JPH08142654A - Drain structure of cooler unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve workability at the time of installing a cooler unit on a car as well as to reduce the manufacturing cost for the cooler unit. CONSTITUTION: A drain pipe 82 extending in the vertical direction is provided on a bottom part of a casing 20 of a cooler unit, a through hole O2 having a larger diameter than an opening end 82a of the drain pipe 82 and furnished with an installation part 85 to connect a drain hose 83 on the side facing against an engine room ER is provided on a dash panel D, and the drain pipe 82 and the through hole O2 are connected to each other through a doughnut type gasket 84.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooler unit constituting an automobile air conditioner, and more particularly to a drain structure for discharging condensed water generated due to an evaporator provided in the cooler unit to the outside of the vehicle compartment. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a vehicle air conditioner for air conditioning a vehicle interior includes an intake unit that takes in air outside or inside the vehicle, and a cooler unit that cools and / or dehumidifies the taken air. Further, it has a heater unit for heating, and these units are attached to a dash panel that separates the vehicle compartment and the engine room below the instrument panel in front of the front seat of the vehicle in a connected state.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, in the cooler unit 2, an evaporator 5 is provided inside a casing 20 via a heat insulating material HI. In the evaporator 5, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant flowing in the liquid pipe 5a and the air flowing between the liquid pipe 5a or the heat transfer fins 5b to cool the air. ,
When the air flowing through the evaporator 5 is cooled, the water contained therein is condensed and the evaporator 5 is cooled.
Attached to the surface of the casing 2 along the evaporator 5
It flows down below 0 and is discharged to the outside of the vehicle compartment by the drain portion 7 at the bottom of the casing 20.

The drain portion 7 has a drain reservoir 71 formed at the bottom of the casing 20, one end of which communicates with the drain reservoir 71, and the other end of which has a through hole O1 in the dash panel D for partitioning the vehicle compartment R and the engine compartment ER. Has a drain pipe 72 projecting toward the engine room ER and a drain hose 73 connected to the tip of the drain pipe 72, and between the drain hose 73 and the through hole O1 of the dash panel D. A grommet 74 is provided for sealing.

[0005]

However, in order to manufacture the casing 20 of the cooler unit 2 having the drain structure in which the drain pipe 72 is inclined and projected, the slide mold is required in the molding process. However, there is a problem in manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, in order to attach the cooler unit 2 to a vehicle, the casing 20 is attached to the dash panel D or the like below the instrument panel, the drain pipe 72 is inserted into the through hole O1 of the dash panel D, and then, , Turn to the engine room ER side, connect the drain hose 73 to the tip of the drain pipe 72 at the bottom of the dash panel D,
Further, it is necessary to perform the work of closing the gap between the drain pipe 72 and the through hole O1 of the dash panel D with the grommet 14.

However, the work space for mounting the cooler unit 2 is dark and narrow, and furthermore, the through hole O of the dash panel D is searched for in the dark, and the drain pipe 7 is located there.
3 must be inserted, and the drain hose 73 must be mounted while leaning out inside the engine room ER, which poses a problem in mounting workability.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and reduces the manufacturing cost of the cooler unit and improves the workability of the cooler unit when mounted on the vehicle. It is intended to provide a structure.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention for achieving the above object is intended to discharge condensed water generated due to an evaporator provided in a cooler unit of an automobile air conditioner to the outside of a vehicle compartment. In the drain structure of the cooler unit, a drain pipe extending vertically is provided at the bottom of the casing of the cooler unit, and a drain hose is connected to the dash panel having a diameter larger than the open end of the drain pipe. A through hole provided with a mounting portion for facing the engine room is provided, and the drain pipe and the through hole are connected via a donut type gasket.

Further, it is desirable that the surface of the dash panel on which the through hole is provided and the bottom surface of the casing corresponding to this surface be inclined rearward of the vehicle body.

Further, it is preferable that an annular ridge is provided on the side of the through hole facing the cooler unit, and the donut-shaped gasket is linearly pressed along the circumference to be sealed.

Further, it is desirable that the portion of the annular ridge facing the passenger compartment be lower than the position of the opening end of the drain pipe.

[0013]

In the present invention thus constituted, the drain pipe which is inserted through the through hole of the dash panel and protrudes toward the engine room is not required. Therefore, the slide type is eliminated and the casing of the cooler unit is eliminated. It is possible to simplify the molding process and reduce the manufacturing cost of the cooler unit.

Further, since the work of inserting the drainage pipe into the through hole of the dash panel and the work of closing the gap between the drainage pipe and the through hole of the dash panel are unnecessary, the workability when the cooler unit is mounted on the vehicle is improved. Can be improved.

[0015]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an automobile air conditioner having a drain structure of a cooler unit according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the drain structure of FIG.

The same members as those shown in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner for an automobile according to the present invention includes an intake unit 1 for selectively taking in the inside and outside air, a cooler unit 2 for cooling the air blown from the intake unit 1, and a passing air. It is composed of a heater unit 3 for raising the temperature.

The intake unit 1 includes a blower fan 4
The inside and outside air is selectively taken in by switching the inside and outside air intake with an intake door.

The cooler unit 2 comprises an evaporator 5 and a drain portion 8 for discharging the condensed water condensed by the evaporator 5, and the intake unit 1
The air blown from the blower fan 4 is cooled by passing through the evaporator 5,
Condensed water condensed in (1) is discharged from the drain section 8.

The drain portion 8 has a drain pipe opening 82a formed at the bottom of the casing 20 of the cooler unit 2,
It has a configuration in which a through hole O2 of the dash panel D having a drain hose 85 attached to the tip thereof is connected via a donut type gasket 84.

