JP2003072342A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve uniformity of the temperature distribution of conditioned air by facilitating an assembling work of two members 80 and 81 by a simple constitution and reducing deviation of lift/right-directional air flows in an air conditioning unit, when a casing body part 32 of the air conditioning unit 4 is divided into two, left and right, in a vertical and integral type air conditioner 1 for a vehicle. SOLUTION: Left-side/right-side casing members 80 and 81 formed by dividing the casing body part 32 of the air conditioning unit 4 storing an evaporator 33, a heater core 34, air mix dampers 36 and 37, etc., into two, the left and the right, in its approximately central part is provided with ribs 82 mutually oppositely extending inward, and an intermediate connecting member 44 connecting the tip parts of the ribs 82 to each other and having front/rear both ends engaged and fixed to the casing members 80 and 81 is provided. The intermediate connecting member 44 is integrally formed with a branch plate part 44b branching the air flow to the left and the right in a bypass passage C of the air conditioning unit 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat exchanger for heating and a heat exchanger for cooling, which are arranged vertically in an air conditioning unit, and are provided under the air conditioning unit for air conditioning from either one of the left and right sides (vehicle width direction). Regarding an air conditioner for a vehicle (hereinafter, also referred to as a vertical integrated air conditioner) in which conditioned air is generated by the heat exchanger while introducing air and flowing upward in the air conditioner unit, In particular, it belongs to the technical field of a structure in which the casing body of the air conditioning unit is divided into left and right parts.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a vehicle air conditioner of this type, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 9-123748 and 10-1998.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 244820, there is a system in which the functions of a heater and a cooler are integrated into one air conditioning unit to make the entire air conditioning apparatus compact. In such a conventional vertical integrated air conditioner, an evaporator (cooling heat exchanger), an air mix damper, a heater core (heating heat) are installed in order from the inside of the air conditioning unit arranged in the instrument panel of the vehicle from the bottom. The exchanger) is housed, and a direction switching unit for switching the blowing direction of the conditioned air is provided above the exchanger.

On the passenger side of the air conditioning unit,
There is a blower unit with a built-in blower, and the air for air conditioning sent from this blower unit turns from the lower side of the casing of the air conditioning unit to the upper side and passes through the evaporator. After being diverted to a bypass passage that bypasses, the mixed air is mixed again to be conditioned air, and thereafter, the air is distributed and supplied from the direction switching portion into the vehicle compartment through the duct.

Further, the former conventional example (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-12)
No. 3748) as shown in FIG. 11, in the vertical type integrated air conditioner configured as described above, the casing main body of the air conditioning unit, that is, the portion containing the heater core, the evaporator, the air mix damper, etc., is divided into two parts. It has already been proposed that the structure be made such that by doing so, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the casing main body and to reduce the cost.

[0005]

By the way, when air is introduced into the lower side of the air conditioning unit from one of the left and right sides and the direction of the flow is changed upward as described above, the inside of the air conditioning unit rises. The flow of air is easily biased to the left and right within the air conditioning unit, and the degree of this bias varies depending on the air volume or wind speed from the air blowing unit.

Further, since such an air flow is rectified by the fins and tubes when passing through the evaporator and the heater core, the air flow passing through both the evaporator and the heater core is relatively biased. On the other hand, the flow in the bypass passage passing only through the evaporator has a relatively large deviation,
As a result, the temperature distribution of the conditioned air in which the two flows are mixed becomes different and biased between the left and right of the air conditioning unit.

Moreover, as described above, since the degree of deviation of the air flow flowing through the bypass passage changes depending on the air volume or wind speed from the blower unit, the temperature distribution of the conditioned air changes depending on the air volume or wind speed. The degree of bias will also change. As a result, when the air volume of the air conditioner is changed, the temperature distribution of the conditioned air blown into the vehicle compartment slightly changes between the left and right sides of the vehicle compartment, which may give an occupant a feeling of strangeness.

In this regard, in the former conventional example (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-123748) shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the casing of the air conditioning unit is integrally molded with a long air distribution plate in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to prevent air flow. Although it is disclosed that the bias is corrected, when the casing main body is divided into two parts as described above, due to restrictions on die cutting of the divided members,
It is not possible to integrally form a ventilation plate that is long in the vehicle front-rear direction on these members.

Furthermore, when the casing body is divided into two, each divided member has a very large opening, so that it is difficult to secure its own rigidity, and the two members are Precisely aligning these joints when combining them becomes a very difficult task. That is, in the vertical type integrated air conditioner, if the casing main body of the air conditioning unit is divided into left and right, there is a problem that the assembly workability is significantly reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vertical integrated air conditioner in which a casing main body is divided into two in the vehicle width direction. The structure of dividing and matching the members has been devised so that the two members can be easily assembled with a simple structure, and the air flow in the air-conditioning unit, especially in the bypass passage, is mitigated to the left and right, and harmonized. It is to improve the uniformity of air temperature distribution.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention, a pair of left and right casing main body portions are respectively extended so as to face each other. In addition to providing the rib, the intermediate member having the function of connecting the tip portions of the ribs and at least dividing the air flow in the bypass passage into the left and right sides is provided.

Specifically, in the invention of claim 1, the air conditioning unit and the air blowing unit are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction in the instrument panel of the vehicle, and the air from the air blowing unit is directed to the lower side of the air conditioning unit. The conditioned air is introduced and circulated in the air conditioning unit from the lower side to the upper side, and heat is exchanged by the cooling heat exchanger arranged in the air conditioning unit or the heating heat exchanger arranged above it. It is assumed that the vehicle air conditioner is designed to generate. In this, in the air conditioning unit, a bypass passage through which air that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger can flow so as to bypass the heating heat exchanger, and a flow of air that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger. A heating heat exchanger or a damper for distributing the cooling heat to the bypass passage, and at least the casing main body for housing the cooling and heating heat exchangers and the damper is divided into two parts in the vehicle width direction at the central part. To do.

A pair of ribs extending from the vertical middle portion toward the inside of the casing are provided on the left and right members of the casing body divided into two parts. Further, an intermediate connecting member that connects the tip portions of the pair of ribs to each other and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and engages both front and rear end portions with the casing main body portion is provided, and further, at least the intermediate connecting member is provided. In the bypass passage, a flow dividing plate extending vertically is integrally formed so as to divide the air flow in the air conditioning unit into right and left.

With the above structure, first, when the left and right members divided into two are combined as the casing main body of the air conditioning unit, the intermediate connecting member is attached to either the left or right member, and one of the left and right members is assembled. By sufficiently securing the rigidity of the member and then assembling the other member to the member, it is possible to relatively easily combine the two members each having a large opening.

