JP2015229451A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle which reduces noise caused by pressure fluctuation without reducing the blast volume of a blower.SOLUTION: In an air conditioner 10 for a vehicle, a blower 18 is housed in an air-conditioning case 14 and a suction port 34 opens so as to face a rotary fan 56. An inner/outer air switch unit 16 is connected with the suction port 34 through a connection passage 36. A resistance part 48 formed along an extension direction of the connection passage 36 and protruding to an inner peripheral surface is formed in the connection passage 36. The resistance part 48 is formed so that a cross sectional area gradually increases from the inner/outer air switch unit 16 side to the air-conditioning case 14 side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that is mounted on a vehicle and that adjusts the temperature of the vehicle interior by blowing air that has been temperature-adjusted by a heat exchanger into the vehicle interior, and more specifically, noise generated by the blower. The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that can be suppressed.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle air conditioner mounted on a vehicle takes air inside and outside by an air blower into an air conditioning case in which an air passage is formed, and performs heat exchange with an evaporator as a cooling means and a heater core as a heating means. After adjusting to the desired temperature, the air is blown from the opening into the vehicle compartment through the air duct.

  The present applicant has proposed a centrifugal blower used in the vehicle air conditioner as described above (see Patent Document 1). This centrifugal blower is composed of a fan having a plurality of blades on the outer peripheral surface, a motor that rotates the fan, and a casing that is turned so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the fan. The formed nose part is connected to the air conditioning case of the vehicle air conditioner. Then, the air taken in from the outside under the rotating action of the fan swirls along the casing, is discharged from the discharge port opened in the nose portion, and is supplied into the air conditioning case.

JP 2006-299965 A

  Generally, in a centrifugal blower used in a vehicle air conditioner as described above, pressure fluctuation occurs near the nose portion facing the discharge port of the casing as the fan rotates, and noise (NZ) due to the pressure fluctuation is generated. Sound) is known to occur. The NZ sound is an abnormal sound generated in a narrow band depending on the number of blades of the fan and the number of rotations of the fan.

  In recent years, there has been a demand for noise reduction for vehicle air conditioners, and there is a demand for reducing noise in this centrifugal blower.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can reduce noise caused by pressure fluctuations without reducing the air flow rate. .

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an air conditioning case having an air conditioning case having a flow path through which air flows and a blower that is provided in the air conditioning case and blows air into the passenger compartment.
The blower has a fan, a casing formed around the fan, and a suction port that is provided in the casing and sucks air under the rotational action of the fan, and faces the suction port on the upstream side of the suction port. A resistance portion having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area toward the mouth is provided.

  According to the present invention, in the air blower constituting the vehicle air conditioner, the resistance that gradually increases in cross-sectional area toward the suction port side upstream of the suction port that is provided in the casing and sucks air under the rotational action of the fan. Is provided.

  Therefore, when air is taken into the air conditioning case through the suction port under the driving action of the blower, the pressure of the air in the casing is dispersed by covering the part of the suction port with the resistance portion, so that the pressure fluctuation Generation of noise (NZ sound) due to the noise is prevented. Further, since the cross-sectional area of the resistance portion is formed to increase along the air flow direction, it is suppressed that the air blowing resistance increases when air flows to the air conditioning case side through the suction port, The amount of air blowing does not decrease.

  Further, by forming the resistance portion in a tapered shape that expands in the radial direction of the suction port, it is possible to suitably disperse the pressure while suppressing the resistance portion from being a blowing resistance of the air flowing to the suction port. It becomes possible.

  Further, the resistance portion is formed such that the top portion on the radially inner side of the suction port has a curved cross section when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the resistance portion, so that the air flowing through the resistance portion to the suction port It becomes possible to further suppress air blowing resistance and to circulate air more smoothly to the downstream side.

