JP2024074496A - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

To inhibit interference between flow of air suctioned into a fan and back flow from a scroll casing to reduce noise.SOLUTION: A circular suction port 20a for suctioning air for air conditioning is formed at an end wall part located at one end side as seen in a rotation axis direction of a fan 21 in a blast casing 20. When viewed along a rotation axis 300 of the fan 21, a center of the suction port 20a is eccentric relative to the rotation axis 300 of the fan 21 in a direction away from a nose part 24. An inner surface of the end wall part of the blast casing 20 is formed with an annular part 27 protruding in a direction toward the fan 21 and extending in an annular form.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle air conditioner that is installed in, for example, an automobile.

A known vehicle air conditioner is, for example, one that includes an evaporator and heater core, an air conditioning casing that houses them, and a blower fan that blows conditioned air. The conditioned air blown from the blower fan is cooled by the evaporator, and then, due to the action of the air mix damper, is heated by the heater core or bypasses the heater core, and becomes conditioned air of the desired temperature inside the air conditioning casing before being supplied to various parts of the passenger compartment.

On the other hand, centrifugal fans are known as blower fans, for example as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3. In the centrifugal fan of Patent Document 1, an opening that serves as an air intake is formed in the cover plate of the fan case, and this opening is offset from the center of rotation of the fan in a direction approaching the tongue (nose).

In addition, in the centrifugal fan of Patent Document 2, the intake port is offset away from the exhaust port relative to the center of rotation of the fan.

In addition, in the centrifugal fan of Patent Document 3, the rotation axis of the fan is tilted relative to the central axis of the suction port, so that the gap between the suction port and the fan increases toward the vicinity of the air outlet.

JP 2015-96716 A JP 2009-36049 A International Publication No. WO 2010/137140

When a vehicle air conditioner is cooling, the air for conditioning passes through the evaporator before being supplied to the passenger compartment. However, when heating, the air for conditioning passes through the evaporator and then also through the heater core before being supplied to the passenger compartment. This means that the airflow resistance in the air conditioning casing tends to be higher during heating than during cooling. Furthermore, when heating, it is necessary to supply warm air through a duct or the like that extends toward the vicinity of the passenger's feet, which can also increase the airflow resistance in the air conditioning casing. In other words, in the case of a vehicle air conditioner, the airflow resistance in the air conditioning casing is more likely to be higher during heating than during cooling.

Meanwhile, the blower of a vehicle air conditioner has a centrifugal fan, and the air for conditioning drawn in from an intake port located on one side of the rotational axis direction of the centrifugal fan flows out in the radial direction of the centrifugal fan, flows inside the scroll casing, and then flows into the air conditioning casing from the outlet. At this time, if the air flow resistance inside the air conditioning casing is high, such as during heating as described above, the air flowing inside the scroll casing will flow back toward the intake port, causing interference between the flow of air drawn into the fan and the backflow from inside the scroll casing, resulting in a problem of increased noise. Because the air conditioner is installed inside the vehicle cabin, there is a problem that loud noise can easily make the occupants feel uncomfortable.

Therefore, there are structures such as Patent Document 1, which offsets the intake port in a direction approaching the tongue portion relative to the rotation center of the fan, and Patent Document 2, which offsets the intake port in a direction away from the exhaust port relative to the rotation center of the fan. However, as a result of the investigations conducted by the present inventors, in the case of vehicle air conditioners, the structures of Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not sufficiently suppress the above-mentioned backflow.

In addition, as in Patent Document 3, there is a structure in which the rotation axis of the fan is inclined relative to the central axis of the suction port, but it is difficult to set the positional relationship between the scroll casing and the suction port, and the gap between the suction port and the fan increases in some circumferential directions, which is thought to be insufficient to suppress backflow. Furthermore, the space inside the vehicle cabin is limited, and there are cases in which a layout in which the rotation axis of the fan is inclined relative to the central axis of the suction port cannot be established.

This disclosure was made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to reduce noise by suppressing interference between the flow of air drawn into the fan and the backflow from inside the scroll casing.

In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle air conditioner is provided that includes a blower, an air conditioning casing that houses a cooling heat exchanger into which the air conditioning air blown from the blower is introduced and a heating heat exchanger that heats the air conditioning air cooled by the cooling heat exchanger, and that supplies conditioned air generated in the air conditioning casing to each part of the vehicle cabin. The blower has a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing that houses the centrifugal fan and has a nose portion and a discharge port. In addition, a circular intake port that draws in the air conditioning air is formed in an end wall portion of the scroll casing that is located on one end side of the rotation axis direction of the centrifugal fan, and when viewed along the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan, the center of the intake port is eccentric in a direction away from the nose portion with respect to the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan. Furthermore, an annular portion is formed on the inner surface of the end wall of the scroll casing, protruding in a direction approaching the centrifugal fan and extending in an annular shape.

With this configuration, when the centrifugal fan rotates, air for conditioning is sucked in through the intake port, flows into the scroll casing, and is introduced into the air conditioning casing through the exhaust port, where the air is temperature-adjusted by the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger before being supplied to each part of the vehicle cabin. At this time, the intake port of the scroll casing is eccentric in a direction away from the nose portion with respect to the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan, and a ring portion protrudes from the inner surface of the end wall portion of the scroll casing in a direction approaching the centrifugal fan. Therefore, even when the air flow resistance inside the air conditioning casing is high, such as during heating, the air flowing inside the scroll casing is unlikely to flow back toward the intake port. In other words, because the backflow of the air flowing inside the scroll casing is suppressed, interference with the flow of air sucked into the fan is unlikely to occur, and noise is reduced.

