JP2018034667A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce blast air leakage from a case suppressing large-sizing of a device in an air conditioner for a vehicle.SOLUTION: In an inside and outside air switching unit 16 which constitutes an air conditioner 10 for a vehicle, in which a first insertion part 44 having a triangular cross section is provided near a first connection part 40 in a lower case 24, a second insertion part 56 having a triangular cross section is provided near a second connection part 52 in an upper case 28, and in the state that the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are connected to each other by an engaging claw 38 and a hook 50, the first and second insertion parts 44, 56 are so connected as to be inserted into a recess 62 provided on a connection duct 14, whereby a connection state of the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 is held by connection to the connection duct 14. Further, engagement means for the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 is covered with a cover part 64 provided on the connection duct 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner, and more particularly to a vehicle air conditioner having an inside / outside air switching unit for taking in inside air or outside air.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle air conditioner mounted on a vehicle takes in the inside / outside air by an inside / outside air switching unit and supplies it to an air conditioning case, and is cooled by an evaporator serving as a cooling means and a heater core serving as a heating means. The temperature is adjusted by mixing the heated air with a desired mixing ratio, and the air is blown into the passenger compartment.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, such a vehicle air conditioner includes a first case member having a plurality of air outlets for blowing air into the vehicle interior, and an internal connection connected to the first case member. An air-conditioning case is comprised from the 2nd case member in which an air blower is accommodated. And the 1st case member is assembled | attached from the upper direction with respect to the evaporator accommodating part formed in the side part of the 2nd case member, for example, it connects integrally by screwing together several places.

JP 2007-99230 A

  However, in the vehicle air conditioner as described above, in order to connect the first case member and the second case member to each other by screw fastening, a boss for fastening the screw is provided to the first and second case members. In addition, since the boss is provided so as to protrude outward from the first and second case members, the vehicle air conditioner including the first and second case members may be increased in size. Become.

  In addition, instead of screw fastening, a configuration in which the first case member and the second case member are connected by engaging the claw portion is also conceivable, but in this case, manufacturing variations of the first and second case members are There is a concern that a gap may occur due to vibration or the like and air leakage may occur, and abnormal noise due to air leakage may occur.

  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 capable of reducing air leakage from the case while suppressing an increase in size of the apparatus. .

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an air conditioner for a vehicle having an air conditioning case having a flow path through which air flows and an inside / outside air switching unit connected to the air conditioning case via a connecting duct.
The inside / outside air switching unit includes a first case in which the blower is housed,
A second case having an outside air introduction port and an inside air introduction port and connected to the first case via an engagement means;
With
A connecting duct is connected to the downstream end of the passage formed in the first and second cases and through which air flows, and the first and second cases and the connecting duct are connected to a connecting portion between the downstream end and the connecting duct. In addition to having a fitting portion to be fitted, the connecting duct is provided with a cover portion that covers the engaging means.

  According to the present invention, the inside / outside air switching unit constituting the vehicle air conditioner is configured such that the second case having the outside air introduction port and the inside air introduction port is connected to the first case housing the blower via the engaging means. The first and second cases and the connecting duct are fitted to a connecting portion between the downstream end of the passage formed in the first and second cases and the connecting duct connected to the air conditioning case. While having a fitting part, the connection duct is provided with a cover part that covers the engaging means.

  Therefore, the first case and the second case of the inside / outside air switching unit can be connected to each other by the engaging means, and the first case member and the second case member are connected by screw fastening. Compared to the vehicle air conditioner, the screw fastening boss is not required, and the vehicle air conditioner including the inside / outside air switching unit can be downsized. By fitting the second case and the connecting duct to each other, it is possible to connect the first case and the second case by the engaging means while reliably maintaining the connected state. Moreover, since the engaging means of the 1st and 2nd case is covered by a cover part by connecting with a connection duct, even when a ventilation leak arises between the 1st case and the 2nd case, the ventilation leak It can be reduced by the cover part.

  Further, the fitting portion is provided in the first and second cases and protrudes toward the connecting duct, and is formed in the connecting duct, and the first case and the second case have substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the protruding portion. It is good to provide the recessed part in which a convex part is inserted in the state which connected.

  Furthermore, the first insertion part is formed in the first case and is tapered toward the second case side, and the second insertion is formed in the second case and is tapered toward the first case side. Part.

  Furthermore, the engagement means is provided on the other case side different from the engagement case provided in one of the first case and the second case and the first case or the second case provided with the engagement claw. And a hook to be engaged with the engaging claw.

  Moreover, it is good to form a cover part in the plate shape protruded toward the 1st and 2nd case side from the edge part of a connection duct.

