JPH0232492Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to an air conditioner for automobiles, and in particular,
This invention relates to a device that controls the blowing of conditioned air from an air conditioning unit to the feet of a passenger in accordance with the temperature during heating.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, air conditioners for automobiles have been used, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 188716/1983.
A foot air duct that is connected to the air conditioning unit and extends in the vehicle width direction above the passenger's feet is provided with a plurality of air outlets along the vehicle width direction that blow out conditioned air toward the passenger's feet. The air duct is equipped with an on-off valve that is controlled to open and close according to the temperature of the air conditioned air by a control member made of a shape memory alloy material, and the on-off valve is closed when the air temperature from the air conditioning unit is low during heating. There is a known system in which the blowing of the conditioned air into the vehicle interior is blocked, and when the temperature of the air being blown is high, the opening/closing valve is opened to blow out the conditioned air from each outlet of the air duct.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, the above-mentioned conventional air conditioner controls the blowout of conditioned air in two stages, a low temperature range and a high temperature range, depending on the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioning unit when heating is started. Therefore, if the operating temperature (transformation point temperature) of the control member, that is, the shape memory alloy material, is set low, the conditioned air will continue to flow even when the air temperature is not yet high enough, such as when starting the engine. The air is blown out all at once from a plurality of air outlets in the air duct, and the flow of the air gives an unpleasant feeling of cold air from the knees to the feet of the occupant. On the other hand, if the above operating temperature is set high, all of the conditioned air (warm air) will be released to the outside until the air blowing temperature reaches the operating temperature, so the heat of the conditioned air that is at a temperature that can be used for heating can be used effectively. There was also the problem that heating was slow to start up.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and its purpose is to reduce airflow from the foot air duct which extends in the vehicle width direction above the passenger's feet and has a plurality of air outlets along the vehicle width direction during heating. By appropriately controlling the air blowing from the air conditioning unit into three stages: low temperature range, medium temperature range, and high temperature range, it is possible to always obtain comfortable heating performance for the feet according to the temperature of the air flow. It is to make it.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve the above object, the solution of the present invention is an air conditioner for an automobile equipped with a foot air duct connected to an air conditioning unit and extending in the vehicle width direction above the passenger's feet. a plurality of outlets that are provided along the vehicle width direction in the air duct and blow out conditioned air toward the feet of the occupant; and an on-off valve that controls supply of the conditioned air from the air conditioning unit to each of the outlets; During heating, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioning unit is in the low temperature range, the blowing of the conditioned air from each outlet of the air duct to the feet is blocked, and when the temperature is in the medium temperature range, one of the multiple outlets of the air duct is blocked. and a control member that opens and closes the opening/closing valve so that the conditioned air is blown out from the air duct toward the feet in a concentrated manner, and when the temperature is in a high temperature range, the conditioned air is also blown out from the remaining outlets of the air duct toward the feet.

(Function) With the above configuration, in the present invention, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioning unit is in the low temperature range during heating,
The control member completely closes the opening/closing valve and blocks the blowing of conditioned air from each outlet of the foot air duct to the feet, so that the occupant does not experience an unpleasant feeling of cold air. In addition, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioning unit is in the medium temperature range, a part of the on-off valve is opened by the control member to concentrate the air conditioned air from one of the multiple outlets of the air duct to the passenger's feet. is blown out, it is possible to effectively blow out conditioned air in the medium temperature range without giving a feeling of cold air, and the temperature-sensitive feeling is improved. Furthermore, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioning unit is in the high temperature range, the control member opens the on-off valve completely and the conditioned air is blown out all at once from the remaining outlets of the air duct, reducing the heat of the air conditioned air. It can be fully utilized for effective heating.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an air conditioner for an automobile. Reference numeral 1 denotes a heater unit that constitutes a part of the air conditioning unit. Inside the heater unit 1, a heater core 2 for heating air is disposed. At the same time, an air mix door 3 is rotatably provided upstream of the heater core 2, and the air mix door 3 connects an air passage 4 that guides air to the heater core 2 and the heater core 2 into the heater unit 1. A bypass passage 5 is defined. Both passages 4 and 5 are connected to a foot air duct 7 extending in the vehicle width direction above the passenger's feet via a guide passage 6 in the heater unit 1, and the air duct 7 is provided with air-conditioned air to the passenger's feet. A plurality of (three in the figure) air outlets 8a, 8b, and 8c that blow out air are arranged in parallel along the vehicle width direction. In addition, 9 is a differential nozzle for blowing hot air to the windshield, 10 is a side differential duct, 11 is a side vent duct, 12 is a vent door, and 13 is a center duct.

