JP2024062671A - Vehicle ventilation unit and vehicle ventilation structure - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle air blowing unit and vehicle air blowing structure capable of efficiently circulating air between the rear of the vehicle cabin and the outside of the vehicle cabin. [Solution] The air blowing unit 1 includes a duct 11 that circulates air between the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin of a vehicle 3, and a blower 12 that promotes the circulation of air in the duct 11. The duct 11 has an inner opening 11A that opens to the inside of the vehicle cabin and an outer opening 11B that opens to the outside of the vehicle cabin, the outer opening 11B being located in an upper portion of a vehicle side of the vehicle 3, and the inner opening 11A being located rearward of the outer opening 11B and at the rear of the vehicle cabin. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle air blower unit and a vehicle air blower structure.

In a vehicle such as an automobile, one method for efficiently exchanging air inside the vehicle cabin even when there is no wind around the vehicle is to install a blower unit inside the vehicle cabin to ventilate the vehicle. In order to exchange air inside the vehicle cabin, it is necessary to install a blower unit at a position where the inside of the vehicle cabin communicates with the outside of the vehicle cabin. If no special communication opening is provided inside the vehicle cabin, the space between the window glass and the window frame is used as the communication opening. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle ventilation fan that provides ventilation inside the vehicle cabin by providing an arm between the window glass receiving groove of the side window frame corresponding to the front seat of the vehicle and the window glass, and driving a blower fan attached in a suspended manner to the arm.

JP 2009-214852 A

In vehicles where the luggage space is provided at the rear of the passenger compartment, the rear seats may be tilted down into the foot space with the seat backs folded forward to provide a workspace at the rear of the passenger compartment or to create a flat space for passengers to feel comfortable. In such vehicles, it may be necessary to efficiently ventilate the rear of the passenger compartment, including the luggage space.

However, because the above-mentioned conventional vehicle ventilation fans (vehicle blower units) are installed at the top of the side window frame corresponding to the front seats, while they can efficiently ventilate the front of the vehicle interior, it is difficult to efficiently ventilate the space behind the front seats. Even if a conventional vehicle ventilation fan were installed at the top of the side window frame corresponding to the rear seats, it is difficult to efficiently exchange air in the luggage space located behind the rear seats. In some cases, a window for admitting light, such as a quarter window, is installed on the side of the vehicle interior corresponding to the luggage space, but these windows often cannot be opened or closed, leaving room for improvement in terms of efficient ventilation of the rear of the vehicle interior, including the luggage space.

The present invention was made with the above points in mind, and aims to provide a vehicle ventilation unit and vehicle ventilation structure that can efficiently circulate air between the rear of the vehicle cabin and the outside of the vehicle cabin.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle air blowing unit including a duct that circulates air between the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a blower that promotes the circulation of air in the duct. In this vehicle air blowing unit, the duct has an inner opening that opens to the interior of the vehicle, and an outer opening that opens to the exterior of the vehicle, the outer opening being disposed in an upper portion of a vehicle side of the vehicle, and the inner opening being disposed rearward of the outer opening and at the rear of the vehicle interior.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle air blowing structure using a vehicle air blowing unit including a duct that circulates air between the interior and exterior of the vehicle cabin, and a blower that promotes the air flow in the duct. In this vehicle air blowing structure, the duct has an inner opening that opens to the interior of the vehicle cabin and an outer opening that opens to the exterior of the vehicle cabin, the outer opening is disposed in an upper portion of the vehicle cabin side, and the inner opening is disposed rearward of the outer opening and at the rear of the vehicle cabin.

