JP4217006B2 - Air conditioner for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioning unit structure of an automobile air conditioner.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a vehicle air conditioner installed in an automobile, the one shown in FIG. 4 is known. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 70 denotes a vehicle air conditioner. The vehicle air conditioner 70 includes an air conditioning unit 74 that includes a blower 71, an evaporator 72, a heater core 73, an air mix damper 80, and the like. The air conditioning unit 74 is connected to a DEF duct 76 that communicates with the DEF outlet 75 and a center VENT duct 78 that communicates with the center VENT outlet 77. The air conditioning unit 74, the DEF duct 76, and the center VENT duct 78 are composed of separate members. The air mix damper 80 and the like are connected to a drive mechanism of a control unit 84 provided on the instrument panel 81 with a wire, and the opening degree and the like are adjusted according to the mode.
[0003]
The vehicle air conditioner 70 is provided in front of the passenger compartment. In addition, an instrument panel 81 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in front of the vehicle interior, and a cross beam 82 for reinforcing rigidity in the vehicle width direction is present in the vehicle width direction. For this reason, the vehicle air conditioner 70 is attached to a firewall 83 that partitions the engine room and the passenger compartment so as to avoid the cross beam 82.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the arrangement as described above, when assembling the air conditioner, the air conditioning unit 74 is first attached to the firewall 83 and then the cross beam 82 is attached. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to remove the air conditioning unit 74 at the time of maintenance or the like, the cross beam 82 must also be removed, so that assembly workability and maintenance efficiency may be significantly reduced.
[0005]
As is clear from FIG. 4, since the vehicle air conditioner 70 and the instrument panel 81 are arranged at separate positions, the entire space including the vehicle air conditioner 70 and the instrument panel 81 is narrowed. There is a risk that it will not be possible to fully meet the demands for modularization of the air conditioning device 70 for vehicles and the instrument panel 81, and the space will not be used effectively. Further, since the distance from the control unit 84 to the vehicle air conditioner 70 is also increased, it is necessary to route the wires in a complicated manner when connecting the control unit 84 and the damper 80 or the like with wires. If the wire is routed in a complicated manner, the reliability of the drive mechanism may be impaired. Furthermore, in recent years, in a passenger car, the instrument panel 81 is often equipped with a car audio device 85 (or navigation device), and accordingly, a support member for supporting them is required. Further, it is necessary to further improve the support strength of the instrument panel 81 itself.
[0006]
Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to improve the workability and maintenance efficiency of the vehicle air conditioner to the vehicle, and reduce the support strength of the instrument panel while reducing unnecessary support members. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can be further improved and that can simplify the drive mechanism. It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can be easily modularized with an instrument panel and that can reduce the occupied space when combined with the instrument panel and can effectively utilize the space.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention includes an air conditioner unit including a blower, an evaporator, and a heater core therein. The vehicle air conditioner extends in the vehicle width direction to the air conditioner unit. A cross beam accommodating portion for accommodating a part of the existing cross beam is provided , and the air conditioning unit is configured to be detachable from the cross beam by moving in the vehicle front-rear direction from the passenger compartment side. Become.
[0008]
In the air conditioning unit, at least part of the DEF duct and at least part of the VENT duct, or at least part of the DEF duct, at least part of the VENT duct, and at least part of the FOOT duct are integrally formed. Can be provided.
[0009]
The duct part may be formed integrally with the air conditioning unit.
[0010]
In addition, the air conditioning unit can be provided with a frame for supporting a control unit for controlling the vehicle air conditioner, a car audio device, or the like. The frame can be formed integrally with the air conditioning unit.
[0011]
In the vehicle air conditioner as described above, a part of the cross beam extending in the vehicle width direction is accommodated in the air conditioning unit, and a cross beam accommodating portion opened toward the front of the vehicle is provided. Since it is configured to be detachable from the cross beam only by moving in the vehicle front-rear direction from the passenger compartment side, the vehicle air conditioner can be connected to the front and rear of the vehicle from the passenger compartment side with the cross beam attached to the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioner can be easily attached and detached simply by moving in the direction. Therefore, the workability and maintenance efficiency of mounting the vehicle air conditioner on the vehicle can be improved. Further, if the cross beam accommodating portion is provided and the vehicle air conditioner is disposed near the cross beam, the vehicle air conditioner and the instrument panel can be disposed close to each other. For this reason, since the instrument panel can be supported by the vehicle air conditioner, the support strength of the instrument panel can be improved while balancing the weight of the instrument panel. Further, by improving the support strength, it is possible to eliminate the problem that the instrument panel vibrates and generates noise due to vibrations from the engine or the like. Therefore, car audio and navigation devices can be installed on the instrument panel with peace of mind. Further, by bringing the vehicle air conditioner closer to the instrument panel, it is possible to directly support the vehicle air conditioner without using a support member for supporting conventional audio and navigation equipment.
