JPH11105535A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously avoid blow loss at normal air conditioning actuation and to achieve early heating by an auxiliary heater unit. SOLUTION: An auxiliary heater unit 30 to perform early heating is movably disposed between a heating operation position to cross an exit part of an air mix chamber 6 in a case 1, and a storage position apart from a ventilation passage, so early heating by the auxiliary heater unit 30 can be performed at the exit part in an engine warm-up period, and that the auxiliary heater unit 30 is moved to the storage position apart from the ventilation passage in normal air conditioning actuation, and thereby generation of blow loss by the auxiliary heater unit 30 becoming a ventilation resistance can be avoided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an air conditioner for an automobile, an auxiliary heater unit using a resistance heating element as a heat source is disposed adjacent to the heater core in a ventilation path of a case, separately from a heater core using an engine cooling water as a heat source. It is known that the auxiliary heater unit can be heated to perform heating when the temperature of the engine cooling water has not reached a predetermined value or more, such as during a warm-up period after starting the engine.

[0003]

Since the auxiliary heater unit is disposed adjacent to the heater core, the auxiliary heater unit has a ventilation resistance even during normal operation of the air conditioner after completion of warm-up of the engine. This causes air volume loss.

It is also conceivable to provide the auxiliary heater unit at a specific outlet of the case, for example, a foot outlet, but even in this case, a loss of air volume at the foot outlet at the time of normal operation of the air conditioner becomes a problem. In addition, warm air is not blown out from the other outlets by the auxiliary heating of the auxiliary heater unit, so that the needs of the user cannot be met.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides an automotive air conditioner in which the auxiliary heater unit does not cause airflow loss due to ventilation resistance during normal air conditioning operation and can perform early heating in accordance with the needs of the user. A harmony device is provided.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a resistance heating element is used as a heat source, separately from a heater core provided in an air passage of a case into which air is introduced and using engine cooling water as a heat source. An auxiliary heater unit that generates heat during a heating operation during a warm-up period of the engine is movably disposed at a heating use position intersecting with the ventilation path and a storage position deviating from the ventilation path.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit according to the first aspect is set at an outlet of an air mixing chamber downstream of the heater core.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit according to the first aspect is set at an outlet portion offset from the scroll of the blower unit.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, during the warm-up period in which the engine cooling water temperature has not reached the predetermined value or more after the engine is started, when the air conditioner is operated for heating, the heating in the ventilation passage is not used. The auxiliary heater unit at the position generates heat, and the temperature of the introduced air sent from the blower unit into the case is raised by this auxiliary heater unit. Can be blown out.

At the time of normal air conditioning operation after completion of warm-up of the engine, the auxiliary heater unit is moved to a storage position off the air passage so that the auxiliary heater unit becomes a ventilation resistor in the air passage. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the problem of air volume loss.

According to the invention described in claim 2, according to claim 1,
In addition to the effect of the invention, the heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit is set at the outlet of the air mix chamber downstream of the heater core, so that the temperature of the hot air exchanged by the auxiliary heater unit decreases. And the early heating effect can be enhanced.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first aspect is provided.
In addition to the effect of the invention, the heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit is set to the outlet portion offset from the scroll of the blower unit, so that the storage position of the auxiliary heater unit is set between the scroll of the blower unit and the outlet portion. The dead space at the corner can be set, and the size of the air conditioning unit can be reduced.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a case of an air conditioning unit. In the case 1, an evaporator 3 and an engine cooling water are supplied from an upstream side of air blown from a blower unit, which will be described later, to a blower communication port 2. And the heater cores 4 are arranged in this order.

Between the evaporator 3 and the heater core 4, the cool air passing through the evaporator 3 is selectively blown downward to direct the heater core 4 or upward to bypass the heater core 4, or the cool air is supplied to both of the above. An air mixing door 5 for distributing at an appropriate ratio is provided, and an upper part of the heater core 4 is connected to the evaporator 3.
The air mix chamber 6 mixes the cool air that has passed through the heater core and the warm air that has passed through the heater core 4.

The upper wall of the case 1 above the air mixing chamber 6 is provided with a vent outlet 7 opened and closed by a vent door 8 and is opened and closed by a differential door 10 adjacent to the front side of the vent outlet 7. A defroster outlet 9 is provided.

A partition wall 1 is provided behind the air mixing chamber 6.
1 separates the foot passage 12.

The foot passage 12 extends vertically into the case 1 and communicates with the air mix chamber 6 at an upper portion thereof.
A foot outlet 13 is provided at the lower end.

In this embodiment, the rear vent outlet 1 is located near the foot outlet 13 and behind the foot passage 12.
A mode door 15 provided at a branch portion between the foot air outlet 13 and the rear vent air outlet 14 is operated to switch the mode door 15 to blow out temperature-controlled air from the rear vent air outlet 14 to the rear passenger side. I can do it.