The vehicle air blowing unit and vehicle air blowing structure of the present invention allows air to circulate efficiently between the rear of the vehicle cabin and the outside of the vehicle cabin by arranging the inner opening of the duct toward the rear of the vehicle cabin and at the rear of the vehicle cabin relative to the outer opening that is located in the upper part of the side of the vehicle cabin.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle interior in a vehicle to which a vehicle air blower unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached; 2 is an enlarged side view of the blower unit and its surroundings in FIG. 1 as viewed from inside the vehicle compartment. FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the blower unit in FIG. 2 has been removed. 3 is a partially sectional front view of the vehicle and the blower unit taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which a flat space is formed in the rear part of the vehicle cabin in the above embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a first modified example related to the above embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a second modified example related to the above embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a third modified example related to the above embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a fourth modified example related to the above embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the interior of a vehicle 3 to which a vehicle air blower unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. In each of the drawings described below, the arrow Fr direction indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the arrow U direction indicates the upward direction in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the arrow R direction and the arrow L direction indicate the right and left directions when looking at the front of the vehicle from inside the vehicle cabin.

In FIG. 1, the blower unit 1 of this embodiment is mounted in the passenger compartment of a vehicle 3 such as an automobile. A front seat 31 and a rear seat 32 are installed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 3, and a luggage space L is provided behind the rear seat 32. In other words, the blower unit 1 is mounted in a predetermined position in the passenger compartment of a vehicle 3 that has a luggage space L in the passenger compartment as a ventilation device for replacing air in the rear of the passenger compartment, including the luggage space L.

In addition, FIG. 1 shows the state in which the seat backs of the left front seat 31 and the rear seat 32 of the left and right front seats 31 are folded forward toward the seat surface, and also shows the state in which a luggage board 39 that can be used as a storage platform (described later) is attached to the luggage space L.

The blower unit 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, a duct 11, a blower 12, and a partition member 13. The duct 11 is a tubular member for circulating air between the interior and exterior of the vehicle 3. An inner opening 11A that opens to the interior of the vehicle is formed at one end of the duct 11. In addition, an outer opening 11B that opens to the exterior of the vehicle is formed at the other end of the duct 11. The outer opening 11B is attached to the partition member 13. The partition member 13 is a member (adapter) for supporting the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 on the upper portion of the vehicle side of the vehicle 3.

The blower 12 is an electrically powered device for promoting the flow of air in the duct 11. In this embodiment, the blower 12 is inserted between the inner opening 11A and the outer opening 11B of the duct 11. In other words, the duct 11 and the blower 12 form a flow passage for flowing air in a specific direction between the inside and outside of the vehicle cabin. The part of the blower unit 1 that corresponds to the blower 12 is removably fixed to the upper part of a quarter pillar 33 provided on the side of the vehicle 3.

Note that FIG. 1 illustrates only the right side of the left and right vehicle sides of the vehicle 3. The left and right vehicle sides define both ends of the vehicle width direction in the passenger compartment, i.e., the left and right ends of the space in the vehicle 3 where passengers and the like ride. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the blower unit 1 is attached to the right vehicle side, but the blower unit 1 may also be attached to the left vehicle side. Details of the mounting structure of the blower unit 1 to the vehicle side will be described later.

A rear side door opening 34 is provided on the vehicle side of the vehicle 3 at a position corresponding to the rear seat 32. The rear side door opening 34 is configured to be opened and closed by a rear side door 35. The rear side door 35 forms a part of the vehicle side, and a rear side window opening 35A is provided in the upper part of the rear side door 35. The rear side window opening 35A is configured to be opened and closed by a rear side window glass 36 that can move in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A quarter pillar 33 to which a part of the blower unit 1 corresponding to the blower 12 is fixed is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the rear side door opening 34.

A quarter window glass 37 for lighting is provided on the upper rear side of the quarter pillar 33. Unlike the rear side window glass 36, the quarter window glass 37 is structured so that it cannot be opened or closed. The side trim 38 located on the lower side of the quarter window glass 37 has support parts 38A formed in multiple locations for placing the luggage board 39 described above horizontally or vertically. FIG. 1 shows the luggage board 39 placed horizontally on the support part 38A located on the upper stage of the side trim 38. The luggage board 39 in this state can be used as a platform for placing objects. The inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is located above the luggage board 39.