When viewed along the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan, the annular portion may be positioned concentrically with the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan. With this configuration, the gap between the tip of the annular portion and the centrifugal fan can be made small all around, further reducing the backflow of air flowing through the scroll casing toward the suction port.

The annular portion may have a larger diameter than the suction port. In this case, the end wall portion of the scroll casing has an extension plate portion that extends from the base of the annular portion toward the inside in the radial direction of the annular portion, and the suction port can be formed by the peripheral portion of the extension plate portion. With this configuration, backflow toward the suction port is further suppressed.

The diameter of the suction port may be smaller than the diameter of the centrifugal fan, and the diameter of the annular portion may be smaller than the diameter of the centrifugal fan.

The tip of the annular portion may be positioned on the other end side of the one end face in the rotation axis direction of the centrifugal fan. This positions the tip of the annular portion inside the centrifugal fan, making it difficult for air flowing inside the scroll casing to flow past the annular portion toward the air outlet side.

The scroll casing can be made of a resin material, in which case the annular portion can be integrally molded with the end wall of the scroll casing. This not only reduces the number of parts, but also ensures that the annular portion and the suction port are formed in the same material, allowing the positional relationship between the two to be properly maintained.

As explained above, the center of the suction port is offset from the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan in a direction away from the nose portion, and a ring portion is formed on the inner surface of the scroll casing that protrudes toward the centrifugal fan, which makes it possible to suppress interference between the flow of air sucked into the fan and the backflow from inside the scroll casing, thereby reducing noise.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a diagram showing the interior of an automobile equipped with an automotive air conditioning system; FIG. 2 is a left side view of the vehicle air conditioning device. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vehicle air conditioning device taken along a front-rear direction of a vehicle. FIG. FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7. FIG. 1 is a graph showing noise measurement results of the present invention and a comparative example.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiment is essentially merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This vehicle air conditioner 1 is disposed in the passenger compartment R of an automobile 100, a portion of which is shown in Figure 2, and is a device for conditioning the passenger compartment R. In explaining this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front, the rear side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the rear, the left side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the left, and the right side of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the right, but these definitions are for the sake of convenience of explanation and do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, the left-right direction of the vehicle air conditioner 1 corresponds to the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, a front seat 101 consisting of a driver's seat and a passenger seat spaced apart in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) is arranged in the front part of the vehicle interior R of the automobile 100. A second row seat 102 is arranged behind the front seat (first row seat) 101 in the passenger compartment R of the automobile 100, and a third row seat 103 is arranged behind the second row seat 102. In other words, the automobile 100 is a vehicle equipped with a front seat 101, a second row seat 102, and a third row seat 103. The passenger compartment R may include part or all of the luggage compartment.

An instrument panel P is disposed in front of the front seat 101 in the passenger compartment R of the automobile 100. A front seat air conditioner 200, separate from the vehicle air conditioner 1, is disposed inside this instrument panel P. The front seat air conditioner 200 generates conditioned air mainly to be supplied to the occupants of the front seat 101 and to the inner surface of the windshield G. Although not shown, the front seat air conditioner 200 has a cooler, a heater, an air mix damper, an air outlet direction switching damper, etc. Note that ducts are omitted in FIG. 2.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 is a rear seat air conditioner that supplies conditioned air to passengers in the second and third row seats 102, 103, and is disposed at a location rearward away from the front seat air conditioner 200. An example of a location where the vehicle air conditioner 1 is disposed is between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. Although not shown, a center console that is long in the front-rear direction is disposed between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, and the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be accommodated inside this center console. In addition, a cover (not shown) that covers the vehicle air conditioner 1 is provided in the passenger compartment R. The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes a blower unit 2 and an air conditioning unit 3. The blower unit (blower) 2 and the air conditioning unit 3 may be separate or may be integrated. In addition, the blower unit 2 and the air conditioning unit 3 may be disposed so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction, or may be disposed so as to be aligned in the up-down direction.

(Configuration of Air Conditioning Unit)
3 and 4, the air conditioning unit 3 is disposed behind the blower unit 2 and includes an air conditioning casing 30 into which conditioned air blown from the blower unit 2 is introduced. The air conditioning casing 30 is a member that houses an evaporator (cooling heat exchanger) 40 and a heater core (heating heat exchanger) 41, which will be described later. The air conditioning casing 30 and the blower casing 20 may be configured as separate members, or the air conditioning casing 30 and the blower casing 20 may be integrally molded.

1, 3, 4, etc., the air conditioning casing 30 is configured by combining multiple air conditioning casing components 31 to 33. The rear part of the air blower casing 20 is connected to the front part of the air conditioning casing 30 and integrated. The air conditioning casing 30 of this embodiment is configured by a left air conditioning casing component 31 that configures the left part of the air conditioning casing 30, a right air conditioning casing component 32 that configures the right part of the air conditioning casing 30, and a bottom air conditioning casing component 33 that configures the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30. The left air conditioning casing component 31, the right air conditioning casing component 32, and the bottom air conditioning casing component 33 are formed by injection molding, for example, a resin material. The number of air conditioning casing components that configure the air conditioning casing 30 is not limited to three, and may be two, four or more.

