JP6444678B2 - Air conditioner for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that is mounted on a vehicle and that adjusts the temperature of the vehicle interior by blowing air that has been temperature-adjusted by a heat exchanger into the vehicle interior.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle air conditioner mounted on a vehicle includes, for example, air taken into an air conditioning case through an inside / outside air switching device by a blower and cooled by an evaporator as a cooling means and a heater core as a heating means. After the heated air is mixed at a desired mixing ratio by driving the air mix damper, for example, the air is blown into the vehicle compartment from a plurality of air outlets provided in the air conditioning case.

  For example, the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a full center type vehicle air conditioner in which a blower is arranged in the center in the width direction of the air conditioner case, and an inside / outside air switching device is provided at the side of the air conditioner case. Is connected. An inside / outside air introduction port is formed in the casing of this inside / outside air switching device, and a blower is driven to control opening / closing of a switching door provided in each of the inside / outside air introduction ports, so that either one of the inside / outside air introduction ports can be controlled. Air is selectively taken in and supplied to the air conditioning case.

  As the switching door, a plate-shaped cantilever door having a rotating shaft at one end is used, but when the switching door is switched in a state where air is flowing into the casing, the wind pressure of the air is changed. Since it is necessary to operate so as to overcome it, the operation load becomes large.

  In contrast, for example, by using a rotary door having an arcuate circumferential wall as in the inside / outside air switching device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the influence of wind pressure is reduced, and accordingly, the operation load is reduced. Can be reduced.

JP 2004-249905 A JP 2002-137621 A

  The rotary door disclosed in the inside / outside air switching device of Patent Document 2 has a shielding wall having a circular arc cross section at the outer edge of the circumferential wall, and the inside / outside air inlet is closed by the shielding wall. However, when the inside / outside air introduction port opens in the vehicle front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the axis of the blower) and the suction direction of the inside / outside air introduction port and the suction direction of the blower are orthogonal to each other in the casing, the inside / outside air introduction port As the air introduced from the air flows along the shielding surface having an arcuate cross section, the air swirls to generate a vortex, and the air does not flow smoothly to the blower side, leading to a reduction in blowing efficiency.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and is a vehicle capable of improving the blowing efficiency of air flowing from the inside / outside air switching unit to the air conditioning case and reducing the operation load of the switching damper. The purpose is to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an inside / outside air switching unit that switches between inside air and outside air and takes the air into the interior, an air conditioning case having a flow path for air, and air that is provided in the air conditioning case. In a full center type vehicle air conditioner in which the rotating shaft of the blower extends in the width direction of the air conditioning case, and the introduction port of the inside / outside air switching unit opens in the vehicle front-rear direction,
The inside / outside air switching unit has a switching damper that is formed so as to be rotatable with a shielding wall being separated from the damper shaft, and the rotating shaft of the blower and the damper shaft of the switching damper extend in the same direction. In addition, the shielding wall is formed in a planar shape , and includes a rectifying unit extending from the wall facing the blower to the blower side and extending to a position overlapping at least part of the width direction of the inlet, The shape is such that the height decreases as the distance from the wall portion increases .

  According to the present invention, in the inside / outside air switching unit constituting the full-center type vehicle air conditioner, the air introduced from the introduction port flows along the shielding wall by forming the shielding wall in the switching damper into a planar shape. It is suppressed that it turns.

  Therefore, when the air taken in from the inside / outside air switching unit flows to the blower side, it can be smoothly distributed to the blower side by suppressing the swirling of the air, and as a result, from the inside / outside air switching unit to the air conditioning case. The air blowing efficiency of the circulating air can be improved. In addition, the switching damper is a rotary damper provided so that the shielding wall is separated from the damper shaft, so even when switching operation is performed when air flows in from the inlet, it is compared with the cantilever damper. The operating load can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the inside / outside air switching unit is provided with a rectifying portion that extends from the wall portion facing the blower to the blower side and extends to a position overlapping with at least a part of the width direction of the introduction port. The air flow that is most easily swirled can be reliably deflected and circulated to the blower side by the rectifying unit. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the vortex | eddy_current in an inside / outside air switching unit is suppressed, and it becomes possible to distribute | circulate air efficiently to the air blower side.