Here, a specific configuration example of the blower unit 1 and an example of a mounting structure of the blower unit 1 to the side of the vehicle will be described in detail.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the blower unit 1 and its vicinity in Fig. 1, as seen from inside the vehicle compartment. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the blower unit 1 has been removed in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the vehicle and the blower unit taken along line A-A in Fig. 2.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, in the air blower unit 1 of this embodiment, when the rear side window glass 36 is lowered a specified amount, a partition member 13 is fitted into the gap G formed between the upper end of the rear side window glass 36 and the upper part of the rear side window opening 35A (the upper part of the window frame), and the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is attached to the partition member 13.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the partition member 13 is a plate-shaped member extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and is formed so that the total length in the longitudinal direction is approximately equal to the total width (length in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle) of the rear side window opening 35A (Fig. 2). The upper surface of the partition member 13 is provided with a convex portion 13A that protrudes toward the upper side of the vehicle and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle (Fig. 4). The convex portion 13A is configured to be able to engage with a window glass receiving groove 35B formed on the upper underside of the rear side window opening 35A.

The underside of the partition member 13 is provided with a recessed portion 13B that is recessed toward the upper side of the vehicle and extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle (Figure 4). The recessed portion 13B is configured to be able to engage with the upper end of the rear side window glass 36. The rear side window glass 36 is supported between the door inner panel 35C and the door outer panel 35D that form the lower part of the rear side door 35 so that it can move in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

Furthermore, the rear part of the partition member 13 is provided with an air vent 13C penetrating in the vehicle width direction. The air vent 13C has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle. However, the shape of the air vent 13C is not limited to a substantially circular shape. The outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is attached from the inside in the vehicle width direction to the periphery of the air vent 13C in the partition member 13. In this embodiment, depending on the rotation direction of the blower 12, the air that has flowed through the duct 11 is exhausted to the outside of the vehicle compartment through the air vent 13C of the partition member 13, or the air outside the vehicle compartment is sucked into the duct 11 through the air vent 13C of the partition member 13. In the mounting structure of the duct 11 using such a partition member 13, the area A1 of the air vent 13C of the partition member 13 corresponds to the substantial opening area of the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 (FIG. 2).

The partition member 13 to which the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is attached is brought into a state in which the convex portion 13A on the upper surface side engages with the window glass receiving groove 35B of the rear side window opening 35A and the concave portion 13B on the lower surface engages with the upper end of the rear side window glass 36 by adjusting the vertical position of the rear side window glass 36. As a result, the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 opens to the outside of the vehicle compartment through the ventilation hole 13C of the partition member 13 fitted into the gap G between the upper end of the rear side window glass 36 and the window glass receiving groove 35B of the rear side window opening 35A.

In this embodiment, the duct 11 extends from the outer opening 11B toward the passenger compartment, then curves toward the bottom of the vehicle, and extends while inclining toward the rear of the vehicle as it approaches the bottom of the vehicle, and is connected to the housing 11C of the blower 12 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4). The housing 11C formed in the duct 11 expands the internal space (air flow passage) of the duct 11 in the vertical direction and the width direction of the vehicle to match the external shape of the blower 12. In other words, the duct 11 has an expanded diameter section formed between the inner opening 11A and the outer opening 11B, which expands the diameter of the air flow passage, and the blower 12 is housed in the expanded diameter section. In other words, the housing 11C (expanded diameter section) gradually expands and contracts toward the upstream and downstream sides of the blower 12. In this way, the air flow passage in the duct 11 expands and contracts before and after the blower 12, so that the fluid resistance gradually changes, making it difficult for turbulence to occur.

In this embodiment, the storage section 11C of the duct 11 has a generally rectangular shape in a front view from the front side of the vehicle (FIG. 4). The cross-sectional area A2 perpendicular to the air flow direction in the internal space of the storage section 11C is set to be larger than the area A1 of the vent 13C of the partition member 13 (the actual opening area of the outer opening 11B of the duct 11).

