JP6718337B2 - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner, and more particularly to a vehicle air conditioner having an inside/outside air switching unit for taking in the inside air or the outside air.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a vehicle air conditioner mounted on a vehicle uses an inside/outside air switching unit to take in the inside air/outside air and supply it to an air conditioning case, and air cooled by an evaporator serving as a cooling means and a heater core serving as a heating means. The heated air is mixed at a desired mixing ratio to adjust the temperature and blow the air into the passenger compartment.

Such a vehicle air conditioner includes, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a first case member having a plurality of air outlets for blowing air into the vehicle interior, and an internal case connected to the first case member. An air conditioning case is composed of the second case member in which the blower is housed. Then, the first case member is assembled from above with respect to the evaporator accommodating portion formed on the side portion of the second case member, and is integrally connected by, for example, screwing a plurality of places with each other.

JP, 2007-99230, A

However, in the vehicle air conditioner as described above, in order to connect the first case member and the second case member to each other by screw fastening, the boss for fastening the screw is attached to the first and second case members. It is necessary to provide the boss, and since the boss is provided so as to project outward from the first and second case members, the vehicle air conditioner including the first and second case members is upsized. Become.

Further, instead of screw fastening, it is conceivable that the first case member and the second case member are connected by engaging the claw portions, but in this case, variations in manufacturing of the first and second case members and There is a concern that a gap may be generated due to vibration or the like and air leakage may occur, and abnormal noise may occur due to the air leakage.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner capable of reducing air leakage from the case while suppressing an increase in the size of the device. ..

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is an air conditioning case for a vehicle having an air conditioning case having a flow path of air, and an inside/outside air switching unit connected to the air conditioning case via a connecting duct,
The inside/outside air switching unit includes a first case in which a blower is housed,
A second case which has an outside air introduction port and an inside air introduction port and is connected to the first case through an engagement means;
Equipped with
The connecting duct is connected to the downstream end of the air passage formed in the first and second cases, and the first and second cases and the connecting duct are provided at the connecting portion between the downstream end and the connecting duct. In addition to having a fitting portion for fitting, a cover portion for covering the engaging means is provided on the connecting duct.

According to the present invention, in the inside/outside air switching unit constituting the vehicle air conditioner, the second case having the outside air introduction port and the inside air introduction port is provided to the first case in which the blower is housed through the engaging means. The first and second cases and the connection duct are fitted to the connection portion of the downstream end of the passage that is connected and is formed in the first and second cases and the connection duct that is connected to the air conditioning case. In addition to having a fitting portion, the connecting duct is provided with a cover portion that covers the engaging means.

Therefore, the first case and the second case of the inside/outside air switching unit can be connected to each other by the engaging means, so that the first case member and the second case member are connected by screw fastening. Compared with a vehicle air conditioner, a boss for screw fastening is not required, and a vehicle air conditioner including an inside/outside air switching unit can be downsized, and a first and a second parts are provided via a fitting portion provided at a connecting portion. By fitting the second case and the connection duct to each other, it is possible to securely connect the first case and the second case by the engagement means while connecting them. In addition, since the cover portion covers the engaging means of the first and second cases by connecting with the connecting duct, even if air leakage occurs between the first case and the second case, the air leakage is prevented. It can be reduced by the cover part.

Further, the fitting portion is provided on the first and second cases and has a convex portion projecting toward the connecting duct side, and the fitting portion is formed on the connecting duct and has a cross-sectional shape substantially the same as that of the convex portion. And a concave portion into which the convex portion is inserted in a state of being connected.

Furthermore, the convex portion has a first insertion portion formed in the first case and tapered toward the connection duct side, and a second insertion portion formed in the second case and tapered toward the connection duct side. It is good to consist of.

Furthermore, the engaging means is provided on the side of the engaging claw provided on either one of the first case and the second case and on the side of the other case different from the first case or the second case provided with the engaging claw. And a hook with which the engaging claw is engaged.

Further, the cover portion may be formed in a plate shape protruding from the end portion of the connection duct toward the first and second case sides.

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

That is, the first case and the second case, which form the inside/outside air switching unit, are connected via the engaging means, and the downstream end portions of the passages formed in the first and second cases are connected to the air conditioning case. Since a fitting portion that fits the first and second cases and the connection duct is provided at the connection part with the connection duct, the first case member and the second case member are connected by using the engaging means. The size can be reduced as compared with the vehicle air conditioner according to the related art which is connected by screw fastening, and moreover, the first and second cases and the connecting duct are connected via the fitting portion provided at the connecting portion. By fitting them into each other, the first case and the second case can be securely connected to each other by the engaging means. Further, by providing the cover part for covering the engaging means in the connecting duct, it is possible to reduce the air leakage by the cover part between the first case and the second case.