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

  That is, the first case and the second case constituting the inside / outside air switching unit are connected via the engaging means, and are connected to the downstream end of the passage formed in the first and second cases and the air conditioning case. Since the fitting part which fits the 1st and 2nd case and a connection duct is provided in the connection part with the connection duct which uses the engagement means, the 1st case member and the 2nd case member are used. Compared with the vehicle air conditioner according to the related art that has been connected by screw fastening, the first and second cases and the connecting duct can be connected to each other through a fitting portion provided at the connecting portion. By being fitted to each other, it is possible to connect the first case and the second case by the engaging means while reliably maintaining the connected state. Further, by providing the connecting duct with the cover portion that covers the engaging means, it is possible to reduce the air leakage from between the first case and the second case by the cover portion.

1 is an overall perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the inside / outside air switching unit in the vehicle air conditioner of FIG. It is an expansion exploded front view which shows the state which removed the inside / outside air switching unit of FIG. 2 from the connection duct. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB in FIG.

  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.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this vehicle air conditioner 10 is connected to an air conditioning case 12 constituting each air passage and a side portion of the air conditioning case 12 via a connecting duct 14 to take in outside air and inside air. The air-conditioning case 12 includes an evaporator and a heater core (not shown), and controls the flow of cold and hot air flowing through the passage under the switching action by the damper mechanism.

  The air-conditioning case 12 has a vent blower port 18 and a defroster blower port 20 for blowing air into the vehicle interior above (in the direction of arrow A1) and at one side along the width direction of the vehicle (in the direction of arrow B1). Is connected to the inside / outside air switching unit 16 via the connecting duct 14.

  That is, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) in which a blower unit 22 is provided along with an inside / outside air switching unit 16 on a side portion of the air conditioning case 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inside / outside air switching unit 16 is connected to the blower unit 22, a lower case (first case) 24 that forms part of the blower unit 22, and the upper part of the lower case 24. And an upper case (second case) 28 having an inlet 26 and an inside air inlet (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lower case 24 opens upward, for example, and stores therein a rotary fan 30 and a drive motor 32 constituting the blower unit 22 (see FIG. 2). A spiral passage (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral side of the rotary fan 30 and is connected to the connecting duct 14 via a first opening 34 (see FIG. 3) opened at the downstream end of the passage. Has been. That is, the blower unit 22 is a centrifugal fan having a rotary fan 30 and a drive motor 32.

  A first connection wall 36 connected to the lower end portion of the upper case 28 is formed along the circumferential direction at the upper end portion of the lower case 24. The first connection wall 36 is connected to the upper case 28. A plurality of engaging claws 38 are formed. A plurality of the engaging claws 38 protrude slightly outward from the first connecting wall 36 and extend downward (in the direction of arrow A2), and a plurality of the engaging claws 38 are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the lower case 24. It is done.

  Further, the lower case 24 is formed with a first connecting portion 40 inserted into the connecting duct 14 at a side facing the first opening 34, and a first flange 42 extending outward from the first connecting portion 40. Is formed. The first flange 42 is formed with a first insertion portion 44 that faces the end of the first connection wall 36 and protrudes toward the connecting duct 14 (in the direction of arrow B2).

  The first insertion portion 44 is, for example, formed in a triangular cross section that is flush with the end face of the first connection wall 36 and whose lower portion gradually tapers toward the connecting duct 14 side (in the direction of arrow B2). The

  The upper case 28 has an outside air inlet 26 for taking in air outside the vehicle and an inside air inlet (not shown) for taking in air inside the upper case 28, and the outside air inlet 26 and the inside air are introduced. A set of switching dampers (not shown) for switching the opening / closing state of the mouth is provided inside.

  A spiral passage is formed in the upper case 28 as in the lower case 24, and its downstream end is connected to the connecting duct 14 via the second opening 46.

  On the other hand, a second connection wall 48 connected to the first connection wall 36 of the lower case 24 is formed along the circumferential direction at the lower end portion of the upper case 28, and the second connection wall 48 is associated with the lower case 24. A plurality of hooks 50 to be engaged with the joint pawl 38 are formed.

  The hook 50 is, for example, hollow and rectangular in cross section, and is formed so as to protrude from the second connection wall 48 by a predetermined length toward the lower case 24 (in the direction of arrow A2). A plurality of the upper cases 28 are provided spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the upper case 28.

  The engaging claw 38 enters the hook 50 and is engaged therewith, so that the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 are connected to each other with the second connecting wall 48 and the first connecting wall 36 in contact with each other. The In other words, the engaging claws 38 and the hooks 50 function as engaging means that can connect the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 to each other.

  That is, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are coupled so as not to be separated from each other in the axial direction (the directions of the arrows A1 and A2).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper case 28 is formed with a second connecting portion 52 to be inserted into the connecting duct 14 on the side facing the second opening 46, and the second connecting portion 52. A second flange 54 extending from the outside to the outside is formed. The second flange 54 is formed with a second insertion portion 56 that faces the end of the second connection wall 48 and protrudes toward the connecting duct 14 (in the direction of arrow B2).