The air conditioning casing 30 is set so that its dimension in the front-to-rear direction is longer than its dimension in the up-to-down direction, and as a whole has a shape that is longer in the front-to-rear direction than the air blower casing 20. This makes it possible to arrange the air conditioning casing 30 between the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

As shown in FIG. 4, an air inlet 30c is formed in the vertical middle of the front wall of the air conditioning casing 30 to introduce air for conditioning into the interior of the air conditioning casing 30. The air inlet 30c is connected to the air discharge section 20b (described later) of the blower casing 20, and the air for conditioning blown from the blower unit 2 is introduced from the front side of the air conditioning casing 30 and forms a flow toward the rear side. Therefore, the main flow of the air for conditioning flowing through the air conditioning casing 30 flows from the front side to the rear side. Since the interior of the air conditioning casing 30 has a complex shape, air may flow upward or downward depending on the location.

The air conditioning unit 3 includes an evaporator 40 that cools the air for air conditioning introduced by the blower unit 2 to generate cold air, and a heater core 41 that heats the air for air conditioning cooled by the evaporator 40 to generate warm air. The evaporator 40 and the heater core 41 are housed in the air conditioning casing 30, and the heater core 41 is disposed downstream of the evaporator 40 in the air flow direction. The evaporator 40 is disposed at an incline so that the upper part of the evaporator 40 is located upstream of the lower part in the air flow direction. The heater core 41 is also disposed at an incline so that the upper part of the heater core 41 is located upstream of the lower part in the air flow direction.

The evaporator 40 has an upper header tank 40a, a lower header tank 40b, and a core 40c. The upper header tank 40a is a member that constitutes the upper part of the evaporator 40, and extends from the left wall to the right wall of the air conditioning casing 30, and has a shape that is long in the left-right direction. The lower header tank 40b is a member that constitutes the lower part of the evaporator 40, and extends from the left wall to the right wall of the air conditioning casing 30, and has a shape that is long in the left-right direction. The core 40c is provided between the upper header tank 40a and the lower header tank 40b, and is an integrated structure in which multiple tubes and fins (both not shown) that are long in the vertical direction are alternately stacked in the left-right direction. Air for air conditioning passes between the tubes. The upper part of the tube is connected to the upper header tank 40a, and the lower part of the tube is connected to the lower header tank 40b.

The automobile 100 is equipped with a compressor (not shown) that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser (not shown), an expansion valve 42, etc. These devices form a refrigeration cycle. The expansion valve 42 is fixed to the bottom air conditioning casing component 33.

The evaporator 40 is designed to receive refrigerant that has been decompressed by the expansion valve 42. After the refrigerant flows into the upper header tank 40a and the lower header tank 40b, it flows through the tubes of the core 40c and exchanges heat with the air for air conditioning, thereby cooling the air for air conditioning. When the air for air conditioning is cooled, condensed water is generated on the surfaces of the tubes and the fins. The generated condensed water flows down the tubes and fins due to the action of gravity to the lower part of the evaporator 40 and drips onto the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30. In addition, when a large amount of condensed water is generated, the condensed water may also drip from the vertical middle part of the evaporator 40 onto the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30.

The heater core 41 has an upper header tank 41a, a lower header tank 41b, and a core 41c. The upper header tank 41a is a member that constitutes the upper part of the heater core 41, and extends from the left side wall to the right side wall of the air conditioning casing 30, and has a shape that is long in the left-right direction. The lower header tank 41b is a member that constitutes the lower part of the heater core 41, and extends from the left side wall to the right side wall of the air conditioning casing 30, and has a shape that is long in the left-right direction. The core 41c is provided between the upper header tank 41a and the lower header tank 41b, and is an integrated structure in which multiple tubes and fins (both not shown) that are long in the vertical direction are alternately stacked in the left-right direction. Air for air conditioning passes between the tubes. The upper part of the tube is connected to the upper header tank 41a, and the lower part of the tube is connected to the lower header tank 41b.

Cooling water for cooling the engine, motor, inverter, etc., which are heat sources in the automobile 100, flows into the heater core 41. Also, instead of the heater core 41, for example, the above-mentioned condenser, etc., may be installed, or an electric heater that generates heat when electricity is applied, etc. may be installed.

The vertical dimension of the heater core 41 is set to be shorter than the vertical dimension of the evaporator 40. In addition, the dimension of the heater core 41 in the air passage direction is set to be shorter than the dimension of the evaporator 40 in the air passage direction. Furthermore, the top of the heater core 41 is positioned lower than the top of the evaporator 40.

For example, the left air conditioning casing component 31 and the right air conditioning casing component 32 can be integrated by assembling the left air conditioning casing component 31 to the right air conditioning casing component 32 from the left side, and the left air conditioning casing component 31 and the right air conditioning casing component 32 can also be integrated by assembling the right air conditioning casing component 32 to the left air conditioning casing component 31 from the right side. The fitting portion C of the outer periphery of the left air conditioning casing component 31 and the right air conditioning casing component 32 is provided around the air conditioning casing 30, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, etc.

