JP2023050314A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To quickly dissolve a temperature difference in a vehicle in a vertical direction, and perform air-conditioning operation with good efficiency so as to quickly reach a set temperature.SOLUTION: Upper and lower circulation passages 20, 21, which communicate each of an upper face outlet 5 and a lower foot outlet 6 with a suction port 3, are provided. Each of circulation passages 20, 21 is opened/closed. The outlets 5, 6 are changed so as to become a suction port for circulation. When the circulation passages 20, 21 are closed, air in an air-conditioning duct 7 is blown out from the outlets 5, 6, and when the circulation passage 20, 21 are opened, air in a vehicle is sucked from the outlets 5, 6 and is introduced into the suction port 3 through the circulation passages 20, 21. Any one outlet of the face outlet 5 and the foot outlet 6 becomes the suction port, and a circulation mode where air sucked from one outlet and air-conditioned is blown out from the other outlet is executed. Air in the vehicle circulates while causing convection flow in a vertical direction, and a temperature difference between top and bottom is quickly eliminated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that performs air conditioning operation by circulating air in a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle air conditioner, outside air or inside air is introduced through a suction port, and the air that has been conditioned is blown into the vehicle interior through a blowout port. Here, in order to reduce the air-conditioning load of the air conditioner and efficiently air-condition the interior of the vehicle, the air blown out into the interior of the vehicle is circulated. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100001, the air in the passenger compartment is sucked by using the air outlet on the passenger seat side as an air intake, and the conditioned air is blown out from the air outlet on the driver's seat side.

JP 2017-114275 A

When the air is circulated as described above, air flows in the left and right directions in the vehicle, but convection does not occur in the vertical direction. In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner that circulates the air in the vehicle so as to generate convection in the vertical direction and that can perform air conditioning operation efficiently.

In the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, an air conditioning duct having an air inlet is provided with a plurality of air outlets spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the conditioned air sucked from the air inlet is blown out from the air outlet, A circulation passage that connects each air outlet to the air inlet and a switching unit that opens and closes the circulation passage to switch the air outlet to the air inlet are provided, and when the circulation passage is closed, the air in the air conditioning duct is When the air is blown out from the air outlet and the circulation passage is open, the air inside the vehicle is sucked from the air outlet and introduced into the suction port through the circulation passage. A controller for executing a circulation mode in which either one of the upper or lower air outlet serves as an air intake, and the conditioned air sucked from one air outlet is blown out from the other air outlet. is provided, and the control device performs the circulation mode by switching one of the outlets to the suction port according to the selected air conditioning operation.

When the air-conditioning operation is for heating, the air in the upper part of the interior of the vehicle is sucked through the upper air outlet, and the warmed air is blown out from the lower air outlet. The air blown out to the lower part of the vehicle rises and is sucked in again, causing vertical convection, quickly eliminating the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts, and quickly reaching the set temperature. In the case of cooling, the air in the lower part of the interior of the vehicle is sucked from the lower outlet, and the cooled air is blown out from the upper outlet. Cold air flows toward the lower part of the cabin, causing the temperature in the upper part of the cabin to drop quickly and quickly reach the set temperature. Thus, circulation mode is suitable for rapid heating and rapid cooling.

According to the present invention, by circulating the air inside the vehicle while causing convection in the vertical direction, the difference in temperature between the upper and lower sides can be quickly eliminated, the passenger's feeling of discomfort can be prevented, and the set temperature can be reached quickly. , efficient air conditioning operation can be performed.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. An exploded perspective view showing a schematic structure of an air conditioner Perspective view of passage switching door Diagram showing the air flow in the air conditioner when hot air is blown out from the face air outlet A diagram showing the air flow in the air conditioner when cold air is blown out from the face air outlet. A diagram showing the air flow in the air conditioner when medium temperature air is blown from the face air outlet A diagram showing the air flow inside the air conditioner when medium-temperature air is blown out from the face and foot air outlets. Diagram showing air flow in an air conditioner during heating operation in circulation mode A diagram showing the flow of air in another type of air conditioner during heating operation in circulation mode Diagram showing the air flow in the air conditioner during cooling operation in circulation mode FIG. 4 is a diagram showing air flow in another type of air conditioner during cooling operation in circulation mode;

1 and 2 show a vehicle air conditioner for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner includes an air-conditioning duct 7 having an air inlet 3 having an outside air inlet 1 and an inside air inlet 2, and a plurality of air outlets 4 to 6. The air-conditioning duct 7 is arranged on the front side of the passenger compartment. The air-conditioning duct 7 is provided with a fan 8, an evaporator 9, and a heater core 10 for sucking air from the suction port 3. The heater core 10 is arranged downstream of the evaporator 9. An air mix door 11 for adjusting the air volume of cold air flowing to 10 is provided so as to be able to be opened and closed. A refrigeration cycle is formed by the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator 9, and the heater core 10 heats the passing air using engine cooling water.