  Furthermore, since the resistance portion is provided in the connection passage connecting the inside / outside air switching unit that takes in the inside / outside air by switching and the suction port, the resistance portion can be formed long along the air flow direction. The cross-sectional area of the resistance portion can be gradually changed toward the blower side, and accordingly, the blowing resistance when air flows can be further suppressed.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, in the blower constituting the vehicle air conditioner, a resistance portion having a gradually increasing cross-sectional area toward the suction port side is provided on the upstream side of the suction port in the casing, so that the suction port is passed through the suction port under the driving action of the blower. When air is taken into the air conditioning case, a part of the suction port is covered by the resistance part, so the air pressure in the casing is dispersed and noise (NZ sound) caused by pressure fluctuations is prevented. can do. Further, by forming the cross-sectional area of the resistance portion so as to increase along the air flow direction, it is possible to suppress an increase in blowing resistance when air flows to the air conditioning case side through the suction port. It is possible to suppress a decrease in the air volume.

1 is an overall front view of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the air-conditioning case along the II-II line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the inside / outside air switching unit along the III-III line of FIG. 4A is a front view, a side view, and a bottom view of the resistance unit shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4B to 4D are a front view, a side view, and a bottom view of the resistance unit according to the first to third modifications. It is.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the left side (arrow A direction) of the vehicle air conditioner 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described as the front side of the vehicle, and the right side (arrow B direction) will be described as the rear side of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is connected to an air conditioning case 14 constituting each air passage 12 and a side portion of the air conditioning case 14 to take in outside air and inside air. The switching unit 16, the blower 18 disposed inside the air conditioning case 14, the evaporator 20 that cools the air, the heater core 22 that heats the air, and the flow of air that flows through each passage 12 And a damper mechanism 24 for switching.

  The air conditioning case 14 is composed of, for example, first and second divided cases 26 and 28 having a substantially symmetrical shape, and the first and second divided cases 26 and 28 are in the vehicle width direction (the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1). It is provided so that it can be divided. Above the air conditioning case 14, as shown in FIG. 2, a vent air blowing port 30 for blowing air near the occupant's face and a defroster air blowing port 32 for blowing air near the front window of the vehicle are opened adjacent to each other. doing.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a blower 18 is housed in the air conditioning case 14 at a position on the vehicle rear side (in the direction of arrow B) when the vehicle air conditioner 10 is mounted on the vehicle. An evaporator 20 is housed below 18, and a heater core 22 is housed at a position on the vehicle front side (arrow A direction) with respect to the evaporator 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a suction port 34 that opens toward the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side (in the direction of the arrow C <b> 1) is formed on the side surface of the second divided case 28. A connection passage 36 of the inside / outside air switching unit 16 is connected. As a result, the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and the inside of the air conditioning case 14 communicate with each other through the connection passage 36, and the air introduced from the inside / outside air switching unit 16 is supplied into the air conditioning case 14 through the suction port 34. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inside / outside air switching unit 16 includes a casing 42 having an outside air introduction port 38 that takes in outside air and an inside air introduction port 40 that takes in inside air, and an opening of the outside air introduction port 38 and the inside air introduction port 40. A switching damper 44 for switching the state and a filter 46 provided in the casing 42 are included.

  The casing 42 is connected to a suction duct (not shown) having an outside air inlet 38 opened above the casing 42 and extending into the engine room of the vehicle. On the other hand, the inside air introduction port 40 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the outside air introduction port 38 and open to the front side of the vehicle (in the direction of arrow A).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the casing 42 has a connection passage 36 connected to the suction port 34 of the air conditioning case 14, and the connection passage 36 is connected to the filter 46 in the casing 42, for example. It opens to the side of the vehicle rear side (arrow B direction) which is the downstream side, and extends to the air conditioning case 14 side (arrow C2 direction in FIG. 1) along the width direction of the vehicle air conditioner 10.

  The connection passage 36 is formed to have the same diameter and the same diameter as the suction port 34 of the air conditioning case 14, and a resistance portion 48 is provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof so as to protrude radially inward.