[0012]
Further, in the vehicle air conditioner as described above, since the occupied space can be reduced by arranging the vehicle air conditioner near the cross beam, the engine room or the vehicle interior can be widened, and the cross beam It is also possible to effectively utilize the space by, for example, concentrating and installing various vehicle control controllers that have conventionally been scattered in the vehicle in the space that is vacant by approaching the vehicle.
[0013]
Furthermore, by providing a cross beam housing and arranging the vehicle air conditioner near the cross beam, it can be easily modularized with the instrument panel centered on the cross beam, and at the time of mounting to the vehicle The weight balance is further improved. Thereby, since both can be packed together, while being able to make a package form very compact, conveyance becomes easy.
[0014]
Also, if the vehicle air conditioner and the instrument panel are brought closer, the distance between the vehicle air conditioner and the control unit will inevitably be reduced, thus simplifying the drive mechanism such as the air mix damper that used to wire the wires in a complicated manner. Therefore, the reliability of the drive mechanism can be improved while improving the assembly workability. Furthermore, for example, the control unit can be integrally provided with a frame body in the air conditioning unit and housed in the frame body.
[0015]
Moreover, if a part of each duct is integrated and a duct part is formed, a number of parts can be reduced and the assembly | attachment efficiency to a vehicle and a maintenance efficiency can be improved more. Furthermore, if the duct part is formed integrally with the air conditioning unit, the assembly efficiency and the like can be further improved.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 show a vehicle air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention (in this embodiment, an automobile air conditioner). In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle air conditioner. The vehicle air conditioner 1 has an air conditioning unit 2, and a blower 3, an evaporator 4, and a heater core 5 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the ventilation direction in the air conditioning unit 2. Further, the air conditioning unit 2 is provided with a cross beam accommodating portion 6 for accommodating a cross beam 20 described later so as to open toward the front of the vehicle when the vehicle air conditioner 1 is attached to the vehicle. In addition, although the air-conditioning unit in this embodiment is what is called 1BOX type which accommodated the blower, the evaporator, and the heater core in one unit, it is not limited to this.
[0017]
The air conditioning unit 2 includes a part of the DEF duct 8 that communicates with the DEF outlet, a part of the side VENT duct 9 that communicates with side VENT outlets (not shown) provided on both sides of the vehicle in the width direction, A center VENT duct 11 communicated with a center VENT outlet 10 provided substantially at the center in the vehicle width direction is integrally formed. In the present embodiment, the duct portion 7 including the ducts 8, 9, and 11 is integrally formed. Further, FOOT ducts 12 are provided on both sides of the air conditioning unit 2. A connection duct (not shown) is connected to the front end of the DEF duct 8 and the front end of the side VENT duct 9, respectively. The DEF duct 8, the DEF outlet, and the side VENT duct are connected via the connection duct. 9 and the side VENT outlet are connected. In this embodiment, the side VENT duct 9 is provided on the DEF duct 8 side (vehicle front), but may be provided on the VENT air outlet 10 side (vehicle rear) or on both sides of the air outlet 10. . Further, another member connecting duct may be connected to the tip of the center VENT duct 11 and connected to the center VENT outlet and the side VENT outlet through the duct (in this case, the center VENT duct may be connected). 11 also serves as a center VENT duct and a side VENT duct). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the FOOT duct 12 is a separate member, but a part or all of the FOOT duct 12 can be formed integrally with the air conditioning unit 2 or the duct portion 7.
[0018]
Between the evaporator 4 and the heater core 5 provided in the air conditioning unit 2, an air mix door 13 is provided for adjusting the air volume ratio between the air passing through the heater core 5 and the bypassing air after passing through the evaporator 4. . A damper 14 for adjusting the air volume to each duct 8, 9, 11 is provided downstream of the air mix door 13. The air volume to the DEF air outlet and the side vent air outlet is adjusted by a damper 15, and the air volume to the center VENT air outlet 10 is adjusted by a damper 16. Each damper 13, 14, 15, 16 is connected to a drive mechanism of a control unit 18 housed in a frame 17 (which may be formed separately) integrally formed with the air conditioning unit 2, and is in each mode. The amount of rotation is adjusted accordingly.
[0019]
In the vehicle air conditioner 1, after the air sucked from the air suction port 19 is heat-exchanged by the evaporator 4 and / or the heater core 5 in the air conditioning unit 2, each air blower that is selectively opened according to each mode is opened. It is blown out from the exit into the passenger compartment.