The air outlets 4 to 6 are arranged in the order of the defroster air outlet 4, the face air outlet 5, and the foot air outlet 6 from the upper side to the lower side in the vehicle. there is A blowout switching door 12 for switching the blowing direction of the air is rotatably provided at the branched portion of each of the blowout ports 4 to 6 . A rotary outlet switching door 12 is driven by a motor in accordance with the operation mode to open the selected outlet 4-6 and block the other outlets 4-6.

The air-conditioning duct 7 has an upper circulation passage 20 connecting the upper face outlet 5 to the suction port 3 and a lower circulation passage 21 connecting the lower foot outlet 6 to the suction port 5, and each circulation passage. 20 and 21 are opened and closed, and a switching unit is provided to switch the outlet ports 5 and 6 to be the suction ports for circulation. An upper circulation port 22 is formed in the wall of the connecting passage of the face outlet 5 with the air conditioning duct 7, an upper circulation passage 20 is provided to connect the upper circulation port 22 and the suction port 3, and the foot outlet 6 is connected. A lower circulation port 23 is formed in the passage wall, and a lower circulation passage 21 is provided so as to connect the lower circulation port 23 and the suction port 3 .

The switching unit has a passage switching door 24 for opening and closing the circulation passages 20 and 21 and a suction switching door 25 for switching the suction port 3. The switching unit is composed of the switching doors 24 and 25 and the upper and lower circulation passages 20 and 21. be done. A passage switching door 24 is provided in the passage connecting the face outlet 5 to the air conditioning duct 7 to open and close the upper circulation passage 20 . As shown in FIG. 3, the rotary passage switching door 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape with both ends closed, is rotatably supported by the connection passage wall, and is rotationally driven by a motor. A communication port 30 is formed in one side surface of the passage switching door 24 in the axial direction, and the communication port 30 communicates with the upper circulation port 22 . A part of the circumferential surface of the passage switching door 24 is opened, this opening serves as a vent 31 , and the circumferential surface other than the vent 31 serves as a shielding surface 32 . A similar passage switching door 24 is also provided for the foot outlet 6 to open and close the lower circulation passage 21 .

In the upper and lower passage switching doors 24, 25, when the passage switching door 24 rotates so that the communication port 30 faces the circulation ports 22, 23, the shielding surface 32 shields the openings of the outlets 5, 6 on the air conditioning duct side. , the circulation passages 20, 21 are opened. The ventilation port 31 communicates with the circulation passages 20 and 21 through the circulation ports 22 and 23, and the air outlets 5 and 6 and the suction port 3 communicate with each other. When the communication port 30 of the passage switching door 24 is rotated to a position not facing the circulation ports 22 and 23, the shield surface 32 blocks the circulation passages 20 and 21, and the outlets 5 and 6 communicate with the air conditioning duct 7 through the ventilation port 31. do.

A fan 8 that sucks air from the suction port 3 is a blower fan, and is held by a fan unit 35 that is integrally provided with the air conditioning duct 7 . The rotary suction switching door 12 is provided on the axially upstream extension of the fan 8 and is rotatably supported by the fan unit 35 . The intake switching door 12 has a shape in which a part of the cylinder is notched in a fan shape.

Four connection ports 37 to 40 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fan unit 35 facing the peripheral surface of the suction switching door 12 so as to be able to face the switching port 36 . The passage of the outside air introduction port 1, the passage of the inside air introduction port 2, the upper circulation passage 20, and the lower circulation passage 21 are connected to the connection ports 37 to 40, respectively. As the suction switching door 12 rotates, the switching port 36 faces one of the connecting ports 37 to 40 and the passage connected to this connecting port communicates with the fan 8 . Therefore, when one of the upper and lower circulation passages is open, the air inside the vehicle is sucked from one of the air outlets and introduced into the suction port 3 through the circulation passage. At this time, the other circulation passage is closed, and the air in the air conditioning duct 7 is blown out from the other outlet.