  The resistance portion 48 is formed, for example, in a straight line along the extending direction (arrow C direction) of the connection passage 36 and from the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side toward the air conditioning case 14 side (arrow C2 direction). It is formed so that the height with respect to the inner peripheral surface gradually increases. That is, the resistance portion 48 is formed in a tapered shape so that the top portion 50 is inclined from the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side toward the air conditioning case 14 side.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A, the resistance portion 48 has a top portion 50 which is the innermost peripheral side in the connection passage 36 on the inner peripheral surface side when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the axis of the connection passage 36. It is formed to be recessed in a circular arc shape. On the other hand, the width dimension D of the resistance portion 48 along the circumferential direction of the suction port 34 is from the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side toward the air conditioning case 14 side (arrow C2 direction) as shown in the front view of FIG. 4A. It is formed so as to gradually increase, and its cross-sectional shape is formed so as to bulge in an arc shape toward the top 50 side (refer to the bottom view in FIG. 4A).

  That is, the resistance portion 48 is provided in the connection passage 36 on the upstream side of the blower 18 and is formed so that the cross-sectional area gradually increases from the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side toward the air conditioning case 14 side. The bottom portion 52 having a large area is disposed at a position facing a later-described rotary fan 56 of the blower 18.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the switching damper 44 is formed, for example, in a U-shaped cross section, and a damper shaft 54 is inserted through an opening end of the switching damper 44 so as to be rotatable with respect to the casing 42. When the damper 44 is rotated under the driving action of an actuator (not shown), one of the outside air introduction port 38 and the inside air introduction port 40 is formed by a wall having an arcuate cross section formed on the side opposite to the opening end. Is selectively blocked.

  The blower 18, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, is a centrifugal type having a rotary fan 56 having a plurality of fins and a drive motor 58 (see FIG. 1) that rotationally drives the rotary fan 56. The fan is disposed substantially horizontally so that the axis of the rotary fan 56 and the drive motor 58 extends in the vehicle width direction (arrow C direction) in the air conditioning case 14, and the rotary fan 56 is switched between the inside and outside air. It is provided so as to be on the unit 16 side (arrow C1 direction). The blower 18 is arranged so as to straddle the center of the air conditioning case 14 in the vehicle width direction, that is, the first divided case 26 and the second divided case 28, and the rotary fan 56 is connected to the suction port 34 and the connection passage. 36 so as to be substantially straight.

  In the air conditioning case 14, as shown in FIG. 2, a spiral air passage 60 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the rotary fan 56 so as to surround the rotary fan 56. The air passage 60 is formed clockwise from the beginning of the lower side of the blower 18 when viewed from the side of the first divided case 26, and toward the vehicle front side (arrow A direction) while the passage cross-sectional area gradually increases. It is extended. On the downstream side of the blower passage 60, a nose portion 62 that protrudes downward with respect to the start of winding of the blower passage 60 communicates with the passage 12 on the upstream side of the evaporator 20.

  Then, when the drive motor 58 is rotationally driven based on a control signal from a controller (not shown), the rotary fan 56 rotates integrally with it, and accordingly, the inside air introduction port 40 or the outside air introduction port 38 in the inside / outside air switching unit 16. Air is taken in from. The air is sucked into the rotary fan 56 from the casing 42 through the connection passage 36 and the suction port 34, and then sent out to the air passage 60 of the air conditioning case 14 through the rotary fan 56.

  For example, the evaporator 20 is provided below the blower 18 in the air conditioning case 14 and is disposed so as to be inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the height direction of the air conditioning case 14. Then, a refrigerant is circulated through the evaporator 20 through a plurality of tubes (not shown), and heat is exchanged between the air and the refrigerant when the air passes through rotating fins provided between the tubes. The cooled air is supplied to the downstream side of the evaporator 20.