The lower part of the evaporator 40 is supported by a support part 43. That is, two support parts 43 that protrude upward from the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30 and support the lower part of the evaporator 40 from below are provided at a distance from each other in the left-right direction, which is a direction intersecting the air flow direction.

A drain section 44 for draining condensed water is provided downstream of the evaporator 40 in the air flow direction on the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30. The drain section 44 is located in the middle in the left-right direction at the rear of the bottom air conditioning casing component 33. The bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30 is inclined so that the part where the drain section 44 is provided is located at the lowest position. The drain section 44 is composed of a cylindrical or tubular section that opens on the upper surface of the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30 and extends downward, and is connected to the outside of the vehicle compartment through an opening formed in the floor panel (not shown) of the vehicle body. Therefore, the condensed water that flows into the drain section 44 is drained to the outside of the vehicle compartment by the drain section 44. In this embodiment, the drain section 44 is positioned directly below the heater core 41.

Inside the air conditioning unit 3, a cold air generation passage R1, a hot air generation passage R2, a bypass passage R3, and an air mix space R4 are formed. The cold air generation passage R1 is formed in the front part inside the air conditioning unit 3. The upstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 is connected to the air inlet 30c. The cold air generation passage R1 extends rearward from the connection part to the air inlet 30c. The vertical dimension of the cold air generation passage R1 becomes longer toward the rear, and the cross-sectional area of the cold air generation passage R1 gradually expands toward the rear.

The evaporator 40 is disposed in a portion of the cold air generating passage R1 that is rearward away from the connection portion to the air inlet 30c. The evaporator 40 is disposed at an incline so that the air passage surface through which the air conditioning air passes is positioned more forward the further upward it goes. The air conditioning air flowing through the cold air generating passage R1 flows from the front of the evaporator 40, passes through the evaporator 40, and then flows rearward.

The hot air generating passage R2 is formed behind the cold air generating passage R1 inside the air conditioning unit 3. The upstream end of the hot air generating passage R2 is connected to the lower portion of the downstream end of the cold air generating passage R1. Therefore, air conditioning air that has flowed through the cold air generating passage R1 flows into the hot air generating passage R2. The hot air generating passage R2 extends toward the rear, and the front-to-rear length of the hot air generating passage R2 is set shorter than the front-to-rear length of the cold air generating passage R1. The vertical dimension of the hot air generating passage R2 is set shorter than the vertical dimension of the cold air generating passage R1.

A heater core 41 is disposed in the hot air generation passage R2. The heater core 41 is inclined so that the air passage surface is located further forward as it goes upward. The air for air conditioning flowing through the hot air generation passage R2 flows from the front of the heater core 41 through the heater core 41 to the rear, and is heated by heat exchange with the coolant, etc. while passing through the heater core 41.

The heater core 41 is inclined in a direction that points rearward and downward from the second-row seat vent outlet 30d, which will be described later, and upward from the third-row seat vent outlet 30e and heat outlet 30f. This reduces the flow resistance to the third-row seat vent outlet 30e and heat outlet 30f, and by locating the second-row seat vent outlet 30d forward, the air conditioning casing 30 can be made smaller.

The bypass passage R3 is formed behind the cold air generation passage R1 inside the air conditioning unit 3 and is located above the hot air generation passage R2. The upstream end of the bypass passage R3 is connected to the upper part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1. Therefore, the air for air conditioning that has flowed through the cold air generation passage R1 flows into the bypass passage R3. The bypass passage R3 extends rearward above the heater core 41. The length of the bypass passage R3 in the front-to-rear direction is set shorter than the length of the cold air generation passage R1 in the front-to-rear direction. In addition, the vertical dimension of the bypass passage R3 is set shorter than the vertical dimension of the hot air generation passage R2.

The air mix space R4 is a space for mixing the cold air generated by the evaporator 40 and the hot air generated by the heater core 41, and is formed at the rear and upper part inside the air conditioning unit 3. The downstream end of the bypass passage R3 is connected to the air mix space R4 from the front side, and the air for air conditioning that has flowed through the bypass passage R3 bypasses the hot air generation passage R2 and flows rearward into the air mix space R4 from the front of the air mix space R4. Therefore, inside the air conditioning casing 30, a bypass passage (air passage) R3 is formed so that the cold air flows rearward above the heater core 41 and flows into the air mix space R4.

This air mix space R4 is located above the hot air generation passage R2, so the downstream end of the hot air generation passage R2 is connected to the air mix space R4 from below. Therefore, the air for air conditioning that has flowed through the hot air generation passage R2 flows upward into the air mix space R4 from below.

Conditioned air at the desired temperature is generated by colliding and mixing the flows of cold air and hot air that flow into the air mix space R4. The temperature of the conditioned air can be adjusted by the mixing ratio of cold air and hot air in the air mix space R4. If the ratio of cold air flowing into the air mix space R4 increases, the temperature of the conditioned air decreases, whereas if the ratio of hot air flowing into the air mix space R4 increases, the temperature of the conditioned air increases.

The air conditioning unit 3 is equipped with an air mix damper 29 for changing the mixing ratio of cold air and hot air in the air mix space R4. The air mix damper 29 is housed in the air conditioning casing 30. Any type of damper can be used as the air mix damper 29, such as a butterfly type, a rotary type, or a louver type, but in this embodiment, a slide damper is used.

