from the switching instruction means. It is characterized by being an air conditioner for use.

[0009]

FIG. 1 shows the structure of an air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present invention and an air flow generated by the air conditioner. In FIG. 1, the numbering of each component is denoted by the same number for the same component as in the conventional technology.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of occupant seats 2, 3 are provided.
In the vehicle 1 having the structure described above, the vehicle air conditioner 4 is disposed inside the vehicle, and the outlet 5 of the vehicle air conditioner 4 is disposed on the driver's seat board 6 in front of the vehicle. Is the same as

In the present invention, the vehicle 1 is provided with a damper 7 on the ceiling between the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3,
An occupant detection device 8 is provided on a ceiling or a side wall between the occupant and the rear seat 3. When the occupant detection device 8 detects that there is no occupant in the rear seat 3, the occupant detection device 8 causes the control device 9 to operate the damper 7. A switching instruction is given, and the control device 9
Is operated, the cool air blown out from the outlet 5 of the vehicle air conditioner 4 is caused to flow immediately after the front seat 2 as shown by an arrow B in FIG. 1 to cool only the front seat 2. The area around the front seat where the occupant is located is quickly cooled.

When the occupant detection device 8 detects that there is an occupant in the rear seat 3, the occupant detection device 8 gives a switching instruction to the control device 9 to deactivate the damper 7, and the control device 9 raises the damper 7 upward. The cold air blown out from the outlet 5 of the vehicle air conditioner 4 also flows toward the rear seat 3 as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 1 to cool the entire interior of the vehicle. .

The vehicle air conditioner 4 applied to this embodiment has a temperature detecting means (not shown) for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle, and a method for adjusting the temperature inside the vehicle to a set temperature set by the occupant, May set the air flow,
In the former case, the temperature detecting means is disposed in the vicinity of the front seat 3 or the weight of the temperature around the front seat 3 among the detected vehicle temperatures is increased, so that the vehicle air conditioner is activated when the damper is activated. It is possible to shorten the time when the maximum air flow is at 4.

In the latter case, when the temperature around the front seat 3 becomes lower than the temperature desired by the occupant, the occupant reduces the air volume. It is possible to shorten the time when the maximum air flow is at 4.

In the present embodiment, the occupant detection device 8 and the damper 7 are installed only between the front seat 2 and the rear seat 3. It is also possible to cool up to the row where there is. In addition to the occupant detection device 8 that is installed on the ceiling of the vehicle described in the present embodiment, a manual switch that is manually operated by the occupant, or that is embedded in the lower part of the seat or the backrest and operated by the weight of the occupant. A sheet switch or the like can be applied.

Further, the control device 9 can detect that the air conditioner 4 for the vehicle has a maximum air volume or a predetermined air volume or more and actuate the damper. When the vehicle air conditioner 4 falls below the maximum air volume or becomes equal to or less than the predetermined air volume, the damper may be deactivated.

Although the embodiment in which the damper is controlled by the control device 9 has been described above, the present invention relates to this control device 9.
It is not limited to a vehicle air conditioner having
It is effective to install a simple reversible damper that is manually operated by the occupant as appropriate. For a vehicle such as a two-seater vehicle having only an occupant in the front seat 3, the front seat 3 has a rear ceiling or side wall. In a vehicle having a luggage space such as a van type integrated with the occupant seat, it is also effective to install a damper which is always in operation between the occupant seat and the luggage space.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cooling range can be reduced to cool only the seat where the occupant is located instead of the entire interior of the vehicle as needed, and quick cooling can be performed. The problem that the occupant takes time to obtain a cooling feeling and is inefficient is improved.

Further, since the time during which the vehicle air conditioner 4 is operated at the maximum air volume can be shortened, the load on the blower is reduced, the acceleration performance of the vehicle is deteriorated due to the absorption of engine horsepower by the blower, and the fuel efficiency is reduced. It is also effective in improving problems such as deterioration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention and an air flow generated by the air conditioner.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to a related art and an airflow generated by the air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 2 front seat 3 rear seat 4 vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention 5 outlet 6 driver's seat board 7 damper 8 occupant detection device 9 control device 14 vehicle air conditioner according to conventional technology

Claims (2)

[Claims] An air conditioner for a vehicle having a plurality of rows of seats for air-conditioning a vehicle through an air outlet provided in front of a driver's seat of the vehicle. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: a damper for changing the pressure. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said damper is a retractable damper, and comprises switching instruction means installed in a vehicle, and control means for switching said damper between an active state and an inactive state in accordance with an instruction from said switching instruction means. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: