JP2017065461A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle performing adjustment for sensory temperature, which is recognized by an occupant as cold feeling in his or her thigh part, while suppressing discomfort imparted to the occupant.SOLUTION: An air conditioner for a vehicle having seats on each of which an occupant is seated inside the vehicle, comprises: a blowout duct 51 having an outlet 53 disposed at a height position above a seating part at one side in a width direction of the seating part of the seat; and a suction duct 54 having an inlet 56 disposed at a height position the same as or below an upper surface of the seating part at the seating part or at the other side in the width direction of the seating part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle such as an automobile.

In vehicles such as current automobiles, air conditioners that adjust the temperature in the passenger compartment are used. In such an air conditioner for a vehicle, the entire temperature of the passenger compartment is air-conditioned by blowing a strong air flow from a vent arranged in front of the passenger compartment.
Moreover, in patent document 1, such an air vent is provided toward the lower body from the thigh of the occupant to the waist, and hot air is blown out from the air vent. Thus, a passenger | crew can be warmed directly by hitting a passenger | crew so that strong warm air may be blown directly.

JP 2011-105120 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, the vent is disposed rearward on the front side of the occupant seated on the seat. In this way, when warm air is blown against the occupant from the front side of the occupant, the warm air passes through the lower body from the occupant's thigh to the waist, then rises along the upper body, It will also be sprayed on the head. As a result, the passenger may be uncomfortable.

  As described above, in an air conditioner for a vehicle, it is desired to adjust a sensible temperature such as cooling of the thigh of the occupant while suppressing discomfort to the occupant.

  An air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present invention is an air conditioner for a vehicle having a seat on which an occupant riding on the vehicle sits, and has a height spaced above the seat on one side in the width direction of the seat of the seat. A blowout duct having a blowout opening provided at a position; and a suction duct having a suction port provided at a height position below the upper surface of the seat part on the other side in the width direction of the seat part or the seat part.

  Preferably, the blowout duct blows out the airflow at a low speed at which the airflow blown out from the blowout port falls on the seat portion.

  Suitably, the said blower outlet is good to be provided in the side surface of the console box provided in the width direction one side of the seat part of the said sheet | seat.

  Preferably, the temperature control unit is provided in the console box and warms the air, and the blowout duct is connected to the temperature control unit and blows out an air flow warmed by the temperature control unit. .

  Preferably, the suction duct is connected to the temperature control unit.

  Suitably, the airflow blown out from the said blower outlet is 0.01 m / sec or more and 6 m / sec or less.

In the present invention, the airflow blown out from the outlet is blown out toward the seat from a height position spaced above the seat on one side in the width direction of the seat of the seat. Moreover, the airflow in a seat part can be suck | inhaled by the suction inlet provided in the height position below the upper surface of a seat part in the width direction other side of a seat part or a seat part. Therefore, on the seat part, the airflow which flows from the width direction one side of the seat part to the other side is formed. When an occupant sits on the seat, the airflow flowing in the width direction of the seat portion flows around the thigh above the seat portion. An air layer can be formed around the thigh by an air flow flowing in the width direction of the seat. The temperature of the thigh can be adjusted by the temperature of the air layer.
The generated airflow flows in the width direction of the seat. Therefore, it is difficult for the air flow to go up to the head along the surface of the upper body. It is difficult to give the passenger discomfort due to, for example, warm air hitting the head or the vicinity thereof.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing the structure of an automobile to which an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Drawing 2 is an explanatory view of the composition of the air-conditioner concerning the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the air flow around the passenger by the air conditioner of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of an automobile 1 to which an air conditioner 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

The automobile 1 is a kind of vehicle. An occupant room in which an occupant gets in is formed in the front-rear center of the vehicle body of the automobile 1. A front chamber for arranging a fuel engine or the like is formed in the front portion of the vehicle body. A rear chamber that can be used as a cargo compartment or the like is formed in the rear portion of the vehicle body.
The passenger compartment includes a substantially square floor panel 11, a pair of A pillars 12 erected at the front corner of the floor panel 11, a pair of B pillars 13 erected at the center in the front-rear direction of the floor panel 11, and the floor panel 11. It has a pair of C pillars 14 erected on the rear corner. The upper end of the A pillar 12 and the upper end of the C pillar 14 are connected by a roof rail 15. The upper end of the B pillar 13 is joined to the center of the roof rail 15 in the front-rear direction. A substantially rectangular roof panel 1616 is joined between the pair of left and right roof rails 15.
A toe board 17 is disposed between the front edge of the floor panel 11 and the lower portions of the pair of A pillars 12, and a dashboard 18 is disposed above the toe board 17. A windshield 19 is fitted so as to be surrounded by the dashboard 18, the upper portions of the pair of A pillars 12, and the front edge of the roof panel 16. A rear glass 20 is fitted between the upper portions of the pair of C pillars 14.
Between the A pillar 12 and the B pillar 13 arranged in the front-rear direction, a front door (not shown) that is rotatably supported by the A pillar 12 is disposed. A rear door (not shown) that is rotatably supported by the B pillar 13 is disposed between the B pillar 13 and the C pillar 14. A pair of side sills 21 are joined to both edges in the left-right width direction of the floor panel 11.
Thus, the passenger compartment of the automobile 1 is a substantially cubic box-shaped space.
A center tunnel 22 extending in the front-rear direction so as to protrude into the passenger compartment is formed at the center in the left-right width direction of the floor panel 11. Below the center tunnel 22, for example, a drive shaft (not shown) for transmitting the driving force of the fuel engine to the rear wheels is arranged.
A driver seat 23 on which a driver sits and a navigation seat 24 on which a navigator sits are attached to the front portion of the floor panel 11 side by side in the left-right width direction as front seats. The driver seat 23 has a seat portion 41 and a back portion 42. The navigation sheet 24 includes a seat portion 41 and a back portion 42. The center tunnel 22 is located between the seat 41 of the driver seat 23 and the seat 41 of the navigation seat 24. On the center tunnel 22, a shift lever 25, a side brake lever (not shown), a console box 26 as an interior member, and the like are attached.
In front of the driver seat 23 and the navigation seat 24, the dashboard 18 extending in the left-right width direction is located. A steering wheel 27 is provided in front of the driver seat 23 so as to protrude rearward from the dashboard 18.
A bench seat 28 on which a plurality of passengers can sit is attached as a rear seat to the rear portion of the floor panel 11. The bench seat 28 has a seat portion 41 and a back portion 42. The bench seat 28 has a lateral width equivalent to that of the floor panel 11. Up to three passengers can normally sit on the bench seat 28.

By the way, in the conventional vehicle 1, it is common to use a fuel engine as a power source of the vehicle 1. However, due to restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions, the automobile 1 in recent years may adopt a hybrid drive system that uses both a fuel engine and an electric motor. Moreover, only an electric motor may be employed as a power source.
Since the automobile 1 using an electric motor does not have a fuel engine as a heat source and a power source or does not always operate, it is mounted on the automobile 1 to generate cool air or warm air used for air conditioning of the passenger compartment. The power of the battery that is being used will be used. In this case, since the electric power of the battery mounted on the automobile 1 is consumed for air conditioning, it is necessary to shorten the travelable distance or to suppress the travel performance such as the speed.
Thus, in the air conditioner 2 of the automobile 1, it is required in the future to improve energy consumption by the air conditioner 2.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, a personal air conditioner 2 that performs air conditioning for each passenger, for example, is proposed instead of air-conditioning the entire passenger compartment of the automobile 1. By using such an air conditioner 2, for example, it is possible to reduce the necessity of heating or cooling the entire passenger compartment of the automobile 1. Moreover, since the burden can be reduced even when it uses together with the air conditioner which air-conditions the whole passenger compartment, it can anticipate reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioner 2 in the motor vehicle 1 as a result.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of the air conditioner 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The air conditioner 2 includes a blowing duct 51, a blowing fan 52, a suction duct 54, a suction fan 55, a temperature adjustment unit 61, and a control unit 71.

  The temperature control unit 61 may be, for example, a unit box 62 in which a heater 63, a Peltier element 64, and a temperature sensor 65 are arranged. The heater 63 heats the air in the unit box 62 using the power of the battery mounted on the automobile 1. The Peltier element 64 cools the air in the unit box 62 using the power of the battery mounted on the automobile 1. In addition to this, for example, the temperature control unit 61 may be connected to a duct of an air conditioner that air-conditions the entire passenger compartment, and may receive supply of heated or cooled air from the entire air conditioner. Further, a heating medium such as cooling water for the fuel engine or a refrigerant may be supplied. The temperature sensor 65 detects the temperature of air in the unit box 62.