The heater unit 3 has a heater core 6, and the cool air that does not pass through the heater core 6 and the cold air that passes through the heater core 6 and is heated by adjusting the ratio of the cool air passing through the heater core 6 by the air mix door. The temperature is controlled by mixing and.

Then, the temperature-controlled air passes through a vent door, a differential door, a foot door, etc., and a vent outlet for blowing air toward the upper body of the occupant, and a wind along the inner surface of the windshield. It is designed to be supplied into the vehicle interior from a differential air outlet, a foot outlet for blowing air toward the feet of an occupant, and the like.

Next, an embodiment of the drain structure of the cooler unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The drain portion 8a on the bottom side of the casing 20 of the cooler unit 2 is provided with a drain reservoir 81 and a drain pipe 82 extending in the vertical direction.

Therefore, when the casing 20 is molded, it is possible to mold the casing 20 in two vertical directions, and to manufacture a casing of a conventional cooler unit having a drain structure in which a drain pipe is inclined and projected. In comparison, the slide mold can be eliminated and the molding process can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the cooler unit can be reduced.

In the drain portion 8b on the dash panel D side,
A through hole O2 having a diameter sufficiently larger than the opening end 82a of the drainage pipe 82 is provided, and a bead portion, that is, an annular raised portion 86 is provided around the opening end of the through hole O2 facing the casing 20 of the cooler unit 2. are doing. On the other hand, at the opening end of the through hole O2 facing the engine room ER, there is a mounting portion 85 for connecting the drain hose 83 that prevents contact between the condensed water W and the exhaust gas.

Therefore, the connection of the drain hose 83 is
Since the work is independent, it is not necessary to perform the work at the same time as mounting the cooler unit 2 on the vehicle, and the work can be performed at an appropriate time.

A drain portion 8a on the bottom side of the casing 20 of the cooler unit 2 and a drain portion 8 on the dash panel D side.
The connection with b is performed by using a doughnut-shaped gasket 84 made of an elastic material typified by urethane resin and having a sufficiently large width for sealing. The donut-shaped gasket 84 maintains the sealing property by being linearly pressed along the circumference by the annular raised portion 86 of the through hole O2 of the dash panel D.

Therefore, installation of the donut type gasket 84 does not require a high degree of positioning accuracy.

The corresponding surfaces of the casing 20 of the cooler unit 2 and the dash panel D, which form the drain section 8, are inclined rearward of the vehicle, and the cooler unit 2 is assembled to the dash panel D. Making it easy. Further, if the portion of the annular raised portion 86 facing the vehicle compartment side is made lower than the position of the opening end 82a of the drainage pipe 82, the space above the inside of the instrument panel where the cooler unit 2 is attached is set. Even if it is not possible to lower the cooler unit 2 from above when installing the cooler unit 2, it can be installed simply by moving the cooler unit in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, the cooler unit 2 having such a drain structure is attached to the vehicle by inserting the through hole O of the dash panel D below the instrument panel.
The donut-shaped gasket 84 is positioned and attached so as to overlap the annular raised portion 86 of the second cooler unit 2.
Since the casing 20 is disposed above the dash panel D, it is simplified as compared with the conventional work of attaching the cooler unit to the vehicle. Furthermore, if the donut-shaped gasket 84 is pasted on the cooler unit 2 in advance, the mounting work becomes easier.

Since the connection of the drain hose 83 is an independent work, it is not necessary to perform the work of attaching the cooler unit 2 to the vehicle at the same time.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, the drain pipe which is inserted through the through hole of the dash panel and protrudes toward the engine room is not required. Therefore, the slide type is eliminated and the casing of the cooler unit is eliminated. It is possible to simplify the molding process of (3) and reduce the manufacturing cost of the cooler unit.

Further, since the work of inserting the drain pipe into the through hole of the dash panel and the work of closing the gap between the drain pipe and the through hole of the dash panel are unnecessary, the workability when the cooler unit is mounted on the vehicle is improved. Can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an automobile air conditioner having a drain structure of a cooler unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the drain structure of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view for explaining a drain structure of a conventional cooler unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Heater unit, 5 ... Evaporator, 7,
8 ... Drain part, 20 ... Casing, 72, 8
2 ... Drain pipe, 73, 83 ... Drain hose, 74
... Grommet, 84 ... Donut type gasket, 86 ... Annular ridge, ER ... Engine room, R ... Vehicle compartment, D ... Dash panel, O1, O2 ... Through hole.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A drain structure of a cooler unit for discharging condensed water generated due to an evaporator (5) provided in a cooler unit (2) of an automobile air conditioner to the outside of a vehicle compartment, A vertically extending drain pipe (82) is provided at the bottom of the casing (20) of the cooler unit (2), and the dash panel (D) has a larger diameter than the open end (82a) of the drain pipe (82). With a drain hose (8
A through hole (O2) provided with a mounting portion (85) for connecting 3) on the side facing the engine room (ER) is provided, and the drain pipe (82) and the through hole (O2) are formed into a donut shape. A drain structure for a cooler unit, which is connected through a gasket (84). 2. The through hole (O) of the dash panel (D)
The drain structure for the cooler unit according to claim 1, wherein a surface provided with 2) and a bottom surface of the casing (20) corresponding to the surface are inclined rearward of the vehicle body. 3. A cooler unit (2) for the through hole (O2)
3. An annular ridge (86) is provided on the side facing to, and the donut-shaped gasket (84) is linearly pressed along the circumference to seal.
Drain structure of the cooler unit described in. 4. A portion of the annular raised portion (86) facing the passenger compartment is lower than a position of an opening end (82a) of the drain pipe (82). The drain structure of the cooler unit described in 3.