  The heater core 22 is provided, for example, on the downstream side of the air conditioning case 14 on the vehicle front side (arrow A direction) from the evaporator 20, and, like the evaporator 20, the heater core 22 is only a predetermined angle with respect to the height direction of the air conditioning case 14. It inclines and is arrange | positioned substantially parallel. In the heater core 22, hot water is circulated through a plurality of tubes (not shown). When air passes through fins provided between the tubes, heat exchange between the air and the hot water is performed. The air thus supplied is supplied to the downstream side of the heater core 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the damper mechanism 24 includes an air mix damper 64 provided between the evaporator 20 and the heater core 22, and a vent damper 66 that switches the ventilation state of the vent blower port 30 and the defroster blower port 32.

  The air mix damper 64 is formed in, for example, a curved plate shape, provided along the width direction of the air conditioning case 14, and guide means (not shown) provided on both inner sides of the air conditioning case 14. Will be guided along. Then, when the shaft rotates under the drive action of an actuator (not shown), the air mix damper 64 meshed with the shaft slides in a substantially vertical direction along the guide means, and is cooled by the evaporator 20 in the air conditioning case 14. The mixed air / air heated by the heater core 22 (warm air) is adjusted to adjust the mixing ratio of the air (cold air) to the downstream side.

  The vehicle air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above. Next, its operation and effects will be described. Here, a case where the cooling operation for lowering the room temperature in the passenger compartment is performed will be described.

  First, when an occupant (not shown) operates an operation lever in the passenger compartment to select a cooling operation, an actuator (not shown) is driven in accordance with the operation of the operation lever, and the air mix damper 64 is moved forward of the vehicle (in the direction of arrow A). ).

  At the same time, based on a control signal from a controller (not shown), the drive source of the blower 18 is rotationally driven and the rotary fan 56 is rotated. Accordingly, air is sucked into the casing 42 through either the inside air introduction port 40 or the outside air introduction port 38 of the inside / outside air switching unit 16 shown in FIG. 3, and dust and the like are removed through the filter 46. Later, the air is taken into the first and second divided cases 26 and 28 from the suction port 34 through the connection passage 36. Then, the air is sucked from one end side of the rotary fan 56 to the center and sent out to the blower passage 60 on the outer peripheral side.

  At this time, a part of the suction port 34 facing the rotary fan 56 is covered by the resistance portion 48 provided in the connection passage 36, whereby the opening area of the suction port 34 is reduced. The flow of air flowing from the air to the air passage 60 is made uniform. As a result, when the air flows while swirling the air passage 60, the pressure of the air concentrated in the vicinity of the nose portion 62 is preferably dispersed, and accordingly, the pressure fluctuation of the air in the vicinity of the nose portion 62 is reduced. Thus, generation of noise (NZ sound) due to the pressure fluctuation is suppressed.

  Further, since the air flowing through the connection passage 36 is suitably guided by the resistance portion 48 whose cross-sectional area gradually increases toward the downstream side (arrow C2 direction), the resistance portion 48 becomes a blowing resistance. Is prevented, and a decrease in the amount of air flow to the downstream side is suppressed.

  And after the air sent out from this blower 18 swirls along the ventilation path 60 of the air-conditioning case 14, heat exchange is performed by passing the evaporator 20, and it cools to predetermined temperature, for example, vent vent 30 To the vicinity of the passenger's face in the passenger compartment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the vehicle air conditioner 10 is a full center type HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) in which a blower 18 is provided in the center of the air conditioning case 14 in the width direction will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a semi-center type HVAC in which the blower 18 is provided on the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side may be used.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 in which the air blower 18 is accommodated in the air conditioning case 14, the connection passage 36 that is connected to the inlet 34 facing the rotary fan 56 of the blower 18 and is upstream. A resistance portion 48 extending along the air flow direction and projecting from the inner peripheral surface of the connection passage 36 is provided therein.

  Thus, when air is taken into the air conditioning case 14 from the inside / outside air switching unit 16 through the connection passage 36 and the suction port 34 under the driving action of the blower 18, the pressure is most concentrated and the vicinity of the nose portion 62 where the pressure fluctuation is severe. Since the pressure is dispersed by the resistance portion 48, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise (NZ sound) in the vicinity of the nose portion 62 due to the pressure fluctuation. In addition, by forming the resistance portion 48 so that the cross-sectional area gradually increases toward the downstream side (in the direction of the arrow C2), an increase in blowing resistance when air flows to the air conditioning case 14 side through the connection passage 36 is increased. It is suppressed and the air flow rate to the air conditioning case 14 side does not decrease.