  The blowout duct 51 has a blowout port 53 at one end, and the other end is connected to a unit box 62 of the temperature control unit 61. The air outlet 53 may be provided with a wind direction adjusting mechanism such as a louver. In the duct which is the inner side of the blower outlet 53, the blower fan 52 for blowing off air at low speed may be provided.

  The suction duct 54 has a suction port 56 at one end, and the other end is connected to the unit box 62 of the temperature control unit 61. The suction port 56 may be provided with a wind direction adjusting mechanism such as a louver. A suction fan 55 for sucking air at a low speed may be provided in a duct that is inside the suction port 56.

  The control unit 71 controls the operation of the air conditioner 2. The control unit 71 may be a microcomputer, for example. The control unit 71 may be integrated with another control unit 71 provided in the automobile 1 and one microcomputer. An example of such a microcomputer is an ECU. For example, a heater 63, a Peltier element 64, a temperature sensor 65, a suction fan 55, and a blower fan 52 are connected to the control unit 71.

Such an air conditioner 2 is provided for each occupant seated on the seat, for example. Here, it is installed with respect to the navigation sheet 24.
Specifically, the air outlet 53 is provided on the side surface on the navigation sheet 24 side of the console box 26 disposed inside the seat portion 41 of the navigation sheet 24. The air outlet 53 is provided at a height position spaced above the seat surface of the seat portion 41 of the navigation seat 24.
Further, the suction port 56 is provided at a height position below the seating surface of the seat portion 41 outside the seat portion 41 of the navigation sheet 24. The suction port 56 may be provided at the outer edge portion of the seat portion 41 of the navigation sheet 24.
The temperature adjustment unit 61 is provided in the console box 26. Therefore, the blowing duct 51 is also provided in the console box 26. The suction duct 54 protrudes from the console box 26 and extends to the outside of the seat 41 of the navigation sheet 24 through the lower side of the seat 41 of the navigation sheet 24.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner 2 will be described.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the air flow around the occupant by the air conditioner 2 of FIG.

The control unit 71 of the air conditioner 2 acquires, for example, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 65, and controls the operation and stop of the heater 63 and the Peltier element 64 so as to obtain a desired temperature. The control target temperature may be any temperature that increases the sensible temperature of the occupant. When heating is required in winter, for example, the temperature may be about 20 degrees.
Moreover, the control part 71 operates the suction fan 55 and the blower fan 52 based on user operation, and starts air-conditioning control. At this time, the controller 71 rotates the suction fan 55 and the blower fan 52 at a low speed. For example, it is rotated at a low speed so that the air flow is 0.01 m / second or more and 6 m / second or less. Thus, by setting the flow velocity to 6 m / sec or less, the decrease in the temperature of the sensation due to the air flow can be reduced to about 1 degree or less.
Thereby, the temperature-controlled airflow is blown out from the blower outlet 53. The blown air flow falls to the seat portion 41. The airflow that has fallen on the seating surface stays on the seating surface.