1 is an overall perspective view of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the inside/outside air switching unit in the vehicle air conditioner of FIG. It is an expansion disassembled front view which shows the state which removed the inside/outside air switching unit of FIG. 2 from the connection duct. 4A is a sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB of FIG.

A preferred embodiment 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.

As shown in FIG. 1, this vehicle air conditioner 10 is connected to an air conditioning case 12 that constitutes each passage of air and a side portion of the air conditioning case 12 via a connecting duct 14 to take in outside air and inside air. The air-conditioning case 12 has an air-switching unit 16, and an evaporator and a heater core (not shown) are housed inside the air-conditioning case 12 to control the flow of cold air and hot air flowing in the passage under the switching action of the damper mechanism.

The air-conditioning case 12 has a vent blower port 18 and a defroster blower port 20 for blowing air into the passenger compartment above the air-conditioner case 12 and at one side along the vehicle width direction (arrow B1 direction). The inside/outside air switching unit 16 is connected via the connecting duct 14.

That is, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) in which the blower unit 22 is provided on the side of the air conditioning case 12 together with the inside/outside air switching unit 16.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inside/outside air switching unit 16 is connected to a blower unit 22, a lower case (first case) 24 forming a part of the blower unit 22, and an upper portion of the lower case 24 to connect to the outside air. It includes an inlet 26 and an upper case (second case) 28 having an inside air inlet (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lower case 24 is, for example, opened upward, and the rotary fan 30 and the drive motor 32 that configure the blower unit 22 are housed therein (see FIG. 2 ). A spiral passage (not shown) is formed on the outer peripheral side of the rotary fan 30, and is connected to the connection duct 14 via a first opening 34 (see FIG. 3) opened at the downstream end of the passage. Has been done. That is, the blower unit 22 is a centrifugal fan having the rotary fan 30 and the drive motor 32.

A first connecting wall 36 connected to the lower end of the upper case 28 is formed along the circumferential direction at the upper end of the lower case 24, and the first connecting wall 36 is connected to the upper case 28. A plurality of engaging claws 38 are formed. A plurality of the engaging claws 38 project outward slightly with respect to the first connection wall 36, extend downward (in the direction of arrow A2), and are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the lower case 24. To be

Further, the lower case 24 is formed with a first connecting portion 40 that is inserted into the connecting duct 14 on a side portion that faces the first opening 34, and a first flange 42 that extends outward from the first connecting portion 40. Is formed. The first flange 42 is provided with a first insertion portion 44 that faces the end of the first connection wall 36 and projects toward the connecting duct 14 (arrow B2 direction).

The first insertion portion 44 is, for example, formed in the same plane as the end surface of the first connection wall 36, and the lower portion thereof is formed into a triangular cross-section in which the lower portion gradually tapers toward the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction). It

The upper case 28 has an outside air introduction port 26 for taking in the air outside the vehicle and an inside air introduction port (not shown) for taking in the air inside the vehicle at the upper part thereof, and the outside air introduction port 26 and the inside air introduction A set of switching dampers (not shown) for switching the opening/closing state of the mouth is provided inside.

In addition, a spiral passage is formed inside the upper case 28 similarly to the lower case 24, and the downstream end thereof is connected to the connecting duct 14 via the second opening 46.

On the other hand, a second connection wall 48 connected to the first connection wall 36 of the lower case 24 is formed in the lower end portion of the upper case 28 along the circumferential direction, and the second connection wall 48 is provided with an engagement member of the lower case 24. A plurality of hooks 50 that are engaged with the mating pawls 38 are formed.

The hook 50 is, for example, hollow and rectangular in cross section, and is formed so as to project a predetermined length toward the lower case 24 side (direction of arrow A2) with respect to the second connection wall 48, and the engaging claw 38 of the lower case 24 is formed. A plurality of them are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the upper case 28 so as to correspond to.

Then, the engaging claw 38 is inserted into and engaged with the inside of the hook 50, so that the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 are connected to each other in a state where the second connection wall 48 and the first connection wall 36 are in contact with each other. It In other words, the engaging claw 38 and the hook 50 function as an engaging means that can connect the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 to each other.

That is, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are connected so as not to be separated from each other in the axial direction (directions of the arrows A1 and A2).

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper case 28 is provided with a second connecting portion 52 which is inserted into the connecting duct 14 at a side portion facing the second opening 46 and the second connecting portion 52. To form a second flange 54 that extends outwardly. A second insertion portion 56 is formed on the second flange 54 so as to face the end portion of the second connection wall 48 and project toward the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction).

The second insertion portion 56 is formed, for example, in the same plane as the end surface of the second connection wall 48, and the upper portion thereof has a triangular cross-section in which the upper portion is gradually tapered toward the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction). It Further, the second insertion portion 56 is formed so as to be symmetrical with the first insertion portion 44 of the lower case 24 in substantially the same cross section.

