JP2002103944A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To equalize flow speed distribution of fluid flowing out from an inlet air flow passage in an air conditioner casing to a downstream side and to reduce pressure drop in the inlet air flow passage. SOLUTION: An air conditioner 1 includes a blower 10 compressing and sending fluid by rotating an impeller 12 in a blower casing 11 and regulates temperature of air discharged from an outlet port 14 of the blower 10 in a air conditioner casing 21 and supplies the air to an objective area. The outlet port 14 of the blower 10 is connected to a side part of the air conditioner casing 21 constructing an air conditioner assembly. An inlet air flow passage 22 communicating to the outlet port 14 of the blower 10 is provided inside of the air conditioner casing 21. A guide vane 27 regulating flow speed distribution of fluid flowing in from the outlet port 14 of the blower 10 and flowing out to downstream side the inlet air flow passage 22 is arranged in the inlet air flow passage 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an air conditioner,
In particular, the present invention relates to an air conditioner suitable for use in controlling the temperature in a vehicle cabin.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional air conditioner. The air conditioner 100 shown in FIG. 1 is suitable for use in adjusting the temperature in a vehicle cabin, and has a blower 101 that rotates an impeller 103 in a blower casing 102 to pump air. Blower casing 1
02 has a scroll shape and is an impeller (centrifugal impeller)
103 has a number of blades arranged in the circumferential direction. The blower 101 is offset with respect to the air conditioning casing 105. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the discharge port 104 of the blower 101 is
05 is connected to the side.

[0003] Inside the air-conditioning casing 105, an inlet ventilation passage 106 is formed so as to be located at the uppermost position in FIG. The discharge port 104 of the blower 101 described above is
It communicates with this inlet ventilation passage 106. In addition, entrance ventilation path 1
Downstream of the evaporator 107 and the ventilation path 10
8, an air mix damper (not shown) and a heater 10
9 and the like are arranged in order. A so-called air-conditioning assembly is constituted by these elements including the air-conditioning casing 105. Discharge port 1 of blower 101
The air discharged from 04 is temperature-controlled in the air-conditioning casing 105 by the evaporator 107, the heater 109, and the like, and then supplied to the vehicle interior of the vehicle through a duct (not shown).

[0004]

However, the conventional air conditioner constructed as described above has the following problems. That is, when the blower is offset with respect to the air-conditioning casing as described above, the fluid pressurized by the blower flows from the side into the inlet ventilation passage in the air-conditioning casing, and then changes its direction at substantially a right angle to the downstream. Into the evaporator on the side. For this reason,
It becomes difficult to make the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing into the evaporator or the like located downstream of the inlet ventilation passage uniform in the direction in which the fluid is discharged from the blower (the left-right direction in FIG. 2).

[0005] As described above, if the flow velocity distribution of the fluid becomes uneven at the equipment inlet downstream of the inlet ventilation passage, the evaporator or the like cannot perform its original performance. In particular, in a mode in which all of the air cooled by the evaporator is directly introduced into the duct (VENT mode), a large difference may occur between the temperatures of the air blown into the vehicle compartment from the left and right ducts.

On the other hand, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, there is also known an air conditioner having an air conditioner casing formed such that the sectional area of an inlet ventilation passage gradually decreases as the distance from the discharge port of the blower increases. By employing such a configuration, it is possible to maintain the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing into the evaporator or the like substantially uniformly in the direction in which the fluid is discharged from the blower. However, in this case,
The pressure loss of the fluid when passing through the inlet ventilation passage is, for example, about 4
There is a problem that the pressure increases to about 0 Pa, and the amount of air supplied from the air conditioner decreases.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides an air conditioner which can make the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing downstream from the inlet ventilation passage provided in the air conditioning casing uniform and reduce the pressure loss in the inlet ventilation passage. The purpose is to provide the device.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner having a blower for rotating an impeller in a blower casing to feed a fluid, and a fluid discharged from a discharge port of the blower. In the air conditioner that controls the temperature of the air in the air conditioning casing and supplies the air to the target area, the air conditioning apparatus is provided in the air conditioning casing, and is disposed in the inlet ventilation passage communicating with the discharge port of the blower, and is disposed in the entrance ventilation passage. And a guide vane for adjusting the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing from the discharge port and flowing downstream of the inlet ventilation path.