That is, the air mix damper 29 is configured to be able to change the opening degree between the upper part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 (the part that communicates with the bypass passage R3) and the lower part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 (the part that communicates with the hot air generation passage R2). More specifically, the air mix damper 29 is supported on the inner surface of the air conditioning casing 30 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The air mix damper 29 is driven in the vertical direction by the drive unit 34.

The air mix damper 29 is, for example, in the shape of a plate, and an opening is formed in a part of it. The operation of the air mix damper 29 is not particularly limited, but when the air mix damper 29 is slid upward, the opening area of the upper part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 becomes smaller, while the opening area of the lower part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 becomes larger. Conversely, when the air mix damper 29 is slid downward, the opening area of the upper part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 becomes larger, while the opening area of the lower part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 becomes smaller. In this case, when the air mix damper 29 is slid to the upper end position, the upper part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 is fully closed, while the lower part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 is fully opened, and when the air mix damper 29 is slid to the lower end position, the upper part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 is fully opened, while the lower part of the downstream end of the cold air generation passage R1 is fully closed. In other words, the amount of cold air and the amount of hot air flowing into the air mix space R4 can be changed by operating the air mix damper 29.

Although not shown, if the air mix damper is a butterfly type or a louver type, the amount of cold air and the amount of hot air flowing into the air mix space R4 can be changed by the rotation angle of the air mix damper. If the air mix damper is a rotary type, the amount of cold air and the amount of hot air flowing into the air mix space R4 can be changed by the rotation angle of the air mix damper.

A second-row seat vent outlet 30d is formed in the upper rear part of the air conditioning casing 30, through which the conditioned air is blown out to be supplied to the upper body of the occupant in the second-row seat 102. The second-row seat vent outlet 30d opens upward. The second-row seat vent outlet 30d is elongated in the left-right direction. The second-row seat vent outlet 30d is connected to the upper part of the air mix space R4, so that the air in the air mix space R4 can flow toward the second-row seat vent outlet 30d. A duct (not shown) is connected to the second-row seat vent outlet 30d, and this duct guides the conditioned air in the desired direction.

The heater core 41 is located below the second-row seat vent outlet 30d. The heater core 41 and the second-row seat vent outlet 30d are vertically separated from each other.

A third row seat vent outlet 30e is formed in the lower rear part of the air conditioning casing 30, through which conditioned air is blown out to be supplied to the upper bodies of the occupants in the third row seat 103. A heat outlet 30f is formed in the lower rear part of the air conditioning casing 30, through which conditioned air is blown out to be supplied to the feet of the occupants in the second row seat 102 and the third row seat 103. A bulging portion 30A is formed in the rear part of the air conditioning casing 30. A lower part of the air mix space R4 is formed in the upper part of the interior of the bulging portion 30A. Therefore, it is possible to mix cool air and warm air in the upper part of the interior of the bulging portion 30A.

A third-row seat vent passage R5 and a rear seat heat passage R6 are formed on the lower side of the interior of the bulging portion 30A, and a partition portion 38 is formed to separate the third-row seat vent passage R5 and the rear seat heat passage R6. The third-row seat vent passage R5 extends vertically on the rear side of the interior of the bulging portion 30A, and the upper end (upstream end) of the third-row seat vent passage R5 is connected to the lower part of the air mix space R4. The rear seat heat passage R6 extends vertically on the front side of the interior of the bulging portion 30A, and the upper end (upstream end) of the rear seat heat passage R6 is connected to a portion forward of the third-row seat vent passage R5 at the lower part of the air mix space R4.

The third-row seat vent outlet 30e is connected to the lower end (downstream end) of the third-row seat vent passage R5. The heat outlet 30f is connected to the lower end (downstream end) of the rear seat heat passage R6. The heat outlet 30f and the third-row seat vent outlet 30e are aligned in the front-to-rear direction, and specifically, the heat outlet 30f is located forward of the third-row seat vent outlet 30e.

The third-row seat vent outlet 30e is located behind the lower part of the heater core 41. The heat outlet 30f and the third-row seat vent outlet 30e open downward. The heat outlet 30f and the third-row seat vent outlet 30e are long in the left-right direction. The third-row seat vent outlet 30e opens at a higher position than the heat outlet 30f, and a duct (not shown) that extends to the vicinity of the third-row seat 103 is connected to the third-row seat vent outlet 30e. In addition, a foot duct (not shown) that extends to the vicinity of the feet of the occupants of the second-row seat 102 and the third-row seat 103 is connected to the heat outlet 30f.

A vertical plate portion 35 is provided inside the air conditioning casing 30 at a location rearward away from the heater core 41. The vertical plate portion 35 extends upward from the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30 and is positioned so as to face the rear surface of the heater core 41. The air conditioning air that passes through the heater core 41 is guided upward by the vertical plate portion 35, that is, toward the air mix space R4.

Since the vertical plate portion 35 is arranged to face the rear surface of the heater core 41, in vent mode, the cool air is guided upward by the vertical plate portion 35, and heat reception from the heater core 41 can be minimized. This makes it possible to suppress the temperature rise of the conditioned air blown out from the second row seat vent outlet 30d. In vent mode, the conditioned air blows out from the second row seat vent outlet 30d and the third row seat vent outlet 30e.