  Further, the resistance portion 48 is formed in a tapered shape that gradually expands in the radial direction of the connection passage 36 toward the suction port 34 side (arrow C2 direction) of the air conditioning case 14 that is downstream of the connection passage 36. Therefore, it is possible to distribute the pressure by rectifying the flow of air flowing into the blower 18 through the suction port 34 while suppressing air blowing resistance in the connection passage 36.

  Further, as shown in the side views of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4A, the top portion 50 of the resistance portion 48 is formed to be recessed in a circular arc shape when viewed from the circumferential direction of the connection passage 36, and thus flows through the connection passage 36. Air blowing resistance is suppressed, and air can be smoothly circulated downstream.

  Furthermore, by providing the resistance portion 48 in the connection passage 36, the resistance portion 48 can be formed long along the air flow direction, so that the increase in the cross-sectional area toward the blower 18 is moderated. This makes it possible to further suppress the blowing resistance when air flows.

  Moreover, the resistance part 48 is not limited to the shape mentioned above, For example, it is good also as the resistance parts 70, 80, and 90 of a shape as shown by FIG. 4B-FIG. 4D.

  As shown in the front view, the resistance portion 70 according to the first modification shown in FIG. 4B gradually increases in width from one end on the inside / outside air switching unit 16 side toward the other end on the air conditioning case 14 side. The cross section perpendicular to the extending direction (arrow C direction) of the resistance portion 70 is formed so that the dimension D increases, and the top portion 50 is directed toward the radial center of the connection passage 36 as shown in the bottom view. The tip is formed in a triangular shape with a tapered shape.

  Moreover, as shown in the front view, the resistance portion 80 according to the second modification shown in FIG. 4C has a width that is widened in a curved shape from one end to the other end (in the direction of arrow C2). On the other hand, as shown in the bottom view, the cross section orthogonal to the extending direction (arrow C direction) of the resistance portion 80 has a semicircular cross section that bulges toward the tip side of the top portion 50. It is formed.

  Furthermore, the resistance portion 90 according to the third modification shown in FIG. 4D has a width dimension D that slightly increases from one end to the other end (arrow C2 direction) as shown in the front view thereof. And is formed so as to widen rapidly in the vicinity of the other end. Further, as shown in the bottom view, a cross section orthogonal to the extending direction (arrow C direction) of the resistance portion 90 is formed in a shape bulging in an elliptical arc shape toward the inner peripheral side of the connection passage 36.

  In addition, the resistance parts 70, 80, 90 according to the first to third modifications are formed in substantially the same shape as the resistance part 48 as understood from the side views shown in FIGS. 4B to 4D.

  In addition, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle air conditioner 12 ... Passage 14 ... Air conditioning case 16 ... Inside / outside air switching unit 18 ... Blower 34 ... Inlet 36 ... Connection passage 42 ... Casing 48, 70, 80, 90 ... Resistance part 50 ... Top part 56 ... Rotating fan 60 ... Blower passage 62 ... Nose part

Claims (4)

In a vehicle air conditioner having an air conditioning case having a flow path through which air flows, and a blower that is provided in the air conditioning case and blows the air into the passenger compartment.
The blower has a fan, a casing formed around the fan, and a suction port that is provided in the casing and sucks air under the rotational action of the fan, on the upstream side of the suction port, A vehicular air conditioner is provided with a resistance portion that faces the inlet and gradually increases in cross-sectional area toward the inlet. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the resistance portion is formed in a tapered shape that expands in a radial direction of the suction port. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the resistance portion is formed such that a top portion that is radially inward of the suction port has a curved cross section when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the resistance portion. In the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the resistance portion is provided in a connection passage that connects the inside / outside air switching unit that takes in the inside / outside air by switching and the suction port.

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