Furthermore, the duct 11 extends from the housing 11C of the blower 12 toward the rear of the vehicle, then curves and extends downward toward the vehicle bottom (Fig. 2). An inner opening 11A is formed at the tip (lower end) of the duct 11. The inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is positioned so as to be located above the vehicle in a circular recessed portion 39A formed in the upper surface of the luggage board 39 placed horizontally (Figs. 1, 2, and 4). The recessed portion 39A is provided so that beverage containers, tableware, etc. can be easily placed on the luggage board 39.

At least a portion of the duct 11 as described above is disposed in a position facing the seat surface of the rear seat 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle (FIGS. 1 and 2). In other words, in a top view of the vehicle 3 from above, at least a portion of the duct 11 is disposed so as to overlap with the seat surface of the rear seat 32. In this embodiment, the portion of the duct 11 extending from the outer opening 11B into the passenger compartment faces the seat surface of the rear seat 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Also, in a front view of the vehicle 3 from the front side, the duct 11 is disposed so as to overlap with the seat back of the right front seat 31 (FIG. 1).

The inner wall surface of the duct 11 is formed with an inclined portion 11D that is inclined upward from the lower portion of the outer opening 11B toward the inside of the vehicle compartment (FIG. 4). The inclined portion 11D, which gradually becomes higher from the outside of the vehicle compartment toward the inside of the vehicle compartment, is provided near the outer opening 11B of the inner wall surface of the duct 11, so that rainwater, etc. can be prevented from entering the duct 11 through the ventilation opening 13C of the partition member 13 and the outer opening 11B. In addition, a waterproof rib 11E protruding upward from the tip portion of the inclined portion 11D (the end portion on the inside of the vehicle compartment) is provided. By providing such a waterproof rib 11E, it is possible to prevent rainwater, etc. that has exceeded the inclined portion 11D from entering the housing portion 11C of the blower 12 in the duct 11. Even if rainwater, etc., enters beyond the waterproof rib 11E, the rainwater, etc. is stored in the portion of the housing portion 11C of the blower 12 that is recessed downward from the vehicle, so that it is possible to prevent rainwater, etc. from entering the vehicle compartment. Although not shown here, a separate drain outlet may be provided at the bottom of the storage section 11C.

The curved portion of the duct 11 located between the housing 11C of the blower 12 and the inner opening 11A forms a flow passage change section 11G where the direction of air flow in the duct 11 changes (Fig. 2). The flow passage change section 11G is configured so that if a foreign object is sucked into the duct 11 from the inner opening 11A while the blower 12 is operating, the foreign object collides with the inner wall surface of the flow passage change section 11G.

The blower 12 housed in the housing 11C of the duct 11 has, for example, an impeller 12A and a motor 12B that drives the impeller 12A. The impeller 12A is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 12B. The motor 12B can rotate the impeller 12A forward and backward around a rotating shaft that extends along the vehicle front-rear direction. The motor 12B operates by receiving power from a battery (not shown) mounted on the vehicle through a power supply port 42 (described later) and electrical wiring 43 that are provided on the quarter pillar 33 of the vehicle 3. An operating unit 12C of the motor 12B is provided on the outer wall surface of the duct 11 (FIGS. 2 and 4), and the on/off and rotation direction of the motor 12B are switched by the occupant of the vehicle 3 operating the operating unit 12C.

The portion of the duct 11 that corresponds to the housing 11C of the blower 12 is detachably fixed to the upper part of the quarter pillar 33 via a support member (adapter) 14 (FIG. 4). In this embodiment, the quarter pillar 33 has a pillar inner panel 33A and a pillar outer panel 33B, and the pillar inner panel 33A forms part of the interior wall of the vehicle. The upper part of the pillar inner panel 33A is provided with two fixing parts 40 made of utility nuts or the like at intervals in the vertical direction of the vehicle (FIGS. 3 and 4). Between the two fixing parts 40 of the pillar inner panel 33A, a power supply port 42 is provided that is connected to the battery described above via an electrical wiring 43.