The air conditioning unit 3 includes an upper damper 36 and a lower damper 37. The upper damper 36 and the lower damper 37 are blowing direction switching dampers for switching the blowing direction of the air conditioning air. The upper damper 36 is housed at the rear and upper part inside the air conditioning casing 30, and the lower damper 37 is housed at the rear and lower part inside the air conditioning casing 30. The upper damper 36 and the lower damper 37 are driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). The upper damper 36 and the lower damper 37 may be linked or driven separately. The drive control of the upper damper 36 and the lower damper 37 can be performed using a conventionally known method, and the upper damper 36 and the lower damper 37 may be driven by the occupant's operation so as to achieve the blowing mode desired by the occupant, or the upper damper 36 and the lower damper 37 may be driven according to the logic of the automatic air conditioner control.

The upper damper 36 is a damper for opening and closing the second-row seat vent outlet 30d, and is a second-row seat vent damper. That is, the upper damper 36 is a butterfly-type damper equipped with a pivot shaft 36a extending in the left-right direction and two blocking plate portions 36b extending radially from the pivot shaft 36a. The pivot shaft 36a is supported rotatably on both the left and right side walls of the air conditioning casing 30. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the upper damper 36 opens the second-row seat vent outlet 30d. In the bi-level mode, the opening degree of the second-row seat vent outlet 30d by the upper damper 36 is smaller than in the vent mode. Although not shown, the second-row seat vent outlet 30d can also be fully closed by rotating the upper damper 36 toward the rear. In bi-level mode, conditioned air is blown out from the second row seat vent outlet 30d, the third row seat vent outlet 30e, and the heat outlet 30f.

The lower damper 37 is a damper for opening and closing the third row seat vent outlet 30e and the heat outlet 30f, and is a damper for the third row seats. The lower damper 37 is disposed inside the bulge 30A, and can indirectly open and close the third row seat vent outlet 30e by opening and closing the upstream end of the third row seat vent passage R5, and can indirectly open and close the heat outlet 30f by opening and closing the upstream end of the rear seat heat passage R6.

In the bi-level mode, the lower damper 37 rotates until it reaches a rotation position that opens both the third row seat vent outlet 30e and the heat outlet 30f. On the other hand, in the vent mode, the lower damper 37 rotates until it reaches a rotation position that fully closes the heat outlet 30f and fully opens the third row seat vent outlet 30e. Although not shown, the lower damper 37 can also be rotated until it reaches a rotation position that fully opens the heat outlet 30f and fully closes the third row seat vent outlet 30e. In this way, conditioned air can be supplied to each part of the passenger compartment.

(Configuration of the Blower Unit)
As shown in FIG. 1, the blower unit 2 is a unit for blowing air for air conditioning to the air conditioning unit 3. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the blower unit 2 includes a blower casing 20, a blower fan 21, and a motor 22 for rotating the blower fan 21. The blower casing 20 is composed of a left blower casing component 20A constituting the left side of the blower casing 20 and a right blower casing component 20B constituting the right side of the blower casing 20. The left blower casing component 20A and the right blower casing component 20B are formed by injection molding a resin material, for example. The fitting structure between the left blower casing component 20A and the right blower casing component 20B is configured in the same manner as the air conditioning casing 30. The number of blower casing components constituting the blower casing 20 is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air blower casing 20 is fixed to the vehicle body in a state where it is disposed above the bottom wall of the air conditioning casing 30, and is a component that constitutes the scroll casing of the present invention. The air blower fan 21 is composed of a centrifugal fan (sirocco fan) housed inside the air blower casing 20. The rotating shaft 300 of the air blower fan 21 extends in the left-right direction, with the air intake side being the left side. In the description of this embodiment, one end side of the rotating shaft 300 is the left side and the other end side of the rotating shaft 300 is the right side, but this is not limited to this and a structure inverted left-right may also be used.

As shown in Figures 6, 8, and 9, a motor 22 for driving the blower fan 21 is provided on the right side wall of the right-side blower casing component 20B. The motor 22 has a main body 22a and an output shaft 22b. The main body 22a of the motor 22 is fixed to the right side wall of the right-side blower casing component 20B. The output shaft 22b of the motor 22 extends in the left-right direction and is concentric with the rotating shaft 300 of the blower fan 21. When a voltage is applied to the motor 22 from an external battery, control device, etc., the output shaft 22b of the motor 22 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. The rotation speed of the motor 22 per unit time can be arbitrarily changed by the control device.

The output shaft 22b of the motor 22 protrudes into the blower casing 20, and the blower fan 21 is fixed to the tip of the output shaft 22b. That is, the blower fan 21 has a cylindrical portion 21a, a cone-shaped portion 21b, and a blade portion 21c, and the cylindrical portion 21a, the cone-shaped portion 21b, and the blade portions 21c are integrally molded from a resin material. The cylindrical portion 21a is located at the center of rotation of the blower fan 21 and in the middle in the left-right direction, and extends in the left-right direction. A fixing member 23 is provided inside the cylindrical portion 21a. The output shaft 22b of the motor 22 is fixed to the blower fan 21 via the fixing member 23 while being fitted into the fixing member 23.

