JP2006103584A - Vehicular air-conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular air-conditioner capable of enhancing comfortability of an occupant. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicular air-conditioner to automatically control the air supply through an outlet according to the thermal load in a cabin has a vent provided on an upper portion of an instrument panel, and the vent has an opening area variable mechanism capable of varying the area of the opening. The opening area variable mechanism reduces the area of the opening of the vent more than that in a case in which the air supply is not less than the first threshold if the air supply through the vent is controlled to be less than the predetermined first threshold. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

  Conventionally, in the mode of the vehicle air conditioner, there is one that performs diffusion blowing from the upper surface of the instrument panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As a result, in a steady state where the room temperature is maintained, instead of spot blowing, diffused blowing is performed from a wide area on the top surface of the instrument panel, so that passengers do not feel the annoyance of spot wind and passenger comfort is improved. Secured.

JP 2003-291369 A

  In order to improve the feeling of heating of the occupant's upper body during heating in winter, there is a mode in which a small amount of warm air from not only the conventional foot blowout but also the face blowout is blown out. In this case, if it blows off from the upper surface of the instrument panel with a low air volume, the blown air-conditioning air flows along the upper surface of the instrument panel and reaches the lap of the occupant. The conditioned air is cooled while flowing along the instrument panel, and the occupant may feel cold at the knee. Conversely, during summer cooling, the occupant may feel heat at the knee.

  In some constructions, both the defroster blowout and the face blowout are performed with one blowout opening, and the blowout opening is rotated to perform both blowout functions. Some have such a structure (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

JP 11-254945 A JP 2002-248969 A

  However, with this structure, the effect of interior parts such as instrument panels can be reduced by directing the blowing direction upward, but the wind speed remains low. Therefore, the occupant feels cold or heat at the lap and does not improve the comfort of the occupant.

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner with improved passenger comfort.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner of the first aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner that automatically controls the amount of air flowing through the air outlet according to the heat load in the vehicle interior, the vehicle air conditioner is provided above the instrument panel. The vent has a variable opening area mechanism that can change the opening area of the vent, and the variable opening area mechanism is configured so that the air flow rate through the vent is controlled to be less than a predetermined first threshold value. The opening area of the vent is made smaller than when the air flow rate is equal to or greater than the first threshold. As a result, when the amount of air passing through the vent provided at the top of the instrument panel is small, the ventilation speed can be increased by narrowing the opening area of the vent. Flow without contact. Therefore, the occupant does not receive the conditioned air coming into contact with the instrument panel and can improve the comfort of the occupant.

  Further, according to the vehicle air conditioner of the second aspect, when the air flow rate through the vent is controlled to be less than a second predetermined threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, the opening area of the vent is variable. The mechanism completely shuts off the vent. As a result, when the amount of air passing through the vent provided at the top of the instrument panel is even smaller, the vent opening is blocked so that the conditioned air flows at such a low speed that it touches the instrument panel. Can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vent blower installed on an instrument panel 1 in the present embodiment. The vent blowing is generally performed by a vent blowing opening 3 installed on the upper surface of the instrument panel 1, an air conditioner unit 7 (shown in FIG. 2) installed inside the instrument panel 1, and the vent blowing opening 3 described above. , A door unit 5 having a function of adjusting the blowout opening area 5a of the conditioned air blown out from the duct 4, and a blowout grill 6 installed at the vent blowout opening. Note that the blowing grill 6 is opened or closed alternatively in the duct 4 at the switching door 8 with the blowing grill 2 that is generally a known center face blowing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the door unit 5 is disposed immediately downstream of the blow grill 6 installed at the vent blow outlet, and can be wound by a winding shaft connected to a driving means such as a servo motor, for example. It is in the form of a film with holes. This drive means is connected to an electronic control unit (ECU), and is changed to an opening area 5a corresponding to the drive amount of the drive means, that is, the rotation amount of the winding shaft, in accordance with a signal from the ECU. Can do.