Further, in the casing main body thus combined, at least the air flow in the bypass passage is diverted to the left and right by the flow diverting plate of the intermediate connecting member, and the lateral deviation of the flow is suppressed. As a result, the flow of relatively cool air in the bypass passage and the flow of relatively warm air passing through the heater core have a substantially equal deviation in the left-right direction, and the temperature of the conditioned air mixed with each other is It becomes substantially uniform in the left-right direction.

In other words, even when the casing main body of the air conditioning unit is divided into two members in the left and right at the substantially central portion thereof, it is possible to use the intermediate connecting member, which is a very simple structure, so that the left and right members can be separated from each other. Assembling becomes relatively easy, and the distribution plate of the intermediate connecting member corrects the deviation of the air flow in the air conditioning unit and improves the uniformity of the temperature distribution of the conditioned air. be able to.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the left and right members of the casing main body are joined to each other at their peripheral portions, the joints are positioned on substantially the same virtual plane, and the intermediate connecting member is also placed on the virtual plane. It should be positioned. As a result, the joint portions of the left and right members of the casing main body are located on substantially the same virtual plane, and the work of assembling the two members becomes easier.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the intermediate connecting member is provided with an engaging portion that engages with the respective tip portions of the pair of ribs, and each tip portion of the ribs is guided toward the engaging portion when assembled. And a guide part to operate.

This makes it extremely easy to assemble the intermediate connecting member to the ribs of the left or right side member of the casing body, and when assembling the left and right side members, the intermediate connecting member was attached to one member. The ribs of the other member are guided to the intermediate connecting member so that they can be easily assembled, so that the casing main body can be assembled more easily.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the intermediate connecting member has a bilaterally symmetrical shape. That is, even if the shape of the casing main body is asymmetrical, the shapes of the tips of the ribs provided on the left and right members are the same, and the intermediate connecting member combined therewith is symmetrical. And

By doing so, even when the air-conditioning unit is left-right inverted between a so-called left-hand drive vehicle and a right-hand drive vehicle, the intermediate connecting member located between the left and right members of the casing body is common. Therefore, the cost of parts can be reduced by mass production.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the pair of ribs covers the upper side of the heating heat exchanger together with the intermediate connecting member, and the outlet passage through which the air passing through the heating heat exchanger is led out to the bypass passage. Further, the flow dividing plate of the intermediate connecting member is arranged so as to extend below the bypass passage from the communicating portion of the outlet passage and the bypass passage.

As a result, the relatively warm air that has passed through the heating heat exchanger in the air conditioning unit is discharged to the bypass passage from the discharge passage formed above the heat exchanger. Since the flow dividing plate is arranged so as to extend below the bypass passage from the communicating portion of the outlet passage and the bypass passage, the relatively cool air rising in the bypass passage is mixed with the warm air before being mixed. The flow is divided into the left and right, and thus the effect of the invention of claim 1 is sufficiently obtained.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the flow diverting plate of the intermediate connecting member according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is provided with straightening fins extending left and right so as to have a substantially cross shape when viewed in the vertical direction. When viewed from one of the left and right sides of the vehicle, the upper side is inclined so as to be closer to the lead-out passage.

As a result, the flow of relatively cool air rising in the bypass passage is divided into the left and right directions of the air conditioning unit by the flow dividing plate, and the flow regulating fins provided in the flow dividing plate direct the flow toward the outlet passage. Has been
It will impinge on the flow of relatively warm air from the outlet passage at an appropriate angle. As a result, the cool air in the bypass passage and the warm air from the outlet passage are sufficiently mixed while maintaining the overall upward flow without significantly disturbing the flow of air in both the bypass passage and the outlet passage. As a result, conditioned air having a uniform temperature distribution can be obtained.

[0026]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show the appearance of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 4, it is housed inside an instrument panel 2 arranged in front of a vehicle compartment of a vehicle. This vehicle is a right-hand drive vehicle in which a driver's seat and a passenger's seat are provided on the right side and the left side of the vehicle body, respectively, and a vehicle compartment and an engine room in front of the vehicle compartment are separated from each other behind the instrument panel 2 (on the vehicle front side). Dash panel P
(Only shown in FIG. 6) is provided. In this specification, the front side and the rear side of the vehicle body will be simply referred to as the front side and the rear side, respectively, and the left side and the right side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the left side and the right side, respectively. Therefore, since the front side of the air conditioner 1 is located on the rear side of the vehicle body,
It may be referred to as the rear side of the air conditioner 1, and conversely, the back side of the air conditioner 1 located on the front side of the vehicle body may be referred to as the front side of the air conditioner 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the air conditioner 1 includes a blower unit 3 and an air conditioner unit 4 that cools the air from the blower unit 3 and then adjusts the temperature of the blower unit 3 to supply the air as conditioned air to a passenger compartment. And an intermediate duct 5 (blower duct) that sends air from the blower unit 3 to the air conditioning unit 4. The air conditioning unit 4 is arranged substantially in the center in the vehicle width direction, while the blower unit 3 is arranged in front of the passenger seat at a predetermined distance from the air conditioning unit 4 to the left side of the vehicle body. At this time, the lower end portion of the blower unit 3 is positioned above the lower end portion of the air conditioning unit 4 so that the foot space of the passenger in the passenger seat can be sufficiently wide.

The blower unit 3 is provided with a casing 6 which is divided into two parts on the left and right at a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction, which are integrated by using a fastener or the like. An air intake portion 7 for taking in air to the air conditioner 1 is provided on the upper side of the casing 6, while a blower portion 8 for blowing the taken air to the air conditioning unit 4 is provided at the lower side. . At the upper part of the air intake portion 7, an outside air intake 10 for taking in air outside the vehicle compartment and an inside air intake 11 for taking in air in the vehicle interior are formed through a duct (not shown). The inside / outside air switching damper 12 that operates so that one of them is closed and the other is opened.
(Shown only in FIG. 2) is provided inside the air intake 7.

More specifically, the upper portion of the air intake portion 7 has a triangular shape having a substantially triangular cross section as viewed from the vehicle width direction, and has a roof-like shape in which two inclined surfaces adjacent to each other in the front and rear are fitted to each other. It is used as a roof. The outside air intake 10 and the inside air intake 11 are opened at the front surface portion and the rear surface portion of the roof portion, and a grill 13 is integrally formed on the inside air intake 11. Further, the side surface portion of the air intake portion 7 is provided so as to connect the corresponding side edges of the front surface portion and the rear surface portion. The inside / outside air switching damper 12 has a rectangular shape larger than the intakes 10 and 11, and has an axis extending in the vehicle width direction at the upper edge thereof, and both ends of the damper 12 respectively correspond to the pair of air intake portions 7. It is supported on the upper end side of the side surface.