The cone-shaped portion 21b extends radially from the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 21a, and is a curved or inclined plate-like shape that is positioned to the right as it moves radially outward. The multiple blade portions 21c extend in the left-right direction and are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 300. The right ends of the multiple blade portions 21c are integrated with the radially outer end of the cone-shaped portion 21b. The space surrounded by the multiple blade portions 21c is open to the left side, and is the area where air for air conditioning flows in from the left side.

A connecting portion 21d that connects the multiple blade portions 21c is integrally molded at the left end of the blower fan 21. The connecting portion 21d is annular and surrounds the multiple blade portions 21c, and the radial outer ends of the multiple blade portions 21c are integrated with the inner periphery of the connecting portion 21d. The connecting portion 21d protrudes radially outward from the radial outer ends of the blade portions 21c.

As shown in FIG. 8, a scroll passage S is formed inside the blower casing 20, extending to surround the outer circumferential surface of the blower fan 21. Specifically, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 7, a nose portion 24 is provided inside the blower casing 20. The nose portion 24 is a portion of the inner surface of the blower casing 20 that is formed so as to have the shortest radial distance from the rotating shaft 300, and is located at the beginning (starting point) of the scroll passage S. In this embodiment, the nose portion 24 is located on the rear side inside the blower casing 20 and is located lower than the center in the vertical direction, so that the beginning of the scroll passage S is located at the rear lower part inside the blower casing 20.

Meanwhile, the part where the scroll diameter is maximum is the end of the scroll passage S (terminus), and in this embodiment, the end of the scroll passage S is located at the bottom inside the blower casing 20. Therefore, the scroll passage S formed inside the blower casing 20 extends from the rear side inside the blower casing 20, passing through the upper, front and lower sides, toward the lower rear side. The cross-sectional area of the scroll passage S is smallest at the beginning of the winding, and increases toward the downstream side. To correspond to this, the right side wall portion 20f of the scroll passage S is formed to be located further to the right as it goes downward (see FIG. 9).

As shown in Figures 5 and 7, an intake port 20a for drawing in air for air conditioning is formed in the left end wall of the left-side air blower casing component 20A. The intake port 20a opens into the vehicle cabin and draws in air (internal air) from within the vehicle cabin. The intake port 20a is circular. A guard portion 26 for preventing foreign objects from being drawn in through the intake port 20a is provided in the left end wall of the left-side air blower casing component 20A. The guard portion 26 has a radially extending portion and an annular extending portion, and is molded integrally with the left-side air blower casing component 20A.

When viewed along the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21, that is, when viewed from the left-right direction, the center of the suction port 20a is eccentric in a direction away from the nose portion 24 with respect to the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21. As shown in FIG. 8, when the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21 is used as a reference, the distance X1 between the periphery of the suction port 20a and the portion on the nose portion 24 side is shorter than the distance X2 between the periphery of the suction port 20a and the portion on the opposite side of the nose portion 24. In other words, the center position of the suction port 20a is set so that the distance X2 is longer than the distance X1. As a result, when a straight line extending in the left-right direction through the center of the suction port 20a is assumed, the straight line is farther from the nose portion 24 than the rotation axis 300, and as a result, the suction port 20a can be separated from the nose portion 24 in a side view.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, an air discharge section 20b is provided at the rear of the air blower casing 20. The air discharge section 20b is formed in a portion lower than the vertical center of the air blower casing 20, and has a cylindrical shape that protrudes toward the rear. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, an outlet port 20c that discharges air from inside the air blower casing 20 is formed at the rear end surface of the air discharge section 20b. The outlet port 20c is elongated in the left-right direction, and can be connected to the air inlet port 30c of the air conditioning casing 30.

As shown in FIG. 8, an annular portion 27 is formed on the inner surface of the left end wall of the blower casing 20, protruding in a direction approaching the blower fan 21 (to the right). The annular portion 27 has a larger diameter than the suction port 20a, and is integrally molded with the left end wall of the blower casing 20. This not only reduces the number of parts, but also properly maintains the positional relationship between the annular portion 27 and the suction port 20a, since they are formed in the same member. The left-right dimension of the annular portion 27, i.e., the protruding dimension from the inner surface of the left end wall of the blower casing 20, can be set to, for example, 5 mm or more, but is not limited to this, and can be set to 8 mm or more, or 10 mm or more.

When viewed along the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21, the annular portion 27 is positioned concentrically with the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21. Therefore, the center of the annular portion 27 is located on an extension of the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21. The diameter of the annular portion 27 is smaller than the diameter of the blower fan 21. The diameter of the annular portion 27 may be the same as the diameter of the blower fan 21.

Since the annular portion 27 has a larger diameter than the suction port 20a, the left end wall of the blower casing 20 has an extension plate portion 20e that extends from the base (left end) of the annular portion 27 toward the inside in the radial direction of the annular portion 27. The suction port 20a is formed by the peripheral portion of this extension plate portion 20e. The diameter of the suction port 20a is smaller than the diameter of the blower fan 21. Therefore, when viewed along the direction of the rotation shaft 300, the peripheral portion of the extension plate portion 20e is located radially inward from the outer periphery of the blower fan 21. In addition, an imaginary plane along the extension plate portion 20e is perpendicular to the extension line of the rotation shaft 300. A predetermined gap is formed between the extension plate portion 20e and the blower fan 21.