Then, when the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are combined, the second insertion portion 56 abuts the first insertion portion 44 as shown in FIG. Section 58. In other words, the tip of the first insertion portion 44 is gradually tapered toward the connecting duct 14 side, and the tip of the second insertion portion 56 is gradually tapered toward the connecting duct 14 side. Is formed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting duct 14 is formed in a tubular shape along the width direction of the vehicle air conditioner 10 (arrow B1, B2 direction), and one end thereof is connected to the side wall of the air conditioning case 12. The other end is connected so as to straddle the side walls of the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 in the inside/outside air switching unit 16, and communicates with the first and second openings 34, 46. As a result, the air taken in by the inside/outside air switching unit 16 is supplied to the air conditioning case 12 through the connecting duct 14.

At the other end of the connection duct 14, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4A, a flange-shaped third connection part 60 connected to the first and second connection parts 40 and 52 of the inside/outside air switching unit 16. The third connecting portion 60 is provided with a concave portion 62 that is recessed from the end surface toward the one end portion side (air conditioning case 12 side, arrow B2 direction).

The recess 62 is formed, for example, so as to face the mating surfaces of the first and second connection walls 36 and 48 when the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 are assembled, and the one end side (arrow B2 direction). The taper is gradually tapered toward the inside and outside air switching unit 16, and is formed into a triangular shape having a cross section that is substantially the same as the insertion portion 58 of the inside/outside air switching unit 16.

Then, when the other end of the connecting duct 14 and the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 of the inside/outside air switching unit 16 are assembled, the insertion portion 58 including the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 is inserted into the recess 62. ..

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 4B, the third connecting portion 60 is provided with a cover portion 64 that protrudes by a predetermined length in a direction away from the connecting duct 14 (direction of arrow B1). The cover portion 64 is formed in, for example, a plate shape, and covers the engagement portion between the engagement claw 38 and the hook 50 arranged on the most connection duct 14 side (direction of arrow B2) in the inside/outside air switching unit 16. Is formed as. That is, the cover portion 64 functions as a cover unit that covers the engaging portion between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24.

The vehicle air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above. Next, the upper case 28, the lower case 24, and the connecting duct 14 that configure the inside/outside air switching unit 16 are provided. The case of assembling and will be described with reference to FIG.

First, with the rotary fan 30 and the drive motor 32 constituting the blower unit 22 housed inside the lower case 24, the first connection wall 36, which is the upper end thereof, and the second connection wall 48 of the upper case 28 are brought into contact with each other. By bringing them into contact with each other and engaging a plurality of engaging claws 38 with the hooks 50, respectively, the upper case 28 and the upper case 28 are in contact with each other in the state of being in contact with each other, and the inside/outside air switching unit 16 is configured. ..

Next, the other end of the connecting duct 14 is brought closer to the first and second openings 34, 46 opened on the side wall of the inside/outside air switching unit 16, and the first and second insertion parts 44, 56 are formed in the recesses 62. And the first and second connecting portions 40 and 52 are inserted into the inside of the third connecting portion 60.

Then, the connecting duct 14 is connected to the side wall of the inside/outside air switching unit 16 by inserting the first and second flanges 42, 54 of the inside/outside air switching unit 16 into contact with the third connecting portion 60 of the connecting duct 14. In addition, the engaging claw 38 and the hook 50, which are closest to the connecting duct 14 (arrow B2 direction), are completely covered by the cover portion 64.

At this time, since the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 are formed in a triangular cross section that gradually taper toward the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction), they are also formed in a triangular cross section. By inserting the first insertion portion 44 and the second insertion portion 56 toward each other by the depression 62, the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 are pressed toward each other by the depression 62. , 56, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are connected to the connecting duct 14 in a state of being fitted in a direction in which they approach each other.

That is, by connecting the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 can be connected in a state of being pressed in a direction in which they approach each other, so that the first connecting wall 36 and the second connecting wall It is maintained in a state where they are in contact with each other more reliably, and the sealing property between them is enhanced and maintained.

Finally, the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 are connected to each other by a fastening means (not shown), whereby the assembly of the connecting duct 14 and the inside/outside air switching unit 16 is completed.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 10 in which the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 are assembled as described above will be described. In addition, here, as an example thereof, a case where the outside air is taken in to perform the heating operation will be described.

First, based on a control signal from a controller (not shown), the drive motor 32 of the blower unit 22 is rotationally driven to rotate the rotary fan 30, and the inside air inlet (not shown) is operated under the switching action of a switching damper (not shown). Is closed and the outside air introduction port 26 is opened. Then, the air outside the vehicle is sucked into the upper case 28 through the outside air inlet 26, passes through a filter (not shown), and then flows to the lower case 24 side (arrow A2 direction).