On the lower end side of the inside / outside air switching damper 12,
A connecting portion (not shown) that penetrates the side surface portion is provided so that the output shaft of the actuator 15 attached to the side surface portion of the air intake portion 7 is connected. Further, a boss portion for fastening the actuator 15 with a screw or the like is integrally formed on the side surface portion. The actuator 15
Is configured to operate in response to a signal from an air conditioning control unit (not shown) arranged on the vehicle body. The signal line from the air conditioning control unit is connected to the coupler 17 of the actuator 15.
It is designed to be connected to.

When the inside / outside air switching damper 12 is rotated about its axis by the actuator 15 to bring the outside air inlet 10 to the fully open position, the inside air inlet 1 is opened.
1 is fully closed, and the mode is the outside air intake mode for taking in only the outside air. On the other hand, when the inside / outside air switching damper 12 is rotated in the opposite direction from the above-mentioned state to the position where the outside air intake 10 is fully closed, the inside air intake 11 is fully opened and the so-called inside air circulation mode is set. .

Further, a filter arranging portion 21 is provided below the air intake portion 7, and a filter 20 for filtering the taken-in air is disposed as shown by a broken line in FIG. . Below the filter arrangement portion 21 is a blower portion 8, a centrifugal multi-blade fan as a blower fan 23 is arranged with its rotation axis oriented in the vertical direction, and a spiral shape is formed around the blower fan 23. Is formed, and a fan drive motor 24 is provided below the blower fan 23. Then, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5, the air intake unit 7 is rotated by the rotation of the blower fan 23.
The air is taken in from the upper part, passes through the filter 20, and is introduced into the blower unit 8.

Further, an opening is formed in the right side wall of the air blower 8 so as to communicate with the air guide passage, and the left end of the intermediate duct 5 is connected to this opening.
The intermediate duct 5 extends from the blower unit 8 to the air conditioning unit 4
Toward the lower end side of the vehicle body, that is, from the left side (one side) of the vehicle body to the right side (the other side), the right end portion is connected to the lower end side of the air conditioning unit 4. More specifically, the duct connection portion 25 that extends substantially horizontally outward is provided on the lower end side of the air conditioning unit 4, and the intermediate duct 5 that inclines downward from the left side to the right side of the vehicle body as described above.
Is connected to the left end of the duct connecting portion 25. A control circuit 26 for controlling the rotation speed of the blower fan 23 is provided on the upper wall of the intermediate duct 5, and a coupler 27 is provided on the control circuit 26.

As shown in FIG. 6, the duct connecting portion 25 extends from a casing main body portion 32 (shown in phantom in the figure) described later to the bottom wall portion 31 on the lower end side of the casing 30 of the air conditioning unit 4. And has a triangular tubular shape extending substantially horizontally as a whole, and the left end of the passage formed therein communicates with the right end of the passage in the intermediate duct 5, while the right end of the passage is formed. The end portion is a space S1 for introducing air for air conditioning, which is partitioned into the lower end portion of the air conditioning unit 4.
Is in communication with. In other words, the duct connecting portion 25 is
The air-conditioning unit 4 extends from the casing body 32 to the left side of the vehicle body, and is located to the left of the left side (one side in the vehicle width direction) end of an evaporator 33 (shown in phantom line), which will be described later, disposed inside the casing body 32. Located close to.

Further, the bottom surface 28 of the passage in the duct connecting portion 25 extends from the lower side wall surface of the intermediate duct 5 substantially horizontally in the vehicle width direction, and also from a substantially horizontal flat surface in the vehicle front-rear direction. Become. Then, as shown by an arrow a1 in the figure, the flow of the air flowing obliquely downward in the intermediate duct 5 is smoothly directed upward along the bottom surface 28 of the passage of the duct connecting portion 25, and is substantially horizontal. Na flow a
2 and flows into the introduction space S1 of the air conditioning unit 4. The main flow of the air flow collides with the side wall portion on the right side of the vehicle body as indicated by an arrow a3 in the figure, and is directed upward as a whole. In addition, part of the flow is the introduction space S1.
It is folded back along the front and back walls surrounding the.

(Structure of Air Conditioning Unit) The air conditioning unit 4 has a casing 30 which is vertically long as a whole and is formed in a rectangular box shape larger than the casing 6 of the blower unit 3. The casing 30 is divided into a bottom wall portion 31 and a main body portion 32 arranged above the bottom wall portion 31. Further, as will be described later in detail, the casing main body portion 32 is left and right in a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction. It is divided into two. As shown in FIG. 7, inside the casing 30, an evaporator 33 (cooling heat exchanger), which is an element of the refrigeration cycle, is arranged, and the lower surface of the evaporator 33 faces the introduction space S1. There is.
Then, as described above, the flow of air introduced into the introduction space S1 via the intermediate duct 5 turns upward in the introduction space S1 and passes through the evaporator 33.

Above the evaporator 33,
A heater core 34 (heating heat exchanger) for heating the air that has passed through the evaporator 33 is provided, and the flow of air that has passed through the evaporator 33 as described above is as shown by the arrow in FIG. While flowing from the lower side to the upper side in the air conditioning unit 4, it is once distributed to the heater core 34 or the bypass passage C that bypasses the heater core 34, and then merges again to become conditioned air, and thereafter, the casing of the air conditioning unit 4 Air outlets 50, 5 formed in the upper part of 30
It is sent from 1,52 toward the passenger compartment.

The evaporator 33 is the blower unit 3
Is a heat exchanger for cooling air from, for example, a large number of tubes formed of metal thin plates such as aluminum are laminated so as to extend in the same direction, and between adjacent tubes, from the same metal thin plate. The formed corrugated fins are interposed. A low-temperature refrigerant generated by the refrigeration cycle circulates in the tube of the evaporator 33 to cool the air passing through the evaporator 33. That is, although not shown, the evaporator 33 is provided with tanks communicating with the tubes on both ends of the tube, and one of the tanks flows in by a partition plate arranged in the central portion in the stacking direction of the tubes. It is divided into a tank section and an outflow tank section. Then, the refrigerant flowing into the inflow tank section flows to the other tank via the upstream tube connected to the inflow tank section, and then flows out of the one tank via the downstream tube from the other tank. To the tank section.

Further, the evaporator 33 is arranged so as to extend substantially horizontally in the vehicle width direction, and is arranged so as to be inclined so as to be positioned higher toward the vehicle rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, Further, the direction in which the tube extends is oriented in the vehicle front-rear direction. Cooler pipes (not shown) are connected to the inflow tank portion and the outflow tank portion of the evaporator 33, and each cooler pipe extends from the left side wall portion of the casing 30 of the air conditioning unit 4 to the outside of the casing 30. After it is taken out, it is bent to extend to the front of the vehicle. Due to such an inclined arrangement of the evaporator 33, the condensed water generated in the evaporator 33 flows mainly along the tube to the front side of the vehicle body, as schematically shown by an arrow w in FIG. From the portion toward the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 31, and is discharged to the outside of the vehicle from the drain portion 35 provided in the bottom wall portion 31.