  Furthermore, the rectifier is shaped so that its height decreases as it is separated from the wall, so that air is reliably deflected toward the blower in the vicinity of the wall, while the rectifier is near the wall on the blower side. Is prevented from becoming a resistance to suction of air sucked into the air conditioning case. As a result, air can be smoothly circulated from the inside / outside air switching unit to the blower side by the rectifying unit.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to form a plurality of rectifying portions in a plate shape and to provide a plurality of rectifying portions along the vehicle front-rear direction.

  In addition, a bell mouth provided on the upstream side of the blower is provided with a swirling portion that guides the air to be introduced in the same direction as the rotation direction of the blower, so that air swirled in the same direction as the rotation direction by the swirling portion is sucked into the blower side. Thus, the suction resistance can be reduced, and air can be supplied more smoothly from the inside / outside air switching unit to the blower side.

  Further, a plurality of swivel portions may be formed in a plate shape and inclined so as to be directed toward the center of the bell mouth along the rotation direction.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, in the inside / outside air switching unit constituting the full-center type vehicle air conditioner, the shielding wall in the switching damper is formed into a planar shape, so that the air introduced from the introduction port swirls along the shielding wall. Therefore, when the air taken in from the inside / outside air switching unit flows to the blower side, the air can be smoothly circulated to the blower side by suppressing the swirling of the air. As a result, it is possible to improve the air blowing efficiency of the air flowing from the inside / outside air switching unit to the air conditioning case.

1 is an overall front view showing a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the internal / external air switching unit in the vehicle air conditioner of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of a lower case in the inside / outside air switching unit of FIG. 2. It is an enlarged plan view which shows the bellmouth vicinity of the 2nd division | segmentation case in the vehicle air conditioner of FIG.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicle air conditioner 10, the left side (in the direction of arrow A) shown in FIG. 2 is the front side of the vehicle, that is, the engine room side, and the right side (in the direction of arrow B) is the rear side of the vehicle, that is, the passenger compartment. Since it is mounted so as to be inside, the direction of arrow A will be described below as the front of the vehicle, and the direction of arrow B will be described as the rear of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 10 includes an air conditioning case 12 that constitutes each air passage, and an inside / outside air switching unit 14 that is connected to a side portion of the air conditioning case 12 and takes in outside air / inside air. An air blower 16 disposed in the air conditioning case 12, and an evaporator and a heater core (not shown) are accommodated in the air conditioning case 12, and the cold air flowing through the passage under the switching action by the damper mechanism Control the flow of hot air.

  The vehicle air conditioner 10 is a full center type HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) in which the blower 16 described above is provided at the center of the air conditioning case 12 in the vehicle width direction (arrow C direction).

  The air conditioning case 12 includes, for example, substantially symmetrical first and second divided cases 18 and 20, and the first and second divided cases 18 and 20 can be divided in the vehicle width direction (arrow C direction). The inside / outside air switching unit 14 is connected to the side of the second divided case 20. A blower 16 is disposed in the center of the air conditioning case 12 in the vehicle width direction so as to straddle the first divided case 18 and the second divided case 20, and the second divided case 20 has an end side of the blower 16. A suction port 22 that is open is formed (see FIG. 2). A bell mouth 24 folded toward the blower 16 side is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the suction port 22.

  Above the air conditioning case 12, a vent air blowing port (introduction port) 26 and a defroster air blowing port (introduction port) 28 for blowing air into the passenger compartment are opened.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inside / outside air switching unit 14 includes a casing 34 having an outside air introduction port 30 for taking in outside air and an inside air introduction port 32 for taking in inside air, the outside air introduction port 30 and the inside air introduction port. And a switching damper 36 for switching the open / close state of 32, and a filter 38 capable of removing dust and the like in the air taken in is housed in the casing 34.

  The casing 34 is connected to the upper case 40 provided at the upper portion, the lower case 42 connected to the lower portion of the upper case 40, and to the sides of the upper case 40 and the lower case 42. 12 and a connecting duct 44 that guides air to 12.