  For example, the second insertion part 56 is formed in the same plane as the end face of the second connection wall 48, and the upper part of the second insertion part 56 is formed in a triangular cross section that gradually tapers toward the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction). The Further, the second insertion portion 56 is formed so as to be symmetric in substantially the same cross section as the first insertion portion 44 of the lower case 24.

  When the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are combined with each other, the second insertion portion 56 comes into contact with the first insertion portion 44 as shown in FIG. Part) 58. In other words, the distal end of the first insertion portion 44 is gradually tapered toward the second insertion portion 56 side, and the distal end of the second insertion portion 56 is gradually toward the first insertion portion 44 side. It is formed to be tapered.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting duct 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape along the width direction (arrow B1, B2 direction) of the vehicle air conditioner 10, and one end thereof is connected to the side wall of the air conditioning case 12, The other end is connected so as to straddle the side walls of the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 in the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and communicates with the first and second openings 34 and 46. Thereby, the air taken in by the inside / outside air switching unit 16 is supplied to the air conditioning case 12 through the connection duct 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4A, a flange-like third coupling portion 60 connected to the first and second coupling portions 40 and 52 of the inside / outside air switching unit 16 is provided at the other end of the coupling duct 14. The third connecting portion 60 is formed with a recessed portion 62 that is recessed from the end face toward one end portion side (air conditioning case 12 side, arrow B2 direction).

  For example, when the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 are assembled, the recess 62 is formed so as to face the mating surfaces of the first and second connection walls 36 and 48, and is disposed on one end side (in the direction of arrow B <b> 2). The taper is gradually tapered toward the inside and outside air switching unit 16 and is formed in a triangular cross section having substantially the same cross section as the insertion portion 58.

  When the other end portion of the connecting duct 14 and the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 of the inside / outside air switching unit 16 are assembled, the insertion portion 58 including the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 is inserted into the recess 62. .

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 4B, the third connecting portion 60 is formed with a cover portion 64 that protrudes by a predetermined length in a direction away from the connecting duct 14 (arrow B1 direction). The cover portion 64 is formed, for example, in a plate shape, and covers the engagement portion between the engagement claw 38 and the hook 50 that are arranged closest to the connection duct 14 (in the direction of arrow B2) in the inside / outside air switching unit 16. Formed as follows. That is, the cover portion 64 functions as a cover unit that covers an engagement portion between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24.

  The vehicle air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above. Next, the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 that constitute the inside / outside air switching unit 16, and the connecting duct 14. Will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in a state where the rotary fan 30 and the drive motor 32 constituting the blower unit 22 are housed in the lower case 24, the first connection wall 36 that is the upper end of the rotary fan 30 and the second connection wall 48 of the upper case 28 are brought into contact with each other. A plurality of engaging claws 38 are respectively engaged with the hooks 50 so as to be connected to each other while the upper case 28 is in contact with the upper part of the lower case 24 to constitute the inside / outside air switching unit 16. .

  Next, the other end portion of the connecting duct 14 is brought close to the first and second openings 34 and 46 opened in the side wall of the inside / outside air switching unit 16, and the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 are recessed in the recess 62. The first and second connecting portions 40 and 52 are inserted into the third connecting portion 60.

  Then, the connecting duct 14 is connected to the side wall of the inside / outside air switching unit 16 by inserting the first and second flanges 42 and 54 of the inside / outside air switching unit 16 until they abut against the third connecting portion 60 of the connecting duct 14. The engaging claw 38 and the hook 50 that are closest to the connecting duct 14 (in the direction of arrow B2) are completely covered by the cover portion 64.

  At this time, since the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 are formed in a triangular shape that gradually tapers toward the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction), they are similarly formed in a triangular shape. By inserting into the recessed portion 62, the first insertion portion 44 and the second insertion portion 56 are pressed toward each other by the recess 62, and the first and second insertion portions 44 are pressed. 56, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are connected to the connecting duct 14 in a state where they are fitted in a direction approaching each other.

  That is, by connecting the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 can be connected in a state where they are pressed toward each other. Therefore, the first connection wall 36 and the second connection wall 48 is maintained in a state in which it is more reliably brought into contact with each other, and the sealing performance between the two is enhanced and maintained.

  Finally, the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and the connection duct 14 are connected to each other by fastening means (not shown), whereby the assembly of the connection duct 14 and the inside / outside air switching unit 16 is completed.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 10 in which the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 are assembled as described above will be described. Here, as an example, a case where outside air is taken in and heating operation is performed will be described.