That is, as shown in detail in FIG.
On the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 31 facing the lower surface of the evaporator 33, a drainage groove portion 31a that is inclined downward from the right side of the vehicle body toward the left side is formed along the front edge portion thereof, and the vehicle body is formed along the left side edge portion. A drain groove portion 31b that is inclined downward from the rear side to the front side is formed, and further, a tip of a drain portion 35 that protrudes outward of the bottom wall portion 31 from a front left corner of the vehicle body where both drain groove portions 31a and 31b join. A passage 31c is formed up to the part. These drainage grooves 31a,
A drain passage is formed by 31b and the passage 31c, so that the condensed water dropped from the evaporator 33 onto the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 31 is smoothly discharged as described above.

Reference numeral 29 shown in the figure is a wind-shielding rib (shielding rib) projecting from the upper surface of the bottom wall 31 and extending in the vehicle width direction along the drain groove 31a. Is provided so as to separate the drain groove 31a and the vicinity of the front edge (relatively lower edge) of the evaporator 33 from the introduction space S1. Therefore, a1
Even if the air-conditioning air flows into the introduction space S1 as in the case of a3, the flow of this air does not bounce up the condensed water dripping from the evaporator 33 or the condensed water in the drain groove 31a, and conversely condenses it. Water does not disturb the air flow. Further, of the air flow that has flown into the introduction space S1, the flow that has been folded back along the front wall surface that surrounds the introduction space S1 is along the flow of the condensed water in the drain groove portion 31a, and its dischargeability. Is further improved.

The heater core 34 has tubes and fins laminated in the same manner as the evaporator 33. The high temperature cooling water from the engine circulates in the tubes and passes between the tubes and fins. It exchanges heat with the air. In the heater core 34, like the cooler pipes of the evaporator 33,
Heater pipes (not shown) for inflowing and outflowing the engine cooling water are provided, and each is formed so as to extend outward from the left side wall portion of the casing 30 and then extend forward of the vehicle body.

Between the evaporator 33 and the heater core 34, the flow of air passing through the evaporator 33 is distributed to the heater core 34 and the bypass passage C, and
Adjust the temperature of conditioned air by changing the distribution ratio 2
Two air mix dampers 36 and 37 are provided.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the air conditioning unit 4 above the evaporator 33, a plurality of space portions S2 to S5 and the bypass passage C are formed by the partition walls 39 and 40 integrally formed inside the casing 30. The air flow passing through the evaporator 33 is divided by the two air mix dampers 36 and 37 into the space portions S3 and S4 for housing the heater core 34 and the bypass passage C. There is.

More specifically, a lower partition wall 39 is provided above the evaporator 33 in order from the lower side which is the upstream side of the air flow so as to partition the heater core 34. When viewed from the vehicle width direction, the lower partition wall 39 is arranged such that the horizontal partition portion extends substantially horizontally on the front side of the vehicle body (on the left side in FIG. 7) and the rear end portion of the horizontal wall portion, and the rear side is positioned downward. A gently sloping wall part that gently slopes, a first steeply sloping wall part that is continuous to the rear end part and is located higher toward the rear side, and a lower slope part that is continuous to the rear end part and is located toward the rear side And a second steep wall portion that is steeply inclined.

The horizontal wall portion and the first steeply inclined wall portion each have an opening 4 for communicating the upper space S2 of the evaporator 33 and the lower space S3 of the heater core 34 with each other.
1 and 42 are formed, and an opening 43 of the bypass passage C is formed in the second steeply inclined wall portion.
1, 42 and 43 are opened and closed by the air mix dampers 36 and 37. Also, the lower partition wall 3
The first steep wall 9 is a space S above and below the heater core 34.
3, S4 and the bypass passage C are partitioned, and at the same time, it also has a function of supporting the rear end portion of the heater core 34.

On the other hand, above the heater core 34, the entire space of the heater core 34 is covered, and the space S4 above the heater core 34 is provided.
And the conditioned air derivation space S in the upper part of the casing 30
An upper partition wall 40 for partitioning 5 and 5 is provided. The upper partition wall 40 will be described in detail later, but the casing 3
A pair of ribs 8 extending from the left and right sides toward the inside of 0
2, 82 (see FIG. 10), and the pair of ribs 8
The tip portions of the reference numerals 2, 82 are connected to each other by an intermediate connecting member 44 (shown in phantom in FIG. 7). The intermediate connecting member 44 will also be described in detail later, but this member 44 is
The casing 3 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and both front and rear ends thereof are engaged with and fixed to the casing 30, respectively.
The rigidity of 0 is increased, and the inside of the casing 30 is divided into the right and left from the upper space S4 of the heater core 34 to the bypass passage C. That is, the main body portion 44a of the intermediate connecting member 44 connects the tip portions of the ribs 82, 82 in the upper space S4 of the heater core 34, and the flow dividing plate portion provided on the rear side of the main body portion 44a. 44b denotes a heater core upper space S4 and a bypass passage C.
The bypass passage C extends in both up and down directions so as to divide the bypass passage C into left and right from a portion communicating with and. Then, as schematically shown in FIG. 9, the flow of the air rising in the bypass passage C is divided into the left and right by the flow dividing plate portion 44b.

Further, the flow dividing plate portion 44b of the intermediate connecting member 44 is provided with straightening fins 48 (shown by solid lines in FIGS. 7 and 8) extending in the left-right direction so as to have a substantially cross shape when viewed in the vertical direction. The rectifying fins 48 are inclined so that the rectifying fins 48 are located closer to the front side of the vehicle body when viewed from one of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, that is, closer to the heater core 34. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 8, the flow of air in the bypass passage C is rectified by the rectifying fins 48 and is gradually directed toward the heater core upper space S4.

The two air mix dampers 36, 37
Like the inside / outside air switching damper 12, each has a shaft extending in the vehicle width direction, both ends thereof are supported by the casing 30, and an actuator 45 is drivingly connected to each shaft end on the left side of the vehicle body. There is. That is, the actuator 45 is disposed on the left side wall portion of the casing 30,
Like the actuator 15 of the inside / outside air switching damper 12, it is fixed to a boss portion provided on the casing, and via a link mechanism 46 also arranged on the casing wall surface,
The two dampers 36 and 37 are made to interlock. The air mix damper 36 on the front side rotates from a position where the opening 41 of the horizontal wall is fully opened to a position where it is completely closed,
On the other hand, the air mix damper 37 on the rear side completely opens the opening 42 of the first steep wall and completely closes the opening 43 of the second steep wall. It is rotated to a position where it is closed and the opening 43 is fully opened.