This outside air is sent from the inside of the rotary fan 30 to the passage on the outer peripheral side, whereby the air flows to the downstream end while swirling along the passage and is connected from the first and second openings 34, 46. After being sent to the duct 14, it is supplied to the air conditioning case 12 and heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater core, and is blown to the vicinity of the feet of the occupant in the passenger compartment.

At this time, in the inside/outside air switching unit 16, on the first and second connecting portions 40, 52 side connected to the connecting duct 14, the hook 50 and the engaging claw 38 which are closest to the connecting duct 14 side (arrow B2 direction). Since the cover portion 64 is provided so as to face the above, even if air leaks from between the first connecting wall 36 of the lower case 24 and the second connecting wall 48 of the upper case 28, the air is blown by the cover portion 64. Leakage is reduced, and moreover, it does not flow in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (direction of arrow C in FIG. 1), so that it is prevented from flowing into the vehicle interior.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the plurality of engaging claws 38 are provided on the first connection wall 36 of the lower case 24 that configures the inside/outside air switching unit 16, and the plurality of hooks are provided on the second connection wall 48 of the upper case 28. By providing 50 and engaging the hook 50 with the engaging claw 38, the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 can be connected to each other in the axial direction. This eliminates the need for the boss provided for performing the screw fastening, as compared with the vehicle air conditioner according to the related art in which the first case member and the second case member are connected by screw fastening. Therefore, the inside/outside air switching unit 16 can be downsized in the front-rear direction (direction of arrow C) of the vehicle by the amount of elimination of the boss, and accordingly, the vehicle air conditioner 10 including the inside/outside air switching unit 16. Can be miniaturized.

Further, in a state where the lower case 24 and the upper case 28 are connected by using the plurality of engaging claws 38 and the hooks 50, the first and second insertions having a triangular cross-section protruding toward the connecting duct 14 side (direction of arrow B2). By assembling the parts 44 and 56 into the recess 62 of the connection duct 14 while assembling the parts, the first and second insertion parts 44 and 56 and the recess 62 are fitted to each other so that the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 are mutually connected. It is possible to surely and firmly connect them in a state of bringing them into close contact with each other. Further, the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14 can be easily positioned.

As a result, in the inside/outside air switching unit 16, the vicinity of the first and second connecting portions 40 and 52, which are relatively easy to open in the vertical direction, is surely ensured under the fitting action of the first and second insertion portions 44 and 56 and the concave portion 62. In this state, air leakage from between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 can be reliably prevented, and the assemblability can be improved.

Further, by preventing the air from leaking between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise due to the air leakage.

Furthermore, the other end of the connecting duct 14 is provided with the cover portion 64 that projects to the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and covers the engaging claws 38 and the hooks 50 thereof. Therefore, for example, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is mounted on a vehicle. During the previous transportation or the like, contact with the engaging claw 38 and the hook 50 is prevented, and damage due to the contact can be prevented.

Further, in the vicinity of the connecting portion between the inside/outside air switching unit 16 and the connecting duct 14, air leakage from between the upper case 28 and the lower case 24 is reduced by the cover portion 64 and flows in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Since it is suppressed, the leaked air is prevented from flowing into the passenger compartment.

Note that 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.

10... Vehicle air conditioner 12... Air conditioning case 14... Connection duct 16... Inside/outside air switching unit 24... Lower case 28... Upper case 38... Engaging claw 44... First insertion part 50... Hook 56... Second insertion part 58... Insertion Part 62... Recessed part 64... Cover part

Claims (5)

In an air conditioner for a vehicle having an air conditioning case having a flow path of air, and an inside/outside air switching unit connected to the air conditioning case via a connecting duct,
The inside/outside air switching unit includes a first case in which a blower is housed,
A second case having an outside air introduction port and an inside air introduction port, which is connected to the first case through an engagement means;
Equipped with
The connecting duct is connected to a downstream end of a passage through which the air is formed, formed in the first and second cases, and the first and second connecting portions are connected to the downstream end and the connecting duct. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising a fitting portion for fitting the case and the connection duct, and a cover portion for covering the engagement means is provided on the connection duct. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
The fitting portion includes a convex portion provided on the first and second cases and protruding toward the connection duct side,
A recess formed in the connecting duct, into which the first case and the second case are connected in the same cross-sectional shape as the protruding section, and into which the protruding section is inserted;
An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 2,
The convex portion is formed on the first case, and has a first insertion portion that is tapered toward the connection duct side;
A second insertion portion formed in the second case and tapering toward the connection duct side;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising: The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The engagement means includes an engagement claw provided on one of the first case and the second case,
A hook provided on the other case side different from the first case or the second case where the engaging claw is provided, and with which the engaging claw is engaged;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising: The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion is formed in a plate shape protruding from an end portion of the connection duct toward the first and second case sides.

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