Further, the suction port 56 draws air from the outside of the seating surface with an air flow substantially equal to the air flow blown from the suction fan 55. Thereby, the air on the seat surface moves toward the suction port 56.
In this way, the air conditioner 2 blows out a weak air flow from the inside upper side of the seat surface and sucks the weak air flow from the outside lower side of the seat surface. An air flow that flows weakly outward in the vehicle body width direction on the seat surface can be generated. An air flow that can circulate in a narrow range between the unit box 62 of the temperature control unit 61 and the seating surface can be generated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the air flow blown out from the blowout port 53 is blown from a height position spaced above the seat portion 41 on the inner side in the width direction of the seat portion 41 of the seat, and falls to the seat portion 41. . Further, the airflow that has fallen on the seat portion 41 can be sucked into the suction port 56 provided at a height position below the upper surface of the seat portion 41 on the seat portion 41 or on the outer side in the width direction of the seat portion 41. Therefore, on the seat 41, an air flow can flow slowly from the inner side in the width direction of the seat 41 toward the outer side. When an occupant is seated on the seat, the air flow that slowly flows in the width direction of the seat portion 41 flows around the thigh above the seat portion 41. An air layer can be formed around the thigh by an air flow that slowly flows in the width direction of the seat 41. The temperature of the thigh can be adjusted by the temperature of the slowly flowing air layer.
In addition, since the generated airflow is weak, it is difficult to remove heat from the occupant as in an early airflow. If heat is taken away by the air flow, the temperature of the air flow must be adjusted to compensate for it.
Moreover, since the generated airflow flows in the width direction of the seat portion 41, it is difficult for the airflow to flow along the surface of the upper body and reach the head as in the case of blowing the airflow from the front. . It is difficult for passengers to feel discomfort caused by warm air hitting their heads such as their faces.
In addition, the air flow blown out from the blowout port 53 is sucked from the suction port 56 before touching other than the seat 41 and the thigh of the seat, and the temperature control unit through the suction duct 54 connected to the temperature control unit 61. It is possible to return to 61. As a result, the air flow circulates and the amount of heat required to warm the air flow again can be minimized. During the operation period in which the temperature control unit 61 is continuously operated, the total amount of heat required to keep the airflow warm can be significantly reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the air outlet 53 is provided on the side surface of the console box 26 provided on the inner side in the width direction of the seat portion 41 of the seat. This eliminates the need to newly expose the blowout duct 51 around the seat 41 of the seat. Moreover, the blower outlet 53 can be easily provided in the height position spaced apart from the seat part 41 using the height of the console box 26.

Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the thigh can be wrapped by a warmed air flow, and the sensible temperature of the occupant can be increased. Therefore, it is not necessary to heat the entire passenger compartment in order to warm the air around the thigh. The sensible temperature of the passenger can be increased efficiently with a small amount of heat. Compared to the case where the entire passenger compartment is heated to give the thigh a similar temperature, the temperature of the thigh can be increased with a smaller amount of heat, and high comfort can be provided to the passenger.
The temperature adjustment unit 61 is provided in the console box 26 near the seat. Further, the blowout duct 51 and the suction duct 54 are directly connected to the temperature adjustment unit 61. Therefore, the air flow circulation path can be formed with a minimum duct length. The heat loss in the blowout duct 51 can be minimized. Further, it is not necessary to provide the temperature adjustment unit 61 exposed around the sheet. Designability is improved.

  The above embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an air flow is blown from the inside of the sheet, and an air flow is sucked from the outside of the sheet.
In addition, for example, an air flow may be blown out from the outside of the sheet and an air flow may be sucked in from the inside of the sheet. In this case, it is desirable that the air outlet 53 on the outer side of the seat is at a height position above the seat surface, and the suction port 56 on the inner side of the seat is at a height position below the seat surface.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automobile (vehicle), 2 ... Air conditioner, 11 ... Floor panel, 12 ... A pillar, 13 ... B pillar, 14 ... C pillar, 15 ... Roof rail, 16 ... Roof panel, 17 ... Toe board, 18 ... Dashboard, 19 ... windshield, 20 ... rear glass, 21 ... side sill, 22 ... center tunnel, 23 ... driver seat, 24 ... navigation seat, 25 ... shift lever, 26 ... console box, 27 ... steering wheel, 28 ... bench seat, 41 ... Seat part 42 ... Back part 51 ... Blowing duct 52 ... Blowing fan 53 ... Blowing outlet 54 ... Suction duct 55 ... Suction fan 56 ... Suction port 61 ... Temperature control unit 62 ... Unit box 63 ... Heater, 64 ... Peltier element, 65 ... temperature sensor, 71 ... control unit

Claims (6)

An air conditioner for a vehicle having a seat on which an occupant riding the vehicle sits,
An air outlet duct having an air outlet provided at a height position spaced above the seat portion on one side in the width direction of the seat portion of the seat;
A suction duct having a suction port provided at a height position below the upper surface of the seat on the other side in the width direction of the seat or the seat;
An air conditioner for a vehicle having The blowout duct blows out an airflow at a low speed at which the airflow blown out from the blowout port falls on the seat portion.
The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1. The air outlet is provided on a side surface of a console box provided on one side in the width direction of the seat portion of the seat.
The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. Provided in the console box and having a temperature control unit for heating air, and the blowout duct is connected to the temperature control unit and blows out an air flow heated by the temperature control unit;
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3. The suction duct is connected to the temperature control unit,
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4. The airflow blown out from the outlet is 0.01 m / second or more and 6 m / second or less.
The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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