Then, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7, when the front air mix damper 36 fully closes the opening 41, the rear air mix damper 37 fully closes the opening 42 and closes the opening 43. Fully open, at this time, evaporator 3
All of the air that has passed through 3 flows into the bypass passage C. On the contrary, when the front air mix damper 36 fully opens the opening 41, the rear air mix damper 37 fully opens the opening 42 and fully closes the opening 43.
At this time, all the air that has passed through the evaporator 33 is guided to the heater core 34 via the space S3. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the air mix damper 3
If 6 and 37 are in the intermediate positions between the two states, the flow of air that has passed through the evaporator 33 is distributed to the heater core 34 and the bypass passage C according to the positions of the dampers 36 and 37.

In this way, the flow of air once distributed to the heater core 34 and the bypass passage C is such that the relatively cool air smoothly rises in the bypass passage C as indicated by the arrow in the figure, while the heater core The relatively warm air that has passed through 34 is largely bent to the rear side of the vehicle body in the space S4 on the upper side thereof, and is guided to the bypass passage C. In other words, the upper space S4 of the heater core 34
Has a function as a lead-out passage that covers the upper side of the heater core 34 and guides the air passing through the heater core 34 to the bypass passage C.

Here, the intermediate connecting member 44 is disposed from the heater core upper space S4 to the bypass passage C, and the flow dividing plate portion 44b of the intermediate connecting member 44 divides the bypass passage C into right and left. Therefore, as schematically shown in FIG. 9, the flow of the relatively cool air rising in the bypass passage C is in the left-right direction of the air conditioning unit 4 before encountering the flow of the warm air derived from the heater core upper space S4. Will be diverted to. As a result, the lateral deviation of the airflow in the bypass passage C is reduced, and the lateral deviation of the airflow in the bypass passage C and the lateral deviation of the airflow passing through the heater core 34 are substantially the same. Therefore, the temperature distribution of the conditioned air mixed with each other is substantially uniform in the left-right direction of the air conditioning unit 4.

In addition, the flow dividing plate portion 4 of the intermediate connecting member 44.
The flow of the relatively warm air rising in the bypass passage C is bent toward the heater core upper space portion S4 by the rectifying fins 48 provided in 4b, and joins the flow of the bypass passage C from this space portion S4. It will strike at an appropriate angle to the flow of relatively warm air. As a result, the cool air in the bypass passage C and the warm air from the heater core 34 are sufficiently mixed with each other while maintaining the flow of the upward air as a whole without being significantly disturbed, and conditioned air having a uniform temperature distribution is obtained. Obtainable.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the actuators 45 of the air mix dampers 36 and 37 also have
Similar to the actuator 15 of the inside / outside air switching damper 12, a coupler 49 to which wiring from the air conditioning controller is connected is attached. Although not shown, the evaporator 33 and the heater core 34 are each provided with a sensor for detecting a temperature state, and the signal line of each sensor extends through the left side wall portion of the air conditioning unit 4 to It is designed to be connected to the air conditioning control unit.

As described above, the conditioned air obtained by exchanging heat between the air-conditioning air and the evaporator 33 to the heater core 34 is the outlet space S5 in the upper portion of the casing 30.
Is distributed to a plurality of ducts and supplied to the vehicle interior.
That is, in the upper portion of the casing 30 of the air conditioning unit 4, the vent outlets 50, 5 are provided in the inclined portion on the rear side of the vehicle body.
0, ... Are formed, and defrost outlets 51, 51 are formed in a substantially horizontal portion on the front side thereof. Further, foot outlets 52 (only the right one is shown in FIG. 7) are formed on the left side wall and the right side wall in the upper portion of the casing 30, respectively.

One end of a duct (not shown) is connected to each of the vent outlets 50, 50, ... And the other end of each duct is vent grilles 53, 53, ... on the instrument panel 2 (FIG. 4). ), Whereby the conditioned air sent out from each vent outlet 50 is blown out mainly from the vent grilles 53, 53, ... To the upper body of the occupant. On the other hand, the defrost outlets 51, 51 are, like the vent outlet 50,
Each of them is connected to the defrost grills 54, 54 of the instrument panel 2 through a duct (not shown), whereby the conditioned air sent out from each defrost outlet 51 is blown toward the inner surface of the front window. To be done. In addition, the left and right foot outlets 52, 52
The upper ends of ducts 56 and 57 extending downward are connected to the lower end of each of the ducts 56 and 57, respectively, and the lower ends of the ducts 56 and 57 are opened below the instrument panel 2 near the feet of the driver and passenger occupants. An opening 55 (shown only in FIG. 2) is provided so that conditioned air is blown toward the occupant's feet from there.

Of the ducts 56, 57 connected to the foot outlets 52, 52, the duct 56 on the driver's seat side
Is provided integrally with the casing 30 so as to wrap around from the right side wall portion to the rear side wall portion of the casing 30, has a relatively large cross-sectional area, and conditioned air to the rear seat occupant is also included. It is used as a duct for the rear seats that pass through. The lower end of the dual-purpose duct 56 has connection portions 58, 5 integrally formed with the bottom wall portion 31 of the casing 30.
8 and is connected to the end of a floor duct (not shown) via this connecting portion.

Outlet space S5 at the upper part of the casing 30
The two outlet direction switching dampers 60 that open and close the outlets 50, 51, 52 to change the outlet direction of the conditioned air.
61 is provided in the same manner as the air mix dampers 36, 37, and these are the casing 3 of the air conditioning unit 4.
0 is operated by a link mechanism 62 provided on the left side wall portion and an actuator 63 fixed to a boss portion of the left side wall portion.

The front side of the blowing direction switching dampers 60, 61 is the defrost damper 60 for opening and closing the defrost outlets 51, 51, and the rear side is the defrost damper 60.
Vent damper 6 for opening and closing the vent outlets 50, 50, ...
It is 1. The dampers 60 and 61 are linked by the link mechanism 62, and when driven by the actuator 63, the dampers 60 and 61 are controlled to have openings corresponding to the respective blowing modes. That is, the air conditioning unit 4 is mainly in the vent mode in which conditioned air is sent out from the vent outlets 50, 50, ... Depending on the open / close state of the two dampers 60, 61, mainly in the conditioned air from the defrost outlets 51, 51. Can be switched to various blowing modes such as a defrost mode for sending out conditioned air, a foot mode for sending out conditioned air mainly from the foot outlets 52, 52, and a bi-level mode for sending out conditioned air from the vent and foot outlets 50, 52. It is like this. Further, the actuator 63 of the blowout direction switching dampers 60, 61 also has a coupler 65 (shown only in FIGS. 3 and 5) to which the signal line of the air conditioning control unit is connected, like the actuator 15 of the inside / outside air switching damper 12. It is equipped.