This air conditioner includes a blower and an air conditioning casing to which the blower is connected. The blower rotates the impeller in the blower casing to pump the fluid. Further, the blower is, for example, offsetly arranged laterally with respect to the air conditioning casing. On the other hand, an inlet ventilation passage is formed inside the air-conditioning casing and communicates with the discharge port of the blower, and an evaporator (or duct), an air mix damper, a heater, and the like are sequentially arranged downstream of the inlet ventilation passage. . Various devices including the air conditioning casing constitute a so-called air conditioning assembly.

The fluid pressurized by the impeller in the blower casing flows from the discharge port of the blower into the inlet ventilation passage in the air-conditioning casing. When the blower is arranged, for example, laterally offset with respect to the air-conditioning casing, the fluid discharged from the blower changes its direction at substantially a right angle in the inlet ventilation passage, and the evaporator or the like on the downstream side from the inlet ventilation passage. Flows into. Then, the fluid from the inlet ventilation passage is supplied to a target area such as a vehicle compartment after the temperature is adjusted while passing through an evaporator (or duct), an air mix damper, a heater, or the like.

Here, in this air conditioner, a guide vane for adjusting the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing downstream is arranged in the inlet ventilation passage. Therefore, the fluid flowing from the discharge port of the blower into the inlet ventilation passage is appropriately dispersed in contact with the guide vane, so that the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing downstream from the inlet ventilation passage can be made uniform. .
Therefore, it is possible to supply a fluid having a uniform flow velocity distribution to equipment such as an evaporator provided on the downstream side of the inlet ventilation passage, and it is possible to sufficiently exhibit the original performance of the evaporator and the like. . Furthermore, the temperature of the fluid blown out from the plurality of blowout ports provided in the target area,
It is possible to prevent a situation in which each outlet differs. Further, the pressure loss generated when the fluid discharged from the blower comes into contact with the guide vanes is extremely small, and the amount of air supplied from the air conditioner can be sufficiently ensured.

In this case, the air-conditioning casing has a plurality of casing halves connected to each other, and the guide vane has
Preferably, it is integrated with any of the plurality of casing halves.

By employing such a configuration, it is possible to easily form the guide vanes and to dispose the guide vanes with respect to the inlet ventilation passage. In addition, if the casing half and the guide vane are formed integrally, the cost associated with the installation of the guide vane can be reduced.

The air conditioner according to the present invention is preferably applied to adjust the temperature of the cabin of the vehicle.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an air conditioner according to the present invention. The air conditioner 1 shown in FIG. 1 is suitable for use in adjusting the temperature of the interior of a vehicle (not shown). The air conditioner 1 includes a blower (blower assembly) 1
0 and an air conditioning assembly 20. Blower 10
Includes an impeller 12 housed in a blower casing 11. The blower casing 11 has a scroll shape as shown in FIG. The impeller 12 is a centrifugal impeller having a large number of blades arranged in the circumferential direction, and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). This motor is controlled by a temperature control controller (not shown).

The air-conditioning assembly 20 includes an air-conditioning casing 21, an inlet ventilation passage 22, an evaporator 23, a ventilation passage 2,
4, an air mix damper 25, a heater 26 and the like. The above-described blower 10 is arranged laterally offset with respect to the air conditioning assembly 20, and the discharge port 14 of the blower 10 is connected to a side portion (upper end in the drawing) of the air conditioning casing 21 at a substantially right angle. In addition, inside the air-conditioning casing 21, an inlet ventilation passage 22 communicating with the discharge port 14 of the blower 10 is provided.
Is provided. The air discharged from the discharge port 14 of the blower 10 flows leftward in the horizontal direction in FIG. The evaporator 23 and the ventilation passage 24 are provided inside the air-conditioning casing 21 so as to be located in sequence on the downstream side (downward in the drawing) of the entrance ventilation passage 22. Further, the air mix damper 25 and the heater 26 are sequentially arranged in the middle of the ventilation passage 24 so as to be located on the downstream side of the evaporator 23.

On the other hand, in the air conditioner 1, as shown in FIG. 1, two guide vanes 27 are disposed on the discharge port 14 side of the inlet ventilation passage 22. Each guide vane 27 is arranged at a predetermined interval over the entire width of the air conditioning casing 21. Further, each guide vane 27 has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape that is gently curved such that the tip end side (the end side located on the side opposite to the blower 10) faces the evaporator 23 side. The air-conditioning casing 21 has a structure in which two casing halves 21a and 21b are connected as shown in FIG. Each guide vane 27 is integrated with a casing half 21a located on the blower 10 side. By adopting such a configuration, the formation of the guide vanes 27 and the arrangement of the guide vanes 27 with respect to the inlet ventilation passage 22 can be easily performed. Also, the casing half 2
If 1a and each guide vane 27 are formed integrally,
The cost associated with the installation of the guide vanes 27 can be reduced.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner 1 will be described.