The motor, compressor, and fan 8 that drive each door are driven and controlled by a control device, and the control device controls environmental information such as outside temperature, inside temperature, amount of insolation, and setting temperature according to the selected operation mode. Based on the information, air is sucked from the suction port 3 while switching between the suction port 3 and the blowout ports 4 to 6, and the air conditioning operation is performed to blow out the conditioned air from the blowout ports 4 to 6. Operation modes include an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode in which air is blown out from selected outlets 4-6. In the control device, either one of the upper face outlet 5 and the lower foot outlet 6 serves as a circulation inlet, and the conditioned air sucked from one outlet is supplied to the other outlet. Run the circulation mode blowing from the outlet.

The control device starts air conditioning operation when the operation switch of the vehicle is turned on or when the air conditioner switch is turned on. For example, when the face air outlet 5 is selected for the outside air introduction, as shown in FIG. The mix door 11 is fully opened, the face outlet 5 is opened by the outlet switching door 12, and the other outlets 4 and 6 are blocked. Air sucked from the outside air inlet 1 passes through the evaporator 9 and is heated through the heater core 10 . Warm air is blown out from the face outlet 5 into the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 5, when cold air is blown out, the air mix door 11 is fully closed, the air sucked from the outside air inlet 1 passes through the evaporator 9 and is cooled, and the cold air is blown into the vehicle from the face outlet 5. Blow out. As shown in FIG. 6, when medium-temperature air is blown out, the air mix door 11 is half-opened, and the air sucked in from the outside air inlet 1 passes through the evaporator 9 and is cooled, while a part passes through the heater core 10. The cooled air and the warmed air are mixed and blown out from the face outlet 5 into the vehicle. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when air-conditioned air is blown to the head and feet of the occupant, the air mix door 11 is half-opened, and the face outlet 5 and the foot outlet 6 are opened by the outlet switching door 12. Other outlets 4 are blocked. Air in which hot air and cold air are mixed is blown out from the face outlet 5 and the foot outlet 6. - 特許庁

When the air-conditioning operation is started, the control device executes the circulation mode at the beginning of the operation when it determines that the heating operation is to be performed based on various kinds of information. As shown in FIG. 8, the foot outlet 6 is opened, the upper circulation passage 20 is opened at the face outlet 5, the opening on the side of the air conditioning duct is blocked, and the face outlet 5 passes through the upper circulation passage 20 to the suction port. 3, and the face outlet 5 serves as a suction port. The fan 8 is driven to increase the air volume, and the air in the upper part of the vehicle interior is sucked from the face outlet 5 and introduced into the air conditioning duct 7 through the upper circulation passage 20. - 特許庁The sucked air is warmed through the heater core 10, and the hot air is blown out from the foot outlet 6. - 特許庁The warm air blown out from the feet rises and is sucked in again, circulating the air inside the vehicle and creating vertical convection from the bottom to the top. When the temperature inside the vehicle rises and approaches the set temperature, the control device terminates the circulation mode and executes the normal operation mode. The intake port 3 is switched to the selected outside air introduction port 1 or inside air introduction port 2, the air volume of the fan 8 is adjusted, the opening of the air mix door 11 is adjusted, and the air conditioning operation is performed so as to maintain the set temperature. done.

In this way, at the beginning of the air conditioning operation, rapid heating is performed in the circulation mode, so that the cold air inside the vehicle can be efficiently warmed, so that the temperature difference in the vertical direction is quickly eliminated and the set temperature is quickly reached. . As a result, the time required to reach the set temperature can be shortened, and energy consumption such as fuel and electricity required for air conditioning operation can be reduced. Moreover, since the warm air flows toward the head of the occupant, the sensible temperature can be quickly raised, and a comfortable in-vehicle environment can be realized without making the occupant feel uncomfortable.

When the set temperature during heating operation is set low or the temperature inside the vehicle is slightly lower than the set temperature, the control device performs circulation mode so that medium-temperature air is blown out at the beginning of operation. As shown in FIG. 9, the foot outlet 6 is opened, the face outlet 5 is communicated with the fan 8 from the upper circulation passage 20 through the suction port 3, and the opening on the air conditioning duct side is blocked. The door mix door 11 is half-opened, the air sucked from the upper part of the vehicle interior is slightly warmed, and medium-temperature air is blown out from the foot outlet 6. - 特許庁Even in this case, vertical convection is generated in the vehicle interior, and the set temperature can be reached quickly.