In order to mount the air conditioner 1 having the above-described structure on the dash panel P of the automobile, the air blower unit 3 has the mounting legs 6 on both the left and right sides of the air blower 8.
8 and 68 are provided, and a mounting leg 69 that obliquely projects from the right side of the filter disposition portion 21 toward the right side of the vehicle body.
Is provided. On the other hand, the mounting part of the air conditioning unit 4 is
Mounting leg 7 integrally formed with the bottom wall portion 31 of the casing 30
0, and a pair of mounting legs 71, 71 respectively provided on the left and right sides of the upper portion of the casing 30.

(Assembly of Casing Main Body) Next, the division and combination structure of the casing main body 32 of the air conditioning unit 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As described above, the casing 30 of the air conditioning unit 4 is in the shape of a rectangular box that is long in the vertical direction as a whole, and in addition to the evaporator 33 and the heater core 34,
Air mix dampers 36, 37 and blowing direction switching damper 6
A large casing body 32 that also accommodates 0 and 61;
The bottom wall portion 31 seals the lower end opening. Then, such a large casing main body 32 has the left side casing member 80 on the left side of the vehicle body at the substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction.
And a right side casing member 81 on the right side of the vehicle body. The left and right casing members 80, 81
Are to be joined to each other at their peripheral portions, and a groove portion and a ridge portion are formed in the joint portion,
The groove portion and the ridge portion are of an anchor structure in which they engage with each other.

However, since the large casing main body 32 is divided into the left and right parts in this way, the left and right casing members 80 and 81 each have a very large opening, which is sufficient by itself. It becomes difficult to secure rigidity. Therefore, when the two casing members 80 and 81 are combined with each other, it is difficult to accurately align the peripheral portions of the two casing members 80 and 81, and there is a possibility that the assembling workability is deteriorated.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the left and right casing members 80, 81 are provided with a plurality of ribs 82, 83 extending so as to face each other.
Casing members 80, 81 that connect their tip portions to each other
The intermediate connecting member 44 extending from the front end to the rear end is provided to increase the rigidity of the casing members 80 and 81 and facilitate their assembly.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the inner surfaces of the left and right casing members 80, 81 respectively have three ribs 82, 83, extending from the intermediate portion in the vertical direction so as to face each other. 84 (only the right casing member 81 is shown) are provided so that they can be combined with each other. That is, 3
Of the two ribs 82, 83, 84, the rib 82 located at the highest position has its leading edges connected to each other by the body portion 44b of the intermediate connecting member 44, and the upper partition above the heater core 34 together with the intermediate connecting member 44. The wall 40 is formed. On the upper surface of the rib 82, a projecting piece 82a extending obliquely upward is provided. In addition, the rib 82
The two ribs 83 and 84 located below the lower ribs integrally constitute the lower partition wall portion 39.

Further, circular receiving portions 85, 85, ... Having a diameter slightly larger than the thickness of the rib body are provided at a plurality of predetermined positions at the tips of the ribs 82, 83, 84. This is a portion that is pressed by the tip of the casing member 80, 81 when the casing member 80, 81 is removed from the mold by the pre-ejector pin after molding, and by providing the receiving portions 85, 85, ... The mold release of 84 is good, and the workability is improved.

On the other hand, the intermediate connecting member 44, as shown in detail in FIG. 11, has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped main body portion 44a which is long in the front-rear direction and an end portion on the front side thereof (an end portion on the right side in FIG. Part, that is, the end portion on the rear side of the vehicle body), and the flow dividing plate portion 4 has a substantially triangular shape and is continuous.
4b and a symmetrical shape. As shown in FIG. 12, extending wall portions 86 and 86 are provided extending along the upper edge of the main body portion 44a on both left and right sides, and the groove portion 86a (engaging portion) is provided at the tip of each extending wall portion 86. (Shown only in FIG. 12) are formed so that they can be respectively engaged with the ridges (not shown) formed along the tips of the ribs 82.

Below the extending wall portion 86, a plurality of projecting portions 87, 8 extending from the main body portion 44a to the left and right sides at predetermined positions and projecting outward from the extending wall portion 86, respectively.
7, ... are provided. Each of the protruding portions 87 extends from the side surface of the main body portion 44a along the lower surface of the extending wall portion 86, and has a tip at the upper edge portion that extends further outward away from the tip of the extending wall portion 86. Slope 8 which inclines downward toward
7a is formed. The inclined portion 87a is provided with the rib 82 when the intermediate connecting member 44 and the rib 82 are assembled.
Serves as a guide portion that guides the ridge portion at the tip end of the guide wall toward the groove portion 86a at the tip end of the extending wall portion 86. Although not shown, a plurality of protrusions having similar inclined portions are also provided on the tip ends of the ribs 82 of the casing members 80 and 81.

Further, on the upper side of the extending wall portion 86, there is formed a projecting piece 88 which projects obliquely upward so as to correspond to the projecting piece 82a of the rib 82 of the casing members 80 and 81. Similar to the extending wall portion 86, the groove portion 8 is formed on the side portion.
8a is formed so as to engage with the protruding portion formed on the side portion of the protruding piece 82a of the rib 82.

Furthermore, in the portion of the lower side of the main body portion 44a which is linked to the flow distribution plate portion 44b, rightward and leftward extending along the curved shape of the portion similarly to the upper extending wall portion 86 described above. A curved extending wall portion 89 is provided. Although not shown, groove portions (engaging portions) are also formed at the tips of the extending wall portions 89, respectively, and the casing members 80, 8 are provided.
The first rib 83 is engaged with the ridge at the tip. Also, along the upper surface of the extended wall portion 89,
A protrusion 90 (guide) having the same shape and function as the protrusion 87 is provided.

In addition, the front and rear ends of the intermediate connecting member 44,
That is, the rear end (the left end in FIG. (B), that is, the front end of the vehicle body) of the main body 44a and the front end (the right end in FIG. (B) of the flow dividing plate 44b, That is, engaging fixing portions 91 and 92 are provided on the rear end of the vehicle body) to be engaged with and fixed to the peripheral portions of the casing members 80 and 81, respectively. The engaging and fixing portions 91 and 92 are composed of a ridge and a protrusion sandwiched between the peripheral portions of the two casing members 80 and 81, respectively. Like the protruding portions 87 and 90, the protruding portion 9 has a function as a guide portion when assembled.
3, 94 are provided.

With this structure, when the left and right casing members 80 and 81 are assembled together, first, the intermediate connecting member 44 is connected to either one of the casing members (hereinafter, the right member 81 will be described as an example). Assemble. That is, the engagement fixing portion 91 at the front end of the main body portion 44a of the intermediate connecting member 44 is engaged with the front peripheral portion of the casing member 81, while the engagement fixing portion 92 at the rear end of the flow dividing plate portion 44b is arranged at the rear of the casing member 81. Engage the peripheral edge of
Further, the extending wall portions 86 and 89 of the intermediate connecting member 44 and the ribs 82 and 83 of the casing member 81 are engaged with each other. At this time, the plurality of protrusions 87, ..., 90, provided on the extending wall portions 86, 89 and the ribs 82, 83 respectively cause the ribs 82, 89 to the groove portions of the extending wall portions 86, 89.
Since the tip of 83 is guided and easily engaged, the intermediate connecting member 44 can be assembled to the casing member 81 very easily.