The support member 14 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, with its inner end in the vehicle width direction joined to a portion of the duct 11 that corresponds to the housing portion 11C of the blower 12, and its outer end in the vehicle width direction fixed to each fixing portion 40 of the pillar inner panel 33A with connecting members 41 such as bolts (FIG. 4). A power receiving port 44 is provided on the outer end surface of the support member 14 in the vehicle width direction at a position corresponding to the power supply port 42 on the side of the pillar inner panel 33A. The motor 12B is connected to the power receiving port 44 via electrical wiring 43, and the electrodes provided on the power supply port 42 and the power receiving port 44 come into contact with each other, thereby supplying power from the vehicle battery to the motor 12B.

Next, the operation of the blower unit 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail.
In the blower unit 1 configured as described above, the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is positioned by utilizing the gap G between the rear side window opening 35A and the rear side window glass 36 in a vehicle 3 having a luggage space L inside the passenger compartment, and the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is positioned rearward of the outer opening 11B and in the luggage space L at the rear of the vehicle.

In such a blower unit 1, when an occupant of the vehicle 3 operates the operating section 12C of the blower unit 1 to turn on the motor 12B of the blower 12 and rotate the impeller 12A in one direction (forward rotation), the air in the duct 11 flows from the inner opening 11A side to the outer opening 11B side, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 2. In other words, even if there is no wind around the vehicle 3, air above the luggage board 39 is sucked into the duct 11 from the inner opening 11A and is discharged outside the passenger compartment through the housing section 11C of the blower 12, the outer opening 11B, and the vent 13C of the partition member 13.

In addition, when the occupant operates the operating section 12C to rotate the impeller 12A of the blower 12 in the opposite direction (reverse rotation), the air in the duct 11 flows from the outer opening 11B side to the inner opening 11A side (not shown). In other words, even if there is no wind around the vehicle 3, air outside the passenger compartment is taken into the duct 11 from the outer opening 11B via the ventilation opening 13C of the partition member 13, and is sent out above the luggage board 39 inside the passenger compartment through the housing section 11C of the blower 12 and the inner opening 11A.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, when the luggage board 39 is placed horizontally on the support portion 38A located at the upper part of the side trim 38 provided on the side of the luggage space L, the air above the luggage board 39, particularly around the recessed portion 39A, is efficiently replaced with air outside the vehicle compartment by the blower unit 1. If the recessed portion 39A of the luggage board 39 shown in Figure 1 etc. were to have a through hole (not shown) that penetrates in the vertical direction, the blower unit 1 would also be able to efficiently exchange air between the space below the luggage board 39 and the outside of the vehicle compartment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the seat back of the rear seat 32 is tilted forward toward the upper surface of the seat and the seat is tilted down from the seating position to the foot space located forward and below, the seat back of the front seat 31 is tilted backward above the rear seat 32, and the luggage board 39 is placed horizontally on the support portion 38A located at the lower level of the side trim 38 to form a flat space within the vehicle cabin, the air above the occupant lying down to rest in the flat space can be efficiently replaced by the air outside the vehicle cabin through the blower unit 1.

According to the blower unit 1 of the present embodiment as described above, the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is disposed in the upper part of the vehicle side of the vehicle 3, and the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is disposed on the vehicle rear side and in the rear of the vehicle compartment relative to the outer opening 11B, so that air can be efficiently circulated between the rear of the vehicle compartment and the outside of the vehicle compartment. In particular, if the partition member 13 to which the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is attached is fitted into the gap G between the upper end of the rear side window glass 36 and the window glass receiving groove 35B of the rear side window opening 35A, and the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the outer opening 11B, the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is positioned on the vehicle rear side of the rear seat 32, so that air can be efficiently circulated between the rear of the vehicle compartment including the luggage space L and the outside of the vehicle compartment. In addition, since there is no need to provide a separate ventilation opening for the blower unit 1 on the vehicle 3 side, the blower unit 1 can be easily applied to a variety of vehicle models.

