JP3082664B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, and more particularly to an air conditioner in which a duct for air-conditioning air flow of an instrument panel-side air conditioner provided on an instrument panel communicates with a ceiling duct supported on a roof side. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an air conditioner in a vehicle cabin, the temperature distribution in the vehicle cabin is controlled so that the temperature distribution in the vehicle cabin is in a state of head and cold feet in order to reduce the possibility of the occupant's face burning due to the effects of solar radiation or the like inserted into the vehicle cabin. For trucks and the like, there is an air conditioner as disclosed in the specification and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 8-29473 filed by the present applicant. As shown in FIG. 6, in this air conditioner, a duct 05 extends from an air conditioning unit 03 in an instrument panel 02 provided in a cab 01, and communicates with the vertical duct 04 near a pillar portion. Communicate with the roof side duct 06. In order to control the temperature distribution in the passenger compartment to be in a state where the head is in a cold head state by this air conditioner, the conditioned air from the air conditioning unit 03 is guided to the roof side duct 06, and the conditioned air is blown out from the side louvers 07 and the front louvers 08. The temperature in the upper part of the room is prevented from rising.

[0003]

As described above, the louver on the roof side is effectively used in the thermal operation region with cold head. However, when the air conditioning instrument panel unit is continuously operated with the louver closed and not operated, the following problem occurs. That is, the air in the roof-side duct stays and is not mixed with the air in the vehicle compartment. The ceiling is located at a position where the temperature easily rises in the vehicle interior, and the air in the duct further rises in temperature due to the radiant heat of the solar radiation hitting the roof.

[0004] It is assumed that after such a state is continued, the operation is switched again to the cold head thermal operation area, and the operation is switched to the operation state in which the louver on the roof side is opened. Then, the air which has been heated up in the roof side duct is blown out from the louver on the roof side to the upper part of the passenger compartment, and the occupant feels discomfort by hitting the occupant's face or near the head. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner capable of preventing the air in a duct on a roof side from rising in temperature and preventing an occupant from feeling uncomfortable when the louver is turned on (open state) again. To provide.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is connected to a ceiling side air conditioner,
A ceiling duct with a louver that blows air to the occupants,
A duct provided with a louver that communicates with the instrument panel-side air conditioner and blows air to the occupant side; and a vertical duct that communicates the duct with the ceiling duct, and the instrument panel-side air conditioner is provided at a downstream end of the ceiling duct. When the air conditioner is ON, the ceiling air conditioner is OFF, and the louver of the ceiling duct is closed, a narrow opening is provided to allow a part of the air flow from the instrument panel air conditioner to flow into the vehicle interior.

[0006]

[0007]

1 shows an air conditioner to which the present invention is applied. This air conditioner is installed in a cab of a truck, and has a well-known configuration except for a ceiling duct 17 and its related parts described later. Here, an air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 forming a main part of the air-conditioning instrument panel-side air conditioner is disposed in an instrument panel 2 of the cab 1, and an air-conditioning unit forming a main part of the air-conditioning ceiling-side air conditioner between the roof panel 4 and the headlining 5. A ceiling unit 6 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 forms a main part of the air-conditioning instrument panel-side air conditioner, and includes a blower (not shown) provided in the instrument panel 2, an instrument panel evaporator downstream of the blower, and a downstream side thereof. A heater, an air mix damper, and an outlet switching damper are provided. Air-conditioned air from the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 is blown out through grills 9, 10, 11 such as DEF, FACE, and FOOT through ducts 7, 8 as needed. The blow angles of the grills 9, 10, 11 are appropriately adjusted by a blow angle adjusting lever (not shown).