The tip of the annular portion 27 is positioned to the right (the other end side) of the left end face (one end face in the direction of the rotation shaft 300) of the blower fan 21. This results in the tip of the annular portion 27 being inserted radially inwardly from the blade portion 21c of the blower fan 21.

(Effects of the embodiment)
As described above, when the blower fan 21 rotates, air for conditioning is drawn into the inside of the blower casing 20 from the suction port 20a in the left end wall portion of the blower casing 20. The air for conditioning air drawn in at this time flows into the inside of the blower fan 21 from the left side of the blower fan 21 and flows radially outward along the cone-shaped portion 21b. The air for conditioning air flowing radially outward flows out into the scroll passage S from between the blade portions 21c adjacent in the circumferential direction and gathers in the scroll passage S. The air for conditioning air is then blown rearward.

Here, during heating, the air for air conditioning passes through the evaporator 40 and the heater core 41, and also flows through the foot duct that extends to the vicinity of the feet of the occupant of the third row seat 103 via the rear seat heat passage R6, so that the ventilation resistance inside the air conditioning casing 20 becomes large. In this embodiment, the intake port 20a of the air blower casing 20 is eccentric in a direction away from the nose portion 24 with respect to the rotation shaft 300 of the air blower fan 21, and the annular portion 27 on the inner surface of the left end wall portion of the air blower casing 20 protrudes in a direction approaching the air blower fan 21. Therefore, even if the ventilation resistance inside the air conditioning casing 20 is high, the air flowing inside the air blower casing 20 is less likely to flow back toward the intake port 20a.

Furthermore, when viewed along the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21, the annular portion 27 is positioned concentrically with the rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21, so the gap between the tip of the annular portion 27 and the blower fan 21 can be made small all around. This suppresses the backflow of air flowing inside the blower casing 20, making it less likely to interfere with the flow of air sucked into the blower fan 21, and reducing noise.

Figure 10 is a graph showing the noise measurement results of the present invention and the comparative example. The comparative example is a bell-mouth type in which the suction port 20a is arranged coaxially with the rotating shaft 300 of the blower fan 20. The present invention is the above embodiment. As shown in this graph, it can be seen that in the present invention, the sound pressure in the frequency band below 1 kHz is lower than in the comparative example. In the noise measurement test, the mode with the highest airflow resistance was set to a mode in which the heat outlet 30f was fully opened, and the air volume was set to the maximum air volume. The noise was measured near the position where the occupant sits in the vehicle cabin.

The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in every respect and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the annular portion 27 may be made of a separate member from the blower casing 20. In this case, the annular portion 27 may be molded from a resin material and then attached to a predetermined portion of the blower casing 20. The dimensions of the annular portion 27 in the protruding direction may be constant or may vary around the circumference. The rotation axis 300 of the blower fan 21 may be oriented in the vertical direction.

As described above, the vehicle air conditioning system of the present invention can be used, for example, in automobiles with second or third row seats.

1 Vehicle air conditioning device 2 Blower unit (blower)
20 Blower casing (scroll casing)
20a Intake port 20e Extension plate portion 21 Blower fan (centrifugal fan)
24 Nose portion 27 Annular portion

Claims (8)

A blower;
an air conditioning casing that accommodates a cooling heat exchanger into which the air for conditioning blown from the blower is introduced and which cools the introduced air for conditioning, and a heating heat exchanger that heats the air for conditioning cooled by the cooling heat exchanger;
In a vehicle air conditioner configured to supply conditioned air generated in the air conditioning casing to each part of a vehicle interior,
The blower includes a centrifugal fan and a scroll casing that houses the centrifugal fan and has a nose portion and a discharge port formed therein,
a circular inlet port for sucking in air for air conditioning is formed in an end wall portion of the scroll casing located on one end side in the rotation axis direction of the centrifugal fan,
When viewed along a rotation axis of the centrifugal fan, a center of the suction port is eccentric with respect to the rotation axis of the centrifugal fan in a direction away from the nose portion,
a first end wall portion of the scroll casing having an inner surface formed with an annular portion that projects in a direction approaching the centrifugal fan and extends in an annular shape; 2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1,
When viewed along the rotation shaft of the centrifugal fan, the annular portion is positioned concentrically with the rotation shaft of the centrifugal fan. 3. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 2,
The annular portion has a larger diameter than the suction port,
The end wall portion of the scroll casing has an extension plate portion extending radially inward from a base portion of the annular portion,
The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the suction port is formed by a peripheral edge of the extension plate portion. 4. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 3,
a virtual plane along the extending plate portion and an extension line of a rotation shaft of the centrifugal fan are perpendicular to each other; 4. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 3,
A vehicle air conditioner, wherein a diameter of the suction port is smaller than a diameter of the centrifugal fan. 4. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 3,
A vehicle air conditioner, wherein a diameter of the annular portion is smaller than a diameter of the centrifugal fan. 6. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 5,
a tip end of the annular portion being positioned on the other end side of the one end face of the centrifugal fan in the direction of the rotation axis; 2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1,
The scroll casing is made of a resin material,
The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the annular portion is integrally formed with the end wall portion of the scroll casing.