  2A is a cross-sectional view of the instrument panel showing the air flow from the air conditioner unit 7, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by A in FIG. 2A. At the time of operation of the vehicle air conditioner, as shown in FIG. 2 (A), the conditioned air cooled or heated by the air conditioner unit 7 is closed by the switching door 8 so that the blow grill 2 is closed. ), The blow grill 6 flows through the portion of the opening area 5a of the door unit 5 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the air flow rate and the opening area to be adjusted. In the present embodiment, the vehicle air conditioner automatically controls the amount of air flowing through the air outlet according to any heat load in the passenger compartment. Therefore, the door unit 5 adjusts the opening area 5a as shown in FIG. That is, the air flow calculated by the ECU is driven by the driving means corresponding to the opening area 5a with reference to a map stored in the ECU and showing the relationship between the air flow and the opening area to be adjusted shown in FIG. The amount is calculated, and the door unit 5 is driven by this driving amount.
(I) When the air volume V is in the region 1 (V ≦ α)
In the region 1, even if the opening area 5a (opening area ratio) is reduced as close as possible to 0, the blown air-conditioning wind cannot be made so large that the blowing grille wind speed does not contact the instrument panel 1. Shut off. Thereby, it can prevent flowing the conditioned air of low wind speed, so that it contacts the instrument panel 1. FIG.
(II) When the air volume V is in the region 2 (α ≦ V ≦ β)
In the region 2, by reducing the opening area 5 a (opening area ratio), the blown air-conditioning wind can be set to a blowing grill wind speed that is large enough not to contact the instrument panel 1. For example, in the case of the air volume Vc, it may be equal to or less than the corresponding opening area ratio C.
(III) When the air volume V is in the region 3 (V ≧ β)
In the region 3, even if the opening area ratio is 100%, the blown air-conditioning wind can be set to a blowing grill wind speed that is sufficiently large so as not to contact the instrument panel 1.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an air flow before adjusting the opening area 5 a of the door unit 5, and FIG. 3B illustrates an air flow after adjusting the opening area 5 a of the door unit 5. FIG. When the vent blow is selected during the operation of the air conditioner, if the air volume is low, the blow grill wind speed Va0 is normally low as shown in FIG. Although the wind falls, by selecting the opening area 5a of the door unit 5 and appropriately reducing the opening area 5a at the outlet as shown in FIG. Since it can be raised to (> Va0), the conditioned air blown out does not come into contact with the upper surface of the instrument panel 1, so that the passenger does not feel uncomfortable at the knee and can improve the comfort of the passenger.

  Note that the door unit 5, that is, the opening area variable mechanism is not necessarily in the form of a film. As shown in FIG. 5, even in the form of a plate-like door 9, as shown in FIG. The same effect can be obtained by operating the wind direction adjusting plate 6an (6a1 to 6a5 if the number is 5) in the direction of selectively blocking. The operation of the door unit 5 is generally preferably a servo motor used in an air conditioner unit, but is not limited to this.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the vent blowing installed in the instrument panel 1 in a present Example. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the instrument panel showing the air flow from the air conditioner unit 7, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by A in FIG. 2A. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an air flow before adjusting the opening area 5 a of the door unit 5, and FIG. 3B illustrates an air flow after adjusting the opening area 5 a of the door unit 5. FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the ventilation volume and the opening area which should be adjusted. It is a figure which shows the door unit 5 of another Example. It is a figure which shows the door unit 5 of another Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Instrument panel 5 Opening area variable mechanism 5a Opening area 6 Vent

Claims (2)

In the vehicle air conditioner that automatically controls the amount of air flowing through the outlet according to the heat load in the passenger compartment,
With a vent on the top of the instrument panel,
The vent includes an opening area variable mechanism capable of changing an opening area thereof,
The opening area variable mechanism is configured to reduce the opening area of the vent when the air flow rate through the vent is controlled to be less than a predetermined first threshold value than when the air flow rate is equal to or greater than the first threshold value. A vehicle air conditioner characterized by being made small.   When the air flow rate through the vent is controlled to be less than a predetermined second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value, the vent opening area variable mechanism completely shuts off the vent. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein

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