  The upper case 40 has an outside air inlet 30 and an inside air inlet 32 opened at the top thereof, and the outside air inlet 30 is opened in a state inclined at a predetermined angle toward the front side of the vehicle (in the direction of arrow A). A suction duct (not shown) extending into the engine room is connected.

  On the other hand, the inside air inlet 32 is formed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the outside air inlet 30 and open to the vehicle rear side (arrow B direction). In other words, the outside air introduction port 30 and the inside air introduction port 32 are open in a direction orthogonal to the vehicle width direction (arrow C direction) in the vehicle air conditioner 10, as shown in FIG.

  And the lower case part of the upper case 40 is opening, and the lower case 42 is connected so that this opening part may be plugged up.

  The lower case 42 is opened at the top and connected to the lower part of the upper case 40, and the bottom is inclined gradually downward from the vehicle rear side toward the vehicle front side (arrow A direction) and is air-conditioned in the vehicle width direction. It is formed so as to be gently inclined downward toward the case 12 side (arrow C1 direction).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lower case 42 has a corner portion formed by one side wall (wall portion) 42 a that is opposite to the air conditioning case 12 side (in the direction of arrow C <b> 2) and the bottom surface. A plurality of first rectifying fins (rectifying units) 46 are provided.

  The first rectifying fins 46 are, for example, formed in a plate shape with a substantially triangular cross section, and are formed such that the height gradually decreases as the distance from the one side wall 42a and the bottom surface of the lower case 42 increases. They are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other along the direction (the direction of arrows A and B) (see FIG. 2).

  The first rectifying fins 46 are substantially orthogonal to the vehicle front-rear direction (arrow A, B direction) and extend along the vehicle width direction (arrow C1 direction).

  In other words, the first rectifying fins 46 extend in a direction orthogonal to the flow direction of the air introduced into the casing 34 through the outside air introduction port 30 and the inside air introduction port 32, and the outside air introduction port 30 or the inside air. It is provided so as to overlap with at least a part of the introduction port 32 along the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 1).

  The air guided into the casing 34 through the outside air introduction port 30 or the inside air introduction port 32 partially contacts the side wall 42a and comes into contact with the plurality of first rectifying fins 46, whereby the air conditioning case 12 side ( (Direction of arrow C1). In addition, the first rectifying fins 46 suppress the generation of vortex flow in the casing 34, and the air guided into the casing 34 can be deflected toward the air conditioning case 12 side.

  The connecting duct 44 is provided so as to connect the other side wall 42 b of the lower case 42 and the side wall of the second split case 20 in the air conditioning case 12, so that the end on the second split case 20 side faces the suction port 22. Connected to That is, the air circulated from the inside / outside air switching unit 14 to the connecting duct 44 is guided to the suction port 22 of the second divided case 20, and the blower 16 provided so as to face the suction port 22 and the bell mouth 24. Inhaled under driving action.

  The bell mouth 24 of the second divided case 20 to which the connecting duct 44 is connected is provided with a plurality of second rectifying fins (swivel parts) 48.

  The second rectifying fins 48 are arranged on the peripheral surface of the bell mouth 24 on the inside / outside air switching unit 14 side (arrow C2 direction), and are arranged in an annular shape so as to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction. It is formed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle so as to gradually go radially inward (suction port 22 side) along 16 rotation directions (for example, clockwise, arrow D direction).

  When air flows from the connecting duct 44 to the suction port 22, the air is sucked into the suction port 22 by the second rectifying fin 48 while turning clockwise (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4). That is, the second rectifying fin 48 can rectify the air introduced from the inside / outside air switching unit 14 into the air conditioning case 12 so as to swirl in the rotation direction (clockwise) of the blower 16 through the suction port 22. Functions as a means.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the switching damper 36 connects, for example, a pair of end walls 52 formed to have a triangular cross section and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and corners of the end walls 52. A damper shaft (damper shaft) 54 provided on the end wall 52, and a shielding wall 56 that connects the end portions of the end wall 52 and is spaced from the damper shaft 54. The damper shaft 54 and the shielding wall 56 are upper. Extending along the width direction (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1) within the case 40, the end of the damper shaft 54 is rotatably provided with respect to the one side wall 42a and the other side wall 42b of the upper case 40. It is done. A seal member 58 is provided on the outer edge of the end wall 52 and the shielding wall 56.