[0020]
The vehicle air conditioner 1 as in this embodiment is provided on the vehicle front side of the passenger compartment as shown in FIG. Further, a cross beam 20 for reinforcing the rigidity in the width direction of the vehicle extends in front of the vehicle in the passenger compartment. However, the air conditioning unit 2 of the vehicle air conditioner 1 is provided with a cross beam accommodating portion 6 that opens toward the front of the vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be easily attached / detached only by moving the vehicle air-conditioning apparatus 1 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (left-right direction in FIG. 2), and the assembly workability and maintenance efficiency are improved. Can be improved.
[0021]
Further, by providing the cross beam accommodating portion 6 in the air conditioning unit 2, the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be installed close to the position near the instrument panel 21 with the cross beam 20 as the center. The instrument panel 21 can be supported by the device 1. Therefore, since the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be easily assembled to the instrument panel 21 and can support heavy audio equipment, navigation equipment, and the like, the conventional audio equipment and navigation equipment are supported. In addition, the audio device, the navigation device, and the like can be safely installed on the instrument panel 21 while removing the support member. Furthermore, by disposing the vehicle air conditioner in the vicinity of the cross beam 20, the engine room or the vehicle interior can be widened, and the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be moved to a space for moving, for example, It is possible to effectively utilize the space, for example, by collecting and installing various vehicle control controllers scattered in the vehicle. Furthermore, by providing the cross beam accommodating portion 6 and disposing the vehicle air conditioner 1 near the cross beam 20, it is possible to easily deal with modularization with the instrument panel 21 with the cross beam 20 as the center. The weight balance at the time of attachment to the camera is further improved. Since both can be packed together by this, a package can be made very compact and conveyance becomes easy.
[0022]
Moreover, in this embodiment, since the duct part 7 which consists of a part of duct 8, 9, 11 is integrally formed in the air conditioning unit 2, when assembling the vehicle air conditioner 1 to a vehicle, each said duct 8, 9, 11 and each outlet can be easily connected. Therefore, assembly workability and the like can be further improved.
[0023]
FIG. 3 shows a vehicle air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Further, the difference from the first embodiment is only the presence or absence of the frame 17, and the other structures are all the same. For this reason, the same number is attached | subjected to the same member and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 can be installed on the upper wall 22. That is, by forming the ducts 8, 9, and 11 integrally with the air conditioning unit 2, the ducts 8, 9, and 11 that have been conventionally formed of a soft resin (for example, polyethylene) or the like are made hard resin (for example, Since the strength of the upper wall 22 can be improved, it is possible to place heavy objects such as the control unit 18 or cardio equipment.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, since the vehicle air conditioner can be easily attached and detached while the cross beam is attached, the assembling workability and the maintenance efficiency are greatly improved. be able to. Further, since the instrument panel can be supported by the vehicle air conditioner, the support strength of the instrument panel can be improved. Moreover, since an audio equipment etc. can be supported by the vehicle air conditioner, the support member conventionally provided in the instrument panel can be reduced. In addition, since the vehicle air conditioner can be placed near the cross beam, the drive mechanism such as the air mix damper can be simplified, the workability and the reliability of the drive mechanism can be further improved, and the space that is moved is effectively used. Utilization is possible. In addition, because it is located at the center of the cross beam, it can be easily modularized with the instrument panel, the weight balance when mounting the vehicle, and the packaging can be made more compact and transported by improving the packaging. Can improve the performance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a side sectional view showing a state where the vehicle air conditioner of FIG. 1 is attached to the vehicle. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a conventional vehicle air conditioner is attached to a vehicle.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle air conditioner 2 Air conditioning unit 3 Blower 4 Evaporator 5 Heater core 6 Cross beam accommodating part 7 Duct part 8 DEF duct 9 Side VENT duct 10 Center VENT blower outlet 11 Center VENT duct 12 FOOT duct 13 Air mix dampers 14, 15, 16 Damper 17 Frame 18 Control unit 19 Suction port 20 Cross beam 21 Instrument panel 22 Upper wall

Claims (5)

In the vehicle air conditioner having an air conditioning unit provided with a blower, an evaporator, and a heater core inside, the air conditioning unit is provided with a cross beam accommodating portion that accommodates a part of the cross beam extending in the width direction of the vehicle , An air conditioner for a vehicle, wherein the air conditioning unit is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the cross beam by moving in a vehicle front-rear direction from a passenger compartment side .   The air conditioning unit includes a duct portion in which at least a part of the DEF duct and at least a part of the VENT duct, or at least a part of the DEF duct, at least a part of the VENT duct, and at least a part of the FOOT duct are integrally formed. The vehicle air conditioner of Claim 1 provided.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the duct portion and the air conditioning unit are integrally formed.   The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioner unit is provided with a frame body that supports a control unit for an air conditioner, a car audio device, or the like.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the frame and the air conditioning unit are integrally formed.

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