The circulation mode is also performed at the beginning of the operation when the control device determines that the cooling operation should be performed. As shown in FIG. 10, the face outlet 5 is opened, the lower circulation passage 21 is opened at the foot outlet 6, the air conditioning duct side opening is blocked, and the foot outlet 6 passes through the lower circulation passage 21 to the suction port. 3, and the foot outlet 6 serves as a suction port. The fan 8 is driven to increase the air volume, and the air in the lower part of the vehicle is sucked from the foot outlet 6 and introduced into the air conditioning duct 7 through the lower circulation passage 21 . The sucked air is cooled through the evaporator 9, and cool air is blown out from the face outlet 5. - 特許庁The cool air that blows out toward the head descends, is sucked in again, and circulates, creating vertical convection from the top to the bottom inside the vehicle. When the temperature inside the vehicle drops and approaches the set temperature, the control device terminates the circulation mode and executes the normal operation mode. The intake port 3 is switched to the selected outside air introduction port 1 or inside air introduction port 2, the air volume of the fan 8 is adjusted, the opening of the air mix door 11 is adjusted, and the air conditioning operation is performed so as to maintain the set temperature. done.

Even in this case, the temperature in the upper part of the vehicle interior can be quickly lowered, the set temperature can be reached quickly, and efficient air-conditioning operation can be realized. By sucking in the cold air in the lower part of the vehicle and generating cold air, the air conditioning load can be reduced, so that the air conditioning capacity can be lowered and the vehicle can be operated, thereby saving energy.

When the set temperature during cooling operation is set higher or the temperature inside the vehicle is slightly higher than the set temperature, the control device performs circulation mode so that medium-temperature air is blown out at the beginning of operation. As shown in FIG. 11, the face outlet 5 is opened, the foot outlet 6 communicates with the fan 8 from the lower circulation passage 21 through the suction port 3, and the opening on the air conditioning duct side is blocked. The door mix door 11 is half-opened, the air sucked from the lower part of the inside of the vehicle is slightly cooled, and medium-temperature air is blown out from the face outlet 5. - 特許庁Even in this case, vertical convection is generated in the vehicle interior, and the set temperature can be reached quickly.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and of course many modifications and changes can be made to the above-described embodiments within the scope of the present invention. A passage switching door 24 may be provided at each outlet so that the defroster outlet 4 and the ceiling outlet serve as intake ports for circulation. A butterfly door may be used as the passage switching door 24, and butterfly doors are arranged at the air-conditioning duct-side opening and the circulation opening of the outlet, respectively. Further, the fan 8 may be provided inside the air conditioning duct 7 and the suction switching door 25 may also be provided upstream of the fan 8 inside the air conditioning duct 7 .

The circulation mode may be executed according to the driver's condition. When the controller detects the driver's condition and determines that the driver is drowsy, the controller executes the circulation mode so as to blow cool air toward the head. Also, the circulation mode may be executed when there is a change in the operating information such as a change in the set temperature or air volume during air conditioning operation, or a change in the air outlet.

1 outside air inlet 2 inside air inlet 3 suction port 4 defroster outlet 5 face outlet 6 foot outlet 7 air conditioning duct 8 fan 9 evaporator 10 heater core 11 air mix door 20 upper circulation passage 21 lower circulation passage 24 passage switching door 25 suction switching door

Claims (1)

A vehicular air conditioner in which a plurality of air outlets are vertically spaced apart from each other in an air conditioning duct having an air inlet, and air that is sucked from the air inlet and conditioned is blown out from the air outlet, wherein each air outlet is connected to the air inlet. and a switching unit that opens and closes the circulation passage so that the air outlet becomes the suction port. When the circulation passage is closed, the air in the air conditioning duct is blown out from the air outlet, When the circulation passage is open, the air inside the vehicle is sucked through the air outlet and introduced into the suction port through the circulation passage,
A control device is provided for executing a circulation mode in which either one of the upper air outlet or the lower air outlet serves as an air intake, and air that has been sucked from one air outlet and has been conditioned is blown out from the other air outlet. and wherein the control device performs a circulation mode by switching one of the air outlets to the air inlet in accordance with the selected air conditioning operation.

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