  First, based on a control signal from a controller (not shown), the drive motor 32 of the blower unit 22 is driven to rotate, so that the rotary fan 30 is rotated and an inside air inlet (not shown) is switched under the switching action of a switching damper (not shown). Is closed and the outside air inlet 26 is opened. Then, air outside the vehicle is sucked into the upper case 28 through the outside air inlet 26, and after passing through a filter (not shown), flows to the lower case 24 side (arrow A2 direction).

  The outside air is sent from the inside of the rotary fan 30 to the passage on the outer peripheral side, so that the air swirls along the passage and flows to the downstream end, and is connected from the first and second openings 34 and 46. After being sent to the duct 14, it is supplied to the air conditioning case 12, heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater core, and blown to the vicinity of the feet of the passenger in the passenger compartment.

  At this time, in the inside / outside air switching unit 16, the hook 50 and the engaging claw 38 that are closest to the connecting duct 14 (in the direction of the arrow B <b> 2) on the first and second connecting portions 40 and 52 side connected to the connecting duct 14. Since the cover portion 64 is provided so as to face the air, even if air leaks from between the first connection wall 36 of the lower case 24 and the second connection wall 48 of the upper case 28, Leakage is reduced, and furthermore, since it does not flow in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1), inflow into the vehicle interior is prevented.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of engagement claws 38 are provided on the first connection wall 36 of the lower case 24 constituting the inside / outside air switching unit 16, and a plurality of hooks are provided on the second connection wall 48 of the upper case 28. 50, and the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 can be connected to each other in the axial direction by engaging the hook 50 with the engaging claw 38. Thereby, compared with the vehicle air conditioner according to the related art that is connected by screw fastening the first case member and the second case member, the boss provided for performing the screw fastening is unnecessary. Therefore, the inside / outside air switching unit 16 can be downsized in the longitudinal direction (arrow C direction) of the vehicle by the amount of the abolished boss, and accordingly, the vehicle air conditioner 10 including the inside / outside air switching unit 16. Can be miniaturized.

  Further, in a state where the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are connected using a plurality of engaging claws 38 and hooks 50, the first and second insertions having a triangular cross section projecting toward the connecting duct 14 (in the direction of arrow B2). The upper case 28 and the lower case 24 are connected to each other by fitting the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 and the concave portion 62 by inserting the portions 44 and 56 into the concave portion 62 of the connecting duct 14. It is possible to securely and firmly connect in a state where they are brought into contact with each other. Furthermore, the internal / external air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 can be easily positioned.

  As a result, in the inside / outside air switching unit 16, the vicinity of the first and second connecting portions 40, 52 that are relatively easy to open in the vertical direction is surely secured by the fitting action of the first and second insertion portions 44, 56 and the recess 62. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent air leakage from between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 and to improve the assembling property.

  Further, by preventing air leakage between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise due to the air leakage.

  Furthermore, since the cover part 64 which protrudes to the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and covers the engaging claw 38 and the hook 50 is provided at the other end of the connecting duct 14, for example, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is mounted on the vehicle. During the previous transportation or the like, contact with the engaging claw 38 and the hook 50 is prevented, and damage due to the contact can be prevented.

  Furthermore, in the vicinity of the connection portion between the inside / outside air switching unit 16 and the connection duct 14, air leakage from between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 is reduced by the cover portion 64 and may flow in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the leaked air is prevented from flowing into the passenger compartment.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle air conditioner 12 ... Air conditioning case 14 ... Connection duct 16 ... Inside / outside air switching unit 24 ... Lower case 28 ... Upper case 38 ... Engagement claw 44 ... 1st insertion part 50 ... Hook 56 ... 2nd insertion part 58 ... Insertion Part 62 ... Recess 64 ... Cover part

Claims (5)

In a vehicle air conditioner having an air conditioning case having a flow path for air and an inside / outside air switching unit connected to the air conditioning case via a connecting duct,
The inside / outside air switching unit includes a first case in which a blower is housed,
A second case having an outside air inlet and an inside air inlet and connected to the first case via an engagement means;
With
The connecting duct is connected to a downstream end portion of the passage through which the air flows and is formed in the first and second cases, and the first and second portions are connected to a connecting portion between the downstream end portion and the connecting duct. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a fitting portion for fitting a case and the connecting duct, and a cover portion covering the engaging means is provided in the connecting duct. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
The fitting portion is provided on the first and second cases and protrudes toward the connection duct side; and
A recess formed in the connecting duct and inserted into the convex portion in a state in which the first case and the second case are connected with substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the convex portion;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising: The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 2,
The convex portion is formed in the first case and is tapered toward the second case, and a first insertion portion,
A second insertion part formed in the second case and tapered toward the first case;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising: In the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The engaging means includes an engaging claw provided in one of the first case and the second case,
A hook that is provided on the other case side different from the first case or the second case provided with the engagement claw, and is engaged with the engagement claw;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising: The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the cover portion is formed in a plate shape projecting from an end portion of the connecting duct toward the first and second cases.

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