In addition, in the blower unit 1 of this embodiment, the blower 12 is positioned further rearward of the vehicle than the outer opening 11B of the duct 11. This makes it less likely that the blower 12 will overlap the rear side window glass 36 in the vehicle width direction, preventing the blower 12 from blocking the view of the rear side window glass 36. If the blower 12 is less likely to block the view of the rear side window glass 36, there is more freedom in the size and shape of the blowing surface of the blower 12, making it possible to improve the blowing efficiency of the blower unit 1.

In the blower unit 1 of this embodiment, the duct 11 has a housing 11C for the blower 12, and the cross-sectional area A2 perpendicular to the air flow direction in the internal space of the housing 11C is larger than the area A1 of the vent 13C of the partition member 13 (the actual opening area of the outer opening 11B of the duct 11). This makes it possible to increase the blowing surface of the blower 12 and increase the amount of air blown while preventing rainwater and the like from entering the duct 11 from the outer opening 11B of the duct 11. In addition, since the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 can be made smaller while ensuring the required blowing performance of the blower 12, it is possible to prevent the narrowing of the field of view of the rear side window glass 36 caused by the installation of the blower unit 1.

In this embodiment, instead of directly connecting the ventilation fan (blower) to the window frame as in the conventional vehicle ventilation fan described above, a housing section 11C for the blower 12 is provided in the middle of the duct 11, and the blower 12 is connected to the rear side window opening 35A via the duct 11. This allows the size of the blower 12 to be selected according to the application, and makes it possible to make the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 smaller relative to the size of the blower 12. In addition, because there is a certain distance between the blower 12 and the rear side window opening 35A, it is also possible to prevent loss of flow rate due to sudden deformation of the duct 11.

In addition, in the blower unit 1 of this embodiment, the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 opens to the inside of the passenger compartment and toward the lower side of the vehicle, so that the air in the space below the inner opening 11A can be efficiently ventilated. This effect is particularly effective when sleeping in the vehicle using the flat space in the passenger compartment as illustrated in FIG. 5. In addition, even if a foreign object is sucked into the duct 11 from the inner opening 11A of the duct 11, gravity acts on the foreign object, making it difficult for the foreign object to move toward the blower 12.

In addition, in the blower unit 1 of this embodiment, the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 is positioned above the luggage board 39 (supporting platform) that is placed horizontally in the luggage space L inside the vehicle cabin, so that steam and odors generated from beverage containers, tableware, etc. placed on the luggage board 39 can be efficiently exhausted outside the vehicle cabin, making it easier to create a comfortable environment in the multi-purpose space formed at the rear of the vehicle cabin.

In addition, in the blower unit 1 of this embodiment, a flow path change section 11G that changes the air flow direction is provided between the housing section 11C of the blower 12 in the duct 11 and the inner opening 11A. This makes it difficult for foreign matter sucked into the duct 11 from the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 to collide with the inner wall surface of the flow path change section 11G and be guided to the housing section 11C, thereby preventing the foreign matter from coming into contact with the blower 12.

In addition, in the blower unit 1 of this embodiment, at least a part of the duct 11 is disposed in a position facing the seat surface of the rear seat 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. This arrangement makes it difficult for an occupant to sit directly below the duct 11 on the rear seat 32, making it difficult to have an occupant sit in the rear seat 32 with the seat back of the rear seat 32 in an upright position (normal use state) and to install the blower unit 1 at the same time. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which the head of an occupant seated on the rear seat 32 in the normal use state is positioned near the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 of the blower unit 1, causing discomfort to the occupant.