In the air duct 7, the air outlets 8a to 8c are connected from the heater unit 1 to the air outlet 8a on the most upstream side.
An on-off valve 14 is provided to control the flow of air to 8c. As shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 3, the opening/closing valve 14 has a main door 16 in the shape of a rectangular plate with a rectangular cutout window 15 in the upper center half, and a slit 17 in the center. Cutout window 1
5, and a subdoor 18 formed in a rectangular plate shape slightly smaller than the subdoor 18 so as to be rotatable within the subdoor 5. The main door 16 has a rotating shaft 20 at the upper end inserted into and held by cylindrical holding members 19, 19 arranged on both sides of the air duct 7, so that the air duct can be opened and closed at the air outlet 8a on the most upstream side. 7 so as to be rotatable in the air flow direction. On the other hand, the sub door 18 is the main door 1
6 Cylindrical holding members 2 arranged on both sides of the downstream surface
1 and 21, by fitting and holding the rotation shaft 22 at the upper end thereof, the main door 16 is rotatably mounted in the air flow direction to open and close the notch window 15 of the main door 16. ing.

Furthermore, the main door 16 and the sub door 1
At 8, there are first and second shape memory springs 22a and 2 made of a shape memory alloy material as control members each having one end fixed to the upper surface of the air duct 7 on the downstream side.
2b is attached to the other end. Each of the shape memory springs 22a, 22b contracts and deforms to open the main door 16 or the subdoor 18 when the temperature of the blown air reaches its operating temperature.
The operating temperatures for the shape change of the shape memory springs 22a and 22b are different from each other, and the operating temperature of the first shape memory spring 22a attached to the main door 16 is 35 to 40°C, and the operating temperature of the first shape memory spring 22a attached to the main door 16 is 35 to 40 °C Second type memory spring 22
The operating temperature of b is 50-55°C. Furthermore, 23a, 2
Reference numeral 3b denotes first and second springs having one end attached to the main door 16 or the subdoor 18 and the other end attached to the lower surface of the air duct 7 on the upstream side, and the springs 23a and 23b respectively When the temperature is below the operating temperature for the shape change of the shape memory spring, each door 1
6 and 18 are closed to hold the shape memory spring in an expanded state.

Next, to explain the operation of the above embodiment,
When the air temperature from the heater unit 1 is in a low temperature range (below 35 to 40°C), such as when starting heating or starting an engine, the first and second shape memory springs 22a and 22b are activated as shown in FIG. Both are maintained in an extended state by the urging force of springs 23a and 23b, and the main door 16 and the sub door 1
8 are both in the closed state. Thereby, the blowing of the conditioned air from each of the outlets 8a to 8c is blocked, and the conditioned air from the heater unit 1 is released to the outside. Therefore, the conditioned air in the low-temperature range is not blown at the feet of the occupant, and the occupant is not given an unpleasant feeling of cold air.

Also, when the temperature of the air blown from the heater unit 1 is in the medium temperature range (between 35 to 40 degrees Celsius and 50 to 55 degrees Celsius),
As shown in FIG. 5, the slit 1 of the subdoor 18
7, only the first shape memory spring 22a contracts and deforms against the biasing force of the spring 23a, and only the main door 16 operates to open, opening the air outlet 8a on the most upstream side. . As a result, the air outlet 8a on the most upstream side of the air duct 7
Air-conditioned air is blown out from only the air conditioner. For this reason, the conditioned air is concentrated in spots at the occupant's feet only from the air outlet 8a, so the air conditioned air in the medium temperature range can be effectively used to heat the feet of the occupants, resulting in a good temperature-sensitive feeling. be able to.

Furthermore, when the temperature of the air blown from the heater unit 1 is in a high temperature range (50 to 55 degrees Celsius or higher), as shown in FIG. The shape memory spring 22b is contracted and deformed, and the main door 16 and the subdoor 18 are opened, and the cutout window 15 is opened. As a result, the air-conditioned air is blown into the vehicle interior from the remaining outlets 8b and 8c of the air duct 7, and the shower-like air-conditioned air in the high-temperature range can effectively heat the entire footwell. can.

In particular, in the above embodiment, since a shape memory alloy material is used as the control member of the opening/closing valve 14, the configuration is simple and the blowout of the conditioned air can be automatically and reliably controlled.