The roof panel 4 of the cab 1 has a heat insulating material 12 adhered over the entire inner surface thereof. A wide space 13 is provided between the heat insulating material and the head lining 5.
Are formed. The back panel 1 is behind the space 13
An air-conditioning ceiling unit 6 is housed adjacent to the air conditioning ceiling unit 4. In addition, the head lining 5 faces the driver's seat, and its right peripheral portion and front peripheral portion swell downward, so that the internal space shown in FIG.
An L-shaped ceiling duct 17 is accommodated in plan view as shown in FIG. The base end of the ceiling duct 17 is communicated with the air-conditioning ceiling unit 6, and a side louver 15 is provided at a side position facing the driver's seat, and a front louver 16 is provided at a front position facing the driver's seat. In particular, a vertical duct 40 is connected to a bottom portion of the bent portion 171 of the ceiling duct 17, and a lower end of the vertical duct 40 is connected to a distal end portion of the duct 8 of the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3. Thereby, the vertical duct 40 can guide a part of the conditioned air of the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3 to the ceiling duct 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air-conditioning ceiling unit 6 supported by the roof panel 4 includes a ceiling evaporator 19.
And a damper 27 that opens and closes a bypass passage 29 arranged in parallel with the ceiling evaporator 19. The conditioned air from the air-conditioning ceiling unit 6 is blown out from the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 whose opening and closing are controlled by signals from a controller (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the side louvers 15 (front louvers 16)
Has a similar structure) is a long cylindrical rotating tubular portion 152 slidably supported by the wall of the duct 17 and communicating with the duct 17, and an outlet formed in the longitudinal direction of the tubular portion. 1
53, a lever 151 for rotating the rotary cylinder 152 around its center line within a range of the blowout angle Cf, and a duct 17
And a fixed louver 154 slidably in contact with the vicinity of the air outlet 153 of the rotary cylinder 152 and restricting the fluctuation width of the air outlet angle.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a front louver 16 is provided in a portion of the duct 17 which is located in front of the driver's seat, and an outlet 1 of the front louver is provided.
One or a plurality of narrow mouths 49 are formed dispersedly on the tip vertical wall 172 which is a portion different from 63 and corresponds to the downstream end of the conditioned air of the duct 17, thereby communicating the inside of the duct with the passenger compartment. Held in state. In such a state,
When the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 is driven, the supply of the conditioned air to the ducts 7 and 8 is continued, so that the difference between the outside air temperature and the set temperature in the vehicle compartment can be maintained, and the air-conditioning ceiling unit 6 is driven. The conditioned air from the unit is blown out from the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 via the ceiling duct 17, and the air conditioning control of the heat of the cold head is performed.

[0012] During this time, even if the air conditioning control for the head and foot heat is stopped, the air conditioning ceiling unit 6 stops driving, and the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 are turned off (closed), the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3 is in a driving state. If there is, a part of the air-conditioning wind from the air-conditioning instrument panel unit
0, the air leaks little by little from the narrow mouth 49 into the passenger compartment through the ceiling duct 17, and the air in the ceiling duct 17 is exchanged little by little. After this, the average temperature of the passenger compartment deviates from the allowable range of the set temperature, or changes in the direction of solar radiation, due to changes in solar radiation conditions and fluctuations in the outside air temperature,
When the temperature of the vehicle head increases, the air-conditioning ceiling unit 6 is turned on by an air-conditioning controller (not shown).

When the air-conditioning ceiling unit 6 is driven again, the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 first blow air-conditioned air from the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 supplied into the ceiling duct 17 into the vehicle compartment, and then air-condition. The conditioned air from the ceiling unit 6 is blown out. In this case, the air in the ceiling duct 17 that has been blown out earlier is maintained at substantially the air temperature in the vehicle cabin because the air in the ceiling duct 17 has been sequentially replaced by the conditioned air from the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3 as described above. The air blown out by the louver 15 and the front louver 16 does not give the driver any discomfort. In the above process, the number of the narrow mouths 49 is determined and set experimentally by an appropriate diameter and an appropriate number in consideration of the amount of the conditioned air leaking from each narrow mouth.

Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The air conditioner here is different from the air conditioner of the above-described embodiment in that the air conditioning ceiling unit is eliminated and the ceiling duct 1
7a has the same configuration except that it differs. Here, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

The ceiling duct 17a shown in FIG. 5 has a vertical duct 40a connected to the bottom of the bent portion 171a. The lower end of the vertical duct 40a is connected to the tip of the duct 8 (see FIG. 1) of the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3. Be linked. This allows
The vertical duct 40a can guide a part of the conditioned air of the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3 to the ceiling duct 17a. In the ceiling duct 17a, the side louver 1 is located at a side position facing the driver's seat.
5, front louvers 16 are provided at front positions facing the driver's seat.