In addition, since the air blower unit 1 of this embodiment is removably attached to the vehicle 3, the air blower unit 1 can be removed when ventilation of the rear of the vehicle compartment is not required, and the limited space at the rear of the vehicle compartment, including the luggage space L, can be effectively utilized.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example was described in which a blower 12 having an impeller 12A is disposed between the inner opening 11A and the outer opening 11B of the duct 11, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Various modified examples of the blower unit 1 are described below.

6 to 8 are side views showing schematic configurations of modified examples of the blower unit 1 related to the above-described embodiment.
In the first modified example shown in Fig. 6, a sirocco fan 15 is used instead of the blower 12 having the impeller 12A in the above-mentioned embodiment. The sirocco fan 15 is a drum-shaped centrifugal fan with a number of angled blades standing vertically on a disk. The sirocco fan 15 is configured to blow air in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The sirocco fan 15 in the first modified example is disposed between the inner opening 11A and the outer opening 11B in the duct 11.

In the first modified example as described above, when the sirocco fan 15 rotates in one direction (forward rotation), as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 6, air sucked into the duct 11 from the inner opening 11A passes through the sirocco fan 15 from the lower side to the front side, and is exhausted to the outside of the vehicle compartment through the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 and the vent 13C of the partition member 13. Also, when the sirocco fan 15 rotates in the opposite direction (reverse rotation), the air in the duct 11 flows in the opposite direction to the above. With the blower unit 1 of this first modified example, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

In the second modified example shown in FIG. 7, the blower 12 in the above-mentioned embodiment is disposed at the inner opening 11A of the duct 11. In other words, the blower 12 is disposed at a position facing the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 so that the rear airflow surface of the blower 12 opens toward the passenger compartment. According to this second modified example, in addition to the effects of the above-mentioned embodiment, it becomes possible to efficiently take in air from a wide area at the rear of the passenger compartment into the duct 11, or to blow air from outside the passenger compartment to a wide area at the rear of the passenger compartment. Although not shown in the figure, it is of course possible to dispose the blower 12 at a position facing the outer opening 11B of the duct 11.

In the third modified example shown in FIG. 8, the portion of the duct 11 in the above-described embodiment from the blower 12 to the inner opening 11A is a position adjustment unit 11F that is rotatable and removable around an axis along the vehicle longitudinal direction. The position adjustment unit 11F of the duct 11 can be adjusted, for example, from a state in which the inner opening 11A opens toward the lower side of the vehicle (dashed line) as in the above-described embodiment, to a state in which the inner opening 11A of the duct 11 opens toward the inside in the vehicle width direction (solid line) by rotating it clockwise toward the front of the vehicle by approximately 90 degrees. By providing such a position adjustment unit 11F to the duct 11, in addition to the effect of the above-described embodiment, it is possible to efficiently ventilate the desired space in the rear of the vehicle compartment. Also, by removing the position adjustment unit 11F, it is possible to secure a large space in the rear of the vehicle compartment while ventilating the rear of the vehicle compartment.

In the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 9, fans 16A, 16B with smaller blowing surfaces than the blower 12 in the above-described embodiment are provided in a multi-stage configuration (here, two stages) between the inner opening 11A and the outer opening 11B in the duct 11. The blowing surface of each fan 16A, 16B has a size approximately equal to the inner diameter of the duct 11. The fan 16A on the inside of the passenger compartment (rear side of the vehicle) and the fan 16B on the outside of the passenger compartment (front side of the vehicle) are arranged with a required distance in the flow passage in the duct 11. By providing such multi-stage fans 16A, 16B in the duct 11, it is possible to reduce the size of the blower unit 1 while ensuring the required blowing performance.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the blower unit 1 was attached to one of the left and right vehicle sides (the right side) of the vehicle 3, but it is also possible to attach the blower unit 1 to both the left and right vehicle sides. In this case, by reversing the rotation direction of the blower 12 in the left and right blower units 1 and using one blower unit 1 as an exhaust device and the other blower unit 1 as an intake device, the rear of the vehicle compartment can be ventilated more efficiently.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is arranged on the rear side window opening 35A side, but the arrangement of the outer opening 11B is not limited to the above example. For example, if the vehicle is provided with an air circulation port (ventilation port) that circulates air between the outside and the inside of the vehicle cabin, the outer opening of the duct may be arranged in a position that can communicate with the air circulation port (for example, a position facing a ventilation port provided on the side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction). Alternatively, it is also possible to arrange the outer opening of the duct on the side of the air circulation port on the top surface, such as an opening and closing roof window opening provided on the ceiling of the vehicle cabin (roof panel).