When the operation of the air conditioner 1 is started, the impeller 12 is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. Thereby, air is sucked into the blower casing 11, and the air pressurized by the impeller 12 is discharged from the discharge port 14 provided in the blower casing 11. The air discharged from the discharge port 14 is supplied to the inlet ventilation passage 2 in the air-conditioning casing 21.
2 flows horizontally left in FIG.

Here, in the air conditioner 1, the entrance ventilation passage 22
A guide vane 27 for adjusting the flow velocity distribution of the air flowing to the downstream side is disposed. Accordingly, the air flowing from the discharge port 14 of the blower 10 into the inlet ventilation passage 22 is turned into a substantially perpendicular direction vertically downward in FIG. Flows into the evaporator 23 on the downstream side. Thereby, the flow velocity distribution of the air flowing from the inlet ventilation passage 22 to the evaporator 23 on the downstream side can be made uniform in the direction in which the fluid is discharged from the blower 10 (the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 1). Further, the pressure loss caused by the air discharged from the blower 10 coming into contact with each guide vane 27 is extremely small, and the amount of air supplied from the air conditioner 1 can be sufficiently ensured.

The air flowing into the evaporator 23 from the inlet ventilation passage 22 is cooled while passing through the evaporator 23. The cool air that has passed through the evaporator 23 flows into the ventilation passage 24 in the air conditioning casing 21. The air mix damper 25 is controlled by a temperature control controller (not shown), and the cool air flowing through the ventilation passage 24 is appropriately divided by the air mix damper 25 to the heater side and the bypass side. As a result, part of the cool air flowing into the ventilation passage 24 is reheated by the heater 26, and merges with the cool air bypassing the heater 26 on the downstream side of the heater 26.

Thus, the air mix damper 25
The air whose temperature has been adjusted by the heater 26 is blown out from an outlet provided in a vehicle cabin (target area) of the vehicle via a duct (not shown). At this time, the air conditioner 1 can supply air having a uniform flow velocity distribution to the evaporator 23 provided on the downstream side of the inlet ventilation passage 22, so that the original performance of the evaporator 23 can be sufficiently improved. It is possible to make use of it. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the temperature of the fluid blown out from the plurality of outlets provided in the vehicle compartment differs for each outlet.

Although the air conditioner 1 has been described as including the evaporator 23 between the inlet ventilation passage 22 and the air mix damper 25 and the heater 26, the invention is not limited to this. That is, the evaporator may be omitted from the air conditioner 1 and a duct may be provided instead.

[0025]

Since the air conditioner according to the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects are obtained. That is, guide vanes for adjusting the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing from the discharge port and flowing downstream of the inlet ventilation path are arranged in the entrance ventilation path provided in the air conditioning casing so as to communicate with the discharge port of the blower. This makes it possible to make the flow velocity distribution of the fluid flowing out from the inlet ventilation passage in the air conditioning casing to the downstream side uniform, and to reduce the pressure loss in the inlet ventilation passage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a conventional air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air-conditioner, 10 ... Blower, 11 ... Blower casing, 12 ... Impeller, 14 ... Discharge port, 20 ... Air-conditioning assembly, 21 ... Air-conditioning casing, 21a, 21b ... Casing half, 22 ... Inlet ventilation passage, 23 ... Evaporator, 2
4 ... ventilation passage, 25 ... air mix damper, 26 ... heater, 27 ... guide vane.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner having a blower that rotates an impeller in a blower casing to pump fluid, and controls a temperature of a fluid discharged from a discharge port of the blower in an air conditioning casing and supplies the fluid to a target area. In the air-conditioning casing, an inlet ventilation path that communicates with the discharge port of the blower, and is disposed in the inlet ventilation path, and flows in from the discharge port of the blower so that the inlet ventilation path An air conditioner comprising: a guide vane that adjusts a flow velocity distribution of a fluid flowing downstream. 2. The air-conditioning casing is formed by connecting a plurality of casing halves, and the guide vane is
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is integrated with any one of the plurality of casing halves. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is applied to adjust the temperature of the cabin of the vehicle.