7 to 9 show other embodiments of the present invention, 24 is a foot air duct connected to the air conditioning unit and extending in the vehicle width direction above the passenger's feet; In this case, there are multiple units (three in the diagram) that blow out air conditioned air to the feet of the passengers.
Air outlets 25a, 25b, and 25c are provided along the vehicle width direction. Immediately upstream of each outlet 25a, 25b other than the most downstream outlet 25c, there is an auxiliary opening/closing valve 2 that opens and closes the outlet 25a, 25b.
6 and 26 are provided. As shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 10, each of the auxiliary opening/closing valves 26 is equipped with a second shape memory spring 27 made of a shape memory alloy material as a control member, which adjusts the temperature according to the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioning unit. Auxiliary opening/closing valve 26
is operated to open and close the air outlets 25a and 25b. Furthermore, the air outlet 25a
The air duct 24 on the upstream side of ~25c has the second
A main opening/closing valve 29 is provided which is opened and closed by a first shape memory spring 28 having an operating temperature lower than that of the shape memory spring 27. In addition, 30 is a spring attached to each of the above-mentioned opening/closing valves 26 and 29.

When heating starts and the air temperature from the air conditioning unit is in the low temperature range, as shown in Figure 7,
First and second shape memory springs 28, 27, 27
are both kept in an extended state, and the main opening/closing valve 29
is in the closed state, as shown in the direction of the arrow in the figure.
The blowing of conditioned air from the air conditioning unit into the vehicle interior is blocked. Further, when the air blowing temperature is in the medium temperature range, as shown in FIG. 8, only the first shape memory spring 28 changes its shape to the contracted state, and the main opening/closing valve 29 is opened, as shown in the arrow direction in the figure. The conditioned air is intensively blown out only from the most downstream outlet 25c. Furthermore, when the air blowing temperature is in a high temperature range, as shown in FIG. 9, the second shape memory springs 27, 27 further change their shape to a contracted state, and the auxiliary opening/closing valves 26, 26 are opened, and the arrows in the figure As shown in the direction, the conditioned air flows through all the air outlets 25.
It is blown out all at once from a to 25c. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment as well, it is possible to improve the temperature-sensitive feeling with respect to the blowing of the conditioned air, as in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment.

In each of the above embodiments, a shape memory alloy material was used as the control member for the opening/closing valve. The valve may be opened and closed, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be achieved.

(Effects of the invention) As described above, according to the invention, a plurality of air outlets are provided along the vehicle width direction in the foot air duct extending in the vehicle width direction above the occupant's feet, and air flow from these air outlets during heating is provided. The air-conditioned air blowing to the occupant's feet is controlled in three stages depending on the air temperature from the air conditioning unit, and when the blowing temperature is in the low temperature range, the air-conditioned air blowing from each outlet of the air duct to the feet is blocked, When the temperature is high, conditioned air is blown out from one of the multiple outlets of the air duct to the feet, and when the temperature is high, conditioned air is blown out from the remaining outlets of the air duct. There are devices that prevent the feeling of cold air caused by the blowing of low-temperature conditioned air and provide a good temperature-sensitive feeling in response to the blowing of medium-temperature conditioned air, thereby providing comfortable heating performance for the feet in accordance with the temperature of the air being blown. In particular, when a shape memory alloy material is used as a control member,
The overall structure is simple, and the opening/closing valve can be operated automatically and reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 show one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram, and FIG. 2 is the same as in FIG. 1.
Line sectional view, Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the on-off valve,
Figures 4 to 6 are explanatory diagrams of the operation. Figure 4 shows the state when the air temperature is in the low temperature range, Figure 5 shows the state when the air temperature is in the medium temperature range, and Figure 6 shows the state when the air temperature is in the medium temperature range. Shows the status when the air temperature is in the high temperature range. Also,
Figures 7 to 10 show other embodiments of the present invention, and Figures 7 to 9 are explanatory diagrams of operation. Figure 9 shows the state when the air blowing temperature is in the high temperature range. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the on-off valve. 1... Heater unit, 7, 24... Air duct, 8a to 8c, 25a to 25c... Air outlet,
22a, 28...first shape memory spring, 22
b, 27... second shape memory spring, 14...
Opening/closing valve, 16...Main door, 18...Sub door, 26...Auxiliary opening/closing valve, 29...Main opening/closing valve.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) In an air conditioner for an automobile equipped with a foot air duct connected to an air conditioning unit and extending in the vehicle width direction above the passenger's feet, , a plurality of outlets that blow out conditioned air to the feet of the occupants; an on-off valve that controls the supply of conditioned air from the air conditioning unit to each of the outlets; At times, the air conditioned air is blocked from blowing out to the feet from each outlet of the air duct, and when the temperature is in the medium temperature range, the conditioned air is intensively blown to the feet from one of the multiple outlets of the air duct, and the air conditioned air is blown toward the feet in the high temperature area. and a control member that opens and closes the opening/closing valve so as to blow out conditioned air from the remaining outlets of the air duct toward your feet. (2) The air conditioner for an automobile according to claim (1), wherein the control member is a shape memory alloy material that is activated by the temperature of air blown from an air conditioning unit.