  The switching damper 36 is rotated under the driving action of an actuator (not shown) so that the outside air introduction port 30 and the inside air introduction port are formed by the shielding wall 56 formed on the side opposite to the opening end where the damper shaft 54 is provided. Any one of 32 is selectively blocked. At this time, air leakage is prevented by the seal member 58 coming into contact with the inner wall surface of the upper case 40.

  The filter 38 is made of, for example, a non-woven fabric that is bent in a plurality of undulations, and is provided substantially horizontally at the boundary between the upper case 40 and the lower case 42. The air introduced from the outside air introduction port 30 and the inside air introduction port 32 passes through the filter 38 and flows to the lower case 42 side, so that the air trapped and removed from the dust is contained in the air conditioning case. It distributes to 12 side.

  The vehicle air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above. Next, its operation and effects will be described. Here, a state where the inside air mode is selected by a passenger (not shown) and the outside air inlet 30 is closed by the switching damper 36 as shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

  First, based on a control signal from a controller (not shown), the blower 16 is driven to rotate, and the rotary fan 16a rotates. Thereby, the air in the vehicle compartment is sucked into the upper case 40 of the casing 34 through the inside air introduction port 32 of the inside / outside air switching unit 14, and after passing through the filter 38, flows to the lower case 42 side. At this time, since the shielding wall 56 of the switching damper 36 provided at a position facing the inside air introduction port 32 is formed in a planar shape, it is possible to suppress the swirling shape of the air flowing downward against the shielding wall 56. It will flow relatively linearly.

  The air flowing to the lower case 42 is preferably smoothly guided to the blower 16 side by a plurality of first rectifying fins 46 provided on the side wall 42a side opposite to the blower 16 side. Further, the contact with the first rectifying fins 46 further suppresses the vortex flow that swirls within the lower case 42, and the air flows through the connecting duct 44 toward the air conditioning case 12 (in the direction of arrow C <b> 1 in FIG. 1).

  The air introduced into the air conditioning case 12 flows toward the suction port 22 under the drive action of the blower 16, and is gradually moved by the plurality of second rectifying fins 48 provided on the outer peripheral side of the suction port 22. The air is sucked from the suction port 22 toward the blower 16 while turning so as to be in the same direction as the rotation direction (the direction of arrow D in FIG. 4). At this time, since the swirl direction of the air sucked from the suction port 22 and the rotation direction of the blower 16 are the same direction, air can be smoothly sucked through the suction port 22 and the suction resistance is suppressed.

  The air sucked into the blower 16 side from the suction port 22 is led out to the respective passages in the air conditioning case 12 by the rotary fan 16a, and is passed through the blower port corresponding to the blower mode selected by the occupant (not shown) through the blower port. It is blown into.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the inside / outside air switching unit 14 constituting the full-center type vehicle air conditioner 10, the shielding wall 56 of the switching damper 36 is formed into a flat plate shape (planar shape), thereby It is suppressed that the air introduced into 34 is swirled by the shielding wall 56, and air can be smoothly introduced to the blower 16 side by suppressing the generation of vortex. As a result, it is possible to increase the air blowing efficiency of the air flowing from the inside / outside air switching unit 14 to the air conditioning case 12, and the performance of the vehicle air conditioner 10 can be improved.

  Further, since the switching damper 36 has a flat shielding wall 56, even if a part of the air introduced into the casing 34 hits the shielding wall 56, the switching damper 36 is prevented from flowing so as to turn. Therefore, the generation of vortex is preferably suppressed, and the switching damper 36 is a rotary damper in which the shielding wall 56 and the damper shaft 54 are separated from each other, so that air is supplied from the outside air inlet 30 or the inside air inlet 32. Even when rotating in the state where the air is introduced, compared with a cantilever damper with a damper shaft provided at the end of the plate-like damper, the influence of the wind pressure of the air can be suppressed, reducing the operating load The switching operation can be suitably performed. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the actuator (drive source) that operates the switching damper 36.