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the outer opening 11B of the duct 11 is positioned higher than the inner opening 11A, but the outer opening and the inner opening may be positioned at the same height, or the inner opening may be positioned higher than the outer opening. When the outer opening and the inner opening are positioned at the same height, the duct can be extended in a substantially straight line in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, so that the flow path dimension (total length in the air flow direction) can be shortened, or the pressure loss in the duct can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the blower unit 1 is removably attached to the vehicle side of the vehicle 3, but the blower unit 1 may be pre-assembled to the vehicle side as a vehicle blowing structure in the vehicle 3.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1...Blower unit 11...Duct 11A...Inner opening 11B...Outer opening 11C...Storage section 11D...Inclined section 11E...Waterproof rib 11F...Position adjustment section 11G...Flow passage change section 12...Blower 12A...Impeller 12B...Motor 12C...Operation section 13...Partition member 13A...Convex section 13B...Concave section 13C...Ventilation opening 14...Support member 3...Vehicle 31...Front seat 32...Rear seat 33...Quarter pillar 34...Rear side door opening 35...Rear side door 35A...Rear side window opening 36...Rear side window glass 37...Quarter window glass 38...Side trim 39...Luggage board 40...Fixed section 41...Connecting member 42...Power supply port 43...Electrical wiring 44...Power receiving port G...Gap L: Luggage space

Claims (9)

A duct for circulating air between an interior and an exterior of a vehicle;
A blower that promotes the flow of air within the duct;
A vehicle blower unit comprising:
The duct is
An inner opening that opens to the inside of the vehicle interior;
an outer opening portion that opens to the outside of the vehicle compartment;
The outer opening is disposed in an upper portion of a vehicle side of the vehicle,
The vehicle air blower unit, wherein the inner opening is disposed rearward of the outer opening and at a rear portion of a passenger compartment. The vehicle blower unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the blower is disposed rearward of the vehicle relative to the outer opening. The duct has a housing portion capable of housing the blower therein,
2. The vehicle blower unit according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the internal space of the housing portion perpendicular to the air flow direction is larger than an opening area of the outer opening. The vehicle blower unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner opening opens toward the inside of the vehicle compartment and toward the lower side of the vehicle. The vehicle blower unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner opening is disposed above a platform for placing objects provided in the vehicle. The duct is
A housing portion capable of housing the blower therein;
a flow passage change portion in which the flow direction of the air changes between the storage portion and the inner opening portion;
2. The vehicle air blower unit according to claim 1, further comprising: The vehicle air blower unit according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of the duct is disposed in a position facing the seat surface of the seat disposed on the interior side of the vehicle side in the vehicle vertical direction. The vehicle blower unit according to claim 1, characterized in that it is detachably attached to the vehicle. A duct for circulating air between an interior and an exterior of a vehicle;
A blower that promotes the flow of air within the duct;
In a vehicle air blowing structure using a vehicle air blowing unit comprising:
The duct is
An inner opening that opens to the inside of the vehicle interior;
an outer opening portion that opens to the outside of the vehicle compartment;
The outer opening is disposed in an upper portion of a side portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle,
The vehicle ventilation structure, wherein the inner opening is disposed rearward of the outer opening and at a rear portion of a vehicle compartment.

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