By assembling the intermediate connecting member 44 in this way, the rigidity of the right casing member 81 is enhanced, and in particular, the rigidity of the peripheral portion of the opening joined to the left casing member 80 is sufficiently secured. Moreover, the peripheral portion of the right casing member 81 is located on substantially the same virtual plane, and the intermediate connecting member 44 is also located on the virtual plane. Then, the left casing member 80 is combined with the right casing member 81 to which the intermediate connecting member 44 has been assembled in this way. At this time, if the intermediate connecting member 44 assembled to the right casing member 81 is set as a target and the ribs 82 and 83 of the left casing member 80 are combined with this, the tip end portion of the rib 82 and the intermediate connecting member 44 are combined. , 90, ... provided on the extended wall portion 86 of the member 44 and the like, the tips of the ribs 82, 83 are guided to the groove portions of the extended wall portions 86, 89. Will be engaged. This allows the ribs and casing members 80 and 81 to be easily combined even if they are distorted during molding or the like.

In other words, each has a large opening.
Ribs 82 and 83 forming a pair with each other are provided for the two casing members 80 and 81, respectively, and the tip ends of these ribs 82 and 83 are guided and connected by the intermediate connecting member 44. Therefore, both members 80 and 81 can be easily and surely combined.

(Flow of Air for Air Conditioning) Next, the flow of air for air conditioning in the air conditioner 1 having the above-described structure will be described. First, as a whole, as shown by an arrow in FIG.
The flow of air sent from the blower unit 3 flows obliquely downward in the vehicle width direction from the left side to the right side in the intermediate duct 5, reaches the duct connecting portion 25, and as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. It is smoothly directed upward along the passage in the duct connection portion 25, and flows into the introduction space S1 of the air conditioning unit 4 in a generally horizontal flow.

As described above, since the air flow to the introduction space S1 becomes substantially horizontal, the air flow does not collide violently with the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 31 of the air conditioning unit 4, and strong turbulence and condensed water are generated. Bounce of is prevented. Moreover, since the front edge of the evaporator 33 onto which the condensed water drops is shielded from the introduction space S1 by the wind shielding rib 29, the condensed water does not disturb the air flow.

In addition, the introduction space S1 is substantially horizontal as described above.
The main flow of the airflow that has flown into the vehicle is bent upward after colliding with the side wall portion on the right side of the vehicle body facing the introduction space S1, as indicated by a thick white arrow in FIG. A part of the air flow directed upward by the bottom surface 28 of the passage of the duct connecting portion 25 directly goes to the evaporator 33 as indicated by a thick broken arrow in FIG. By merging with the upward main flow in the introduction space S1 as described above, the lateral deviation of the air flow in the evaporator 33 is further reduced.

That is, the duct connecting portion 2 which is substantially horizontal is provided between the intermediate duct 5 extending obliquely in the left-right direction and the introducing space portion S1.
By providing 5, the turbulence of the air flow introduced from the intermediate duct 25 to the introduction space portion at the lower end of the air conditioning unit is suppressed, and the air blowing efficiency is improved. Since the bias is reduced, the uniformity of the flow distribution in the evaporator 33 can be improved. Furthermore, splashing of condensed water in the introduction space S1 can be prevented.

The flow of air that has passed through the evaporator 33 is distributed to the heater core 34 and the bypass passage C in accordance with the openings of the air mix dampers 36 and 37, for example, as shown by the arrows in FIG. However, at this time, the flow of the relatively cool air rising in the bypass passage C is diverted to the left and right by the flow dividing plate portion 44b of the intermediate connecting member 44 as shown by the arrow in FIG. The bias in direction is further reduced. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the flow of air rising in the bypass passage C is guided by the rectifying fins 48 and directed toward the heater core 34.

On the other hand, the flow of relatively warm air that has passed through the heater core 34 is led out from the heater core upper space S4 to the bypass passage C, as shown by the arrow in FIG. Collide with the flow of cold air guided by the air conditioner at an appropriate angle, and are sufficiently mixed to become conditioned air having a uniform temperature distribution. After that, the air flows from the ducts 50, 51, 52, ... It is sent to the passenger compartment. By the way, as described above, the deviation of the flow of the cool air in the bypass passage C is sufficiently small, and the degree of the deviation is determined by the heater core 34.
Since the flow of warm air from the air is approximately the same, the temperature state of the conditioned air in which the air mixes is substantially uniform in the left-right direction of the air conditioning unit 4.

Therefore, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, first, the casing main body 32 of the air conditioning unit 4 is divided into the left and right portions at the substantially central portion thereof, and the two casing members 80 each having a large opening. ，
Since it is composed of 81, the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts. At that time, the peripheral portions of the left and right casing members 80, 81 are positioned on substantially the same virtual plane, and an intermediate connecting member 44 having a function of guiding the assembling of the two members 80, 81 is provided. Since the member 44 is also positioned on the virtual plane, the work of combining the two members 80 and 81 can be performed very easily.

Further, in the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the flow of air flowing from one side in the vehicle width direction along the intermediate duct 5 into the introduction space S1 at the lower end of the air conditioning unit 4 is
Since the duct connecting portion 25 provided between the passage of the intermediate duct 5 and the introduction space S1 directs the air flow upwards before the lower position of the evaporator 33, the main flow of the air flow is substantially horizontal. By introducing the air into the introduction space S1 to improve the blowing efficiency, it is possible to reduce the bias of the air flow passing through the evaporator 33 upward from the introduction space S1, and thus to improve the heat exchange efficiency. Can be improved.

Moreover, the evaporator 33 is inclined in the front-rear direction so that the condensed water is dropped from the vicinity of the front edge portion thereof, and the vicinity of the front edge portion is shielded from the air flow of the introduction space S1 by the wind shielding rib 29. Since this is done, it is possible to prevent the condensed water from splashing up to the evaporator 33, which also improves the heat exchange efficiency.