Here, a front louver 16 is provided in a portion of the ceiling duct 17a located in front of the driver's seat and is different from the outlet 163 of the front louver. One or a plurality of narrow mouths 4 are dispersed on the tip vertical wall 172a corresponding to the downstream end.
9 (only one is shown in FIG. 5). Similarly,
A side louver 15 is provided in a portion of the ceiling duct 17a which is located on the side facing the driver's seat, and is different from the outlet 153 of the side louver.
One or a plurality of narrow openings 49 (only one is shown in FIG. 5) are formed on the rear vertical wall 173 corresponding to the downstream end of the conditioned air of FIG. The narrow mouth 49 keeps the inside of the ceiling duct 17a and the vehicle interior in communication.

In such a configuration, when the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 is driven, the supply of the conditioned air to the ducts 7 and 8 is started, and the difference between the outside air temperature and the set temperature in the vehicle compartment is maintained. Part of the conditioned air from the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 is blown out from the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 via the duct 8, the vertical duct 40a, and the ceiling duct 17a, and the air conditioning control of the cold head heat is performed. On the other hand, the air conditioning control of the head cold foot is stopped in a timely manner, and the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 are stopped.
Is turned off (closed). During this time, the air-conditioning instrument panel unit 3 continues the air-conditioning operation at a low level, and part of the air-conditioning air at that time passes through the ceiling duct 17a and the vertical wall 17 at the front end.
A small amount of the liquid leaks into the vehicle cabin through the narrow mouth 49a on the side of the rear wall 2173 and the rear vertical wall 173. For this reason, the ceiling duct 17
The air inside is sequentially exchanged little by little by the conditioned air from the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the head of the vehicle compartment rises again, the air conditioner controller (not shown) returns to the air conditioning control for the heat of the cold head, and the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 are turned on.
I do. Also in this case, the air in the ceiling duct 17 is blown into the vehicle interior, and then the conditioned air from the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3 is blown out. However, the air in the ceiling duct 17a is sequentially replaced by receiving the conditioned air from the air conditioning instrument panel unit 3. As a result, the air that is close to the air temperature in the passenger compartment and the air that first blows out from the side louvers 15 and the front louvers 16 does not give the driver any discomfort.

Further, in each of the fuel injection devices to which the present invention is applied (see FIGS. 1 and 5), the configuration in which the narrow port 49 is provided at the downstream end of the conditioned air is shown. A configuration in which a narrow mouth is provided in the vicinity of the louver 16 may be adopted. Also in this case, at least the side louver 15 and the front louver out of the hot air staying in the duct 17 when the side louver 15 and the front louver 16 are closed. Since hot air in the vicinity of 16 parts leaks from the narrow mouth, substantially the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0020]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the ceiling duct communicated with the ceiling air conditioner and the duct communicated with the instrument panel air conditioner are communicated by the vertical duct, and the ceiling duct is A narrow mouth is provided at the downstream end, so the ceiling air conditioner is off and the ceiling duct
Even if the cover is closed, if the instrument panel-side air conditioner is in the ON state, a part of the conditioned air from the instrument panel-side air conditioner is blown into the vehicle interior through the vertical duct, the ceiling duct, and the narrow opening. Therefore, when the ceiling-side air conditioner is switched to the operating state again, the temperature of the air blown out by the blowout louver does not rise, and the occupant's discomfort can be eliminated.

[0021]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view of a cab of a vehicle provided with an air conditioner as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air-conditioning ceiling unit used in the air-conditioning apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of an outlet of a side louver used by the air conditioner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged front view of an outlet of a side louver of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a ceiling duct used in an air conditioner as another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional air conditioner provided in a cab of a vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cab 2 Instrument panel 3 Air-conditioning instrument panel unit 4 Roof panel 6 Air-conditioning ceiling unit 7, 8 duct 15 Side louver 16 Front louver 17 Ceiling duct 17a Ceiling duct 172a Front vertical wall 173 Rear vertical wall 19 Ceiling evaporator 18 Blower 40 Vertical Duct 49 narrow mouth

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A ceiling duct connected to a ceiling-side air conditioner and having a louver for blowing air to an occupant side; a duct provided with a louver connected to an instrument panel-side air conditioner and blowing air to an occupant side; A vertical duct communicating with the ceiling duct, and the instrument panel side air conditioner is provided at a downstream end of the ceiling duct.
A small port is provided to allow a part of the air flow from the instrument panel-side air conditioner to flow into the vehicle compartment even if the ceiling-side air conditioner is OFF and the louver of the ceiling duct is closed at N.