  In the inside / outside air switching unit 14, the air is strong in the direction of introduction from the outside air introduction port 30 and the inside air introduction port 32 in the vicinity of the one side wall 42 a of the casing 34 farthest from the blower 16. Therefore, by providing the first rectifying fins 46 that are substantially orthogonal to the air introduction direction in the lower case 42 of the casing 34, the air that is easy to turn is reliably deflected and circulated to the blower 16 side by the first rectifying fins 46. Can do. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the vortex | eddy_current in the casing 34 is suppressed and it becomes possible to distribute | circulate air to the air-conditioning case 12 side efficiently.

  Furthermore, in the inside / outside air switching unit 14, the height of the first rectifying fins 46 is formed so as to be lowered from the one side wall 42 a of the casing 34 toward the other side wall 42 b on the blower 16 side (arrow C <b> 1 direction). In the vicinity of the other side wall 42 b, the first rectifying fin 46 is prevented from becoming a resistance to sucking air sucked into the air conditioning case 12. That is, the first rectifying fins 46 can surely deflect the air flow toward the air conditioning case 12 while preventing the air from flowing into the air conditioning case 12.

  Furthermore, in the inside / outside air switching unit 14, by providing the second rectifying fin 48 on the bell mouth 24 of the air conditioning case 12 on the upstream side of the blower 16, the air conditioning case 12 passes through the suction port 22 from the inside / outside air switching unit 14. When air is introduced into the air, the second rectifying fins 48 guide the air while swirling in the same direction as the rotation direction (arrow D direction) of the blower 16, thereby reducing the suction resistance and making the air smoother. Can be improved from the inside / outside air switching unit 14 to the air conditioning case 12. Further, since it is possible to weaken the momentum of the vortex swirling in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the blower 16 by the second rectifying fin 48, compared with the case of sucking air swirled in the opposite direction from the suction port 22, Inhalation resistance can be greatly reduced.

  Further, the second rectifying fins 48 are not limited to the case of being provided on the bell mouth 24, and may be provided on the inner wall surface of the second divided case 20 on the outer peripheral side of the bell mouth 24, for example. . That is, the second rectifying fins 48 may be provided at a position centered on the suction port 22 that is sucked into the blower 16, and may be inclined so that the air turns in the same direction as the rotation direction of the blower 16. .

  In addition, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle air conditioner 12 ... Air conditioning case 14 ... Inside / outside air switching unit 16 ... Air blower 22 ... Inlet 24 ... Bell mouth 30 ... Outside air introduction port 32 ... Inside air introduction port 34 ... Casing 36 ... Switching damper 40 ... Upper case 42 ... Lower case 44 ... connecting duct 46 ... first rectifying fin 48 ... second rectifying fin 56 ... shielding wall

Claims (4)

An inside / outside air switching unit that switches between inside air and outside air, and an air conditioning case having a flow path through which air flows, and a blower that is provided in the air conditioning case and blows the air into the vehicle interior, In the full center type vehicle air conditioner in which the rotation shaft of the blower extends in the width direction of the air conditioning case, and the introduction port of the inside / outside air switching unit opens in the vehicle front-rear direction,
The inside / outside air switching unit has a switching damper that is formed so as to be rotatable with a shielding wall being separated from the damper shaft, and the rotation shaft of the blower and the damper shaft of the switching damper are in the same direction. The rectification is extended and the shielding wall is formed in a planar shape, extends from the wall facing the blower to the blower side, and extends to a position overlapping at least a part of the width direction of the introduction port. The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the height of the rectification unit decreases as the distance from the wall portion increases . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 ,
The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the rectifying unit is formed in a plate shape, and a plurality of the rectifying units are provided along the vehicle front-rear direction. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The bell mouth provided on the upstream side of the blower is provided with a turning portion for guiding the air to be introduced in the same direction as the rotation direction of the blower. In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3 ,
The vehicular air conditioner is characterized in that a plurality of the swivel portions are formed in a plate shape and are inclined to the center of the bell mouth along the rotation direction.

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