Further, in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment,
As described above, after the lateral deviation of the air flow passing through the evaporator 33 is reduced, the flow dividing plate portion 44b of the intermediate connecting member 44 provided in the substantially central portion of the casing body portion 32 raises the bypass passage C in particular. By splitting the air flow to the left and right, it is possible to further reduce the deviation in the left and right direction of this flow, which also improves the heat exchange efficiency, and the temperature of the conditioned air in the left and right direction in the air conditioning unit 4. The distribution can be made substantially uniform. Therefore, the temperature state of the conditioned air supplied from the air conditioning unit 4 through the duct into the vehicle compartment becomes substantially the same on the left and right, and fluctuations due to changes in the air volume are eliminated, and a good feeling of use is obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the air conditioner 1 of the specification to be mounted on the right-hand drive vehicle is explained.
The air conditioner 1 according to the present invention can also be applied to a left-hand drive vehicle. In this case, the blower unit 3 is arranged in front of the passenger seat on the right side of the vehicle body, and the intermediate duct 5 is disposed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.
Although it may be connected to the air conditioning unit 4 by
At this time, the shapes of the blower unit 3 and the air conditioning unit 4 are those obtained by reversing the left and right of the embodiment described above. Then, the casing main body 32 of the air-conditioning unit 4 which has been turned to the left and right in this way is divided into two parts, the left side member and the right side member, in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the shape of the peripheral portion and the shape of the ribs of each of the above-described embodiment is changed. If it is the same as that of the intermediate connecting member 44, the intermediate connecting member 44 itself has a bilaterally symmetrical shape.
Can be commonly used in the specifications for right-hand drive vehicles and the specifications for left-hand drive vehicles, which reduces the cost of parts due to mass production.

[0086]

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner of the first aspect of the present invention, the vertical type integrated air conditioner in which the heat exchangers for cooling and heating are arranged vertically in the air conditioner unit. In the apparatus, a casing main body in which both heat exchangers and the like are accommodated is divided into two in the left and right at a substantially central portion thereof, and the divided two members are provided with a pair of ribs extending so as to face each other. The tip parts of the are connected by an intermediate connecting member, and the airflow that bypasses the heating heat exchanger is split left and right by the flow dividing plate integrally formed with this intermediate connecting member. Therefore, the casing main body can be easily assembled by the two left and right members, and the deviation of the air flow in the air conditioning unit is corrected to reduce the temperature of the conditioned air. It is possible to improve the uniformity.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the peripheral portions where the left and right members of the casing body are joined to each other are positioned on substantially the same virtual plane, and the intermediate connecting member is also positioned on the virtual plane. The work of combining the left and right members can be performed more easily.

According to the invention of claim 3, the intermediate connecting member is assembled to the left or right member of the casing main body by the engaging portion and the guide portion provided on the intermediate connecting member,
In this way, the other member can be more easily assembled to the member to which the intermediate connecting member is assembled.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by making the intermediate connecting member have a bilaterally symmetrical shape, even if the air conditioning unit is left-right inverted between a left-hand drive vehicle and a right-hand drive vehicle, the intermediate connection member is formed. The cost of parts can be reduced by mass production.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the flow dividing plate of the intermediate connecting member is arranged so that the cold air rising in the bypass passage is split left and right before being mixed with warm air from the heating heat exchanger. Therefore, the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be sufficiently obtained.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the air flow in the bypass passage is caused to collide with the air flow from the outlet passage at an appropriate angle by the flow regulating fins provided in the flow dividing plate of the intermediate connecting member.
The effective mixing can further improve the uniformity of the temperature distribution of the conditioned air while maintaining a good upward flow as a whole.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front left side showing the appearance of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the front right side showing the appearance of the air conditioner.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an appearance of an air conditioner.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a layout of an air conditioner in an instrument panel.

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 showing the overall configuration of the air conditioner.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an introduction space portion at a lower end of the air conditioning unit.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the air conditioning unit.

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing the flow of air in the air conditioning unit as viewed in the vehicle width direction.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of air in the air conditioning unit as viewed in the front-rear direction.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a combined structure of casing main body portions of an air conditioning unit.

FIG. 11 is a front view (a), a side view (b) and a bottom view (c) of the intermediate connecting member.

12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Air conditioner 2 Instrument panel 3 Blower unit 4 air conditioning unit 5 Intermediate duct 30 Air conditioning unit casing 32 casing body b 33 Evaporator (cooling heat exchanger) 34 Heater core (heat exchanger for heating) 36, 37 Air mix damper 44 Intermediate connection member 44b Dividing plate part 48 straightening fin 80,81 Casing member 82 ribs 86a, 88a Groove (engagement portion) 87,90 Protrusion (guide) C bypass passage S4 Heater core upper space (outlet passage)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tsutomu Yamamoto             3-11 Yoshikawa Industrial Park, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture             In ceremony company Japan Climate Systems F-term (reference) 3L011 BA01 BP02

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioning unit and a blower unit are arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction in an instrument panel of a vehicle,
The air from the blower unit is introduced to the lower side of the air conditioning unit to flow from the lower side to the upper side in the air conditioning unit, and the heat exchanger for cooling arranged in the air conditioning unit or above it. In a vehicle air conditioner configured to generate conditioned air by exchanging heat with the heating heat exchanger, the air passing through the cooling heat exchanger bypasses the heating heat exchanger in the air conditioning unit. And a damper that distributes the flow of air that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger to the heating heat exchanger or the bypass passage, and at least the cooling and heating heat exchangers, In addition, a casing main body that accommodates the damper is divided into two left and right portions at a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction, and the left-side member and the right-side member of the divided casing main body portion are respectively A pair of ribs extending from an intermediate portion in the vertical direction toward the inside of the casing are provided so as to face each other. An intermediate connecting member that engages with the casing body is provided, and the intermediate connecting member is integrally formed with a flow dividing plate that vertically extends so as to divide the air flow in the air conditioning unit left and right in at least the bypass passage. A vehicle air conditioner characterized by being provided. 2. The left side member and the right side member of the casing main body are joined together at their peripheral portions, and the joined portions are located on substantially the same virtual plane, and the intermediate connecting member comprises: A vehicle air conditioner positioned on the virtual plane. 3. The intermediate connecting member according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate connecting member engages with respective tip portions of the pair of ribs, and the tip portions of the ribs face the engaging portions when assembled. A vehicle air conditioner, which is provided with a guide portion for guiding. 4. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate connecting member has a bilaterally symmetrical shape. 5. The pair of ribs, together with the intermediate connecting member, cover the upper side of the heating heat exchanger and form a discharge passage through which the air passing through the heating heat exchanger is discharged to the bypass passage. An air conditioner for a vehicle, wherein the flow dividing plate of the intermediate connecting member is arranged so as to extend from a communicating portion of the outlet passage and the bypass passage to a position below the bypass passage. 6. The flow dividing plate of the intermediate connecting member according to claim 5, wherein right and left rectifying fins are provided so as to have a substantially cross shape when viewed in the up-down direction, and the rectifying fins are either left or right of the vehicle. Seen from one side,
An air conditioner for a vehicle, wherein the vehicle air conditioner is inclined so that the upper side is closer to the outlet passage.