In this embodiment, the aforementioned vent door 8 is used.
Each of the case 1 and the differential door 10 includes a closed position in which the vent outlet 7 and the defroster outlet 9 are closed by a slide mechanism M including a gear mechanism, and a storage position in which the vent outlet 7 and the defroster outlet 9 are opened. The sliding doors S and D are slidable along the inner surface of the upper wall.

The air mixing door 5 also has a sliding mechanism M like the vent door 8 and the sliding door 10.
The sliding doors S and D are shaped like arcs that slide in the vertical direction.

The air mix doors 5 may be provided as a pair on the left and right sides so that the driver's seat side and the passenger's seat side independently perform the temperature adjusting action.

On the other hand, an outlet (air passage) of the air mix chamber 6 having an opening between the rear upper edge of the internal partition 16 of the case 1 and the upper end of the partition 11 separating the foot passage 12 is provided. , A heating use position intersecting with the outlet, and an internal partition 16
The auxiliary heater unit 30 is movably disposed over a storage position set in the dead space S deviated from the ventilation path surrounded by the upper side of the case 1 and the upper wall of the case 1.

The auxiliary heater unit 30 has a ventilation structure having a plurality of radiation fins, and uses a resistance heating element such as a thermistor as a heat source.

The auxiliary heater unit 30 is turned on and off by the cooperation of a water temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the engine cooling water and an operation switch of the air conditioner, for example. When the operation switch of the air conditioner is turned on when the water temperature has not reached a predetermined value or more, the auxiliary heater unit 3
0 turns on, the resistance heating element generates heat to a predetermined temperature, and turns off when the engine warm-up is completed and the engine coolant temperature exceeds a predetermined value.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a driving device for sliding the auxiliary heater unit 30 between a heating use position and a storage position.

Guide frames 31 are provided on both left and right sides of the auxiliary heater unit 30, and the guide frames 31 are engaged with guide rails 32 protruding from the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls of the case 1, and the guide frames 31 are provided. It is slidable along the rail 32 between the heating use position and the storage position.

A rack 33 is formed on the upper surface of one guide frame 31, and a drive pinion 34 is meshed with the rack 33.

A drive shaft 35 of the drive pinion 34 is pivotally supported through the side wall of the case 1, and a drive motor 37 and a gear reduction mechanism 38 are provided at a protruding end of the drive shaft 35 outside the case 1. A unit 36 is provided in series.

When the auxiliary heater unit 30 is turned on, the drive unit 36 interlocks with the on / off operation of the auxiliary heater unit 30 and places the auxiliary heater unit 30 at a heating use position where the auxiliary heater unit 30 crosses the outlet of the air mix chamber 6. When the auxiliary heater unit 30 is turned off, the auxiliary heater unit 30 is slid to the storage position of the dead space S which is separated from the ventilation passage 3 from the heating use position.

According to the structure of the above embodiment, when the temperature of the engine cooling water has not reached the predetermined value or more after the engine is started, the operation switch of the air conditioner is turned on to perform the heating operation. However, it is not possible to expect a rise in the temperature of the introduced air due to heat exchange in the heater core 4.

However, when the operation switch of the air conditioner is turned on as described above even during the warm-up period of the engine, the auxiliary heater unit 30 operates to generate heat, and at the same time the drive unit 36 operates to activate the auxiliary heater unit 30.
Is slid to the heating use position crossing the outlet of the air mix chamber 6.

Accordingly, the introduced air blown from a blower unit (not shown) is moved to the outlet of the air mixing chamber 6 and heat-exchanged by the auxiliary heater unit 30 which has heated to a predetermined temperature. Even during the warm-up period of the engine, the hot air of the required temperature is quickly supplied to each of the outlets 7 according to the operation mode.
14 or 9 or 13 can be blown out.

In particular, in the present embodiment, as described above, the heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit 30 is set to each of the outlets 7, 9, 1
Since it is set at the outlet of the air mix chamber 6 close to 3 and 14, the temperature of the hot air exchanged by the auxiliary heater unit 30 is not reduced by the evaporator 3 or the heater core 4 in a low temperature state. The air can be blown out from the outlets 7, 9, 13, and 14 at a substantially set temperature of the heating element of the auxiliary heater unit 30.

When the temperature of the engine cooling water becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value after the warm-up of the engine is completed, the auxiliary heater unit 3
0 is turned off and the drive unit 36 is operated at the same time, and the auxiliary heater unit 30 is moved to the air mix chamber 6.
Is moved from the heating use position crossing the exit portion to the storage position of the dead space S deviated from the ventilation path, so that during normal air conditioning operation after engine warm-up, the auxiliary heater unit 30 is It does not become a ventilation resistor in the inside, and it is possible to avoid the loss of air volume.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the auxiliary heater unit 30 is used at a heating use position where the auxiliary heater unit 30 intersects with the outlet 18 of the blower unit 17 connected to the blower communication port 2 of the case 1. And a retracted position away from the outlet portion 18.

The movable means of the auxiliary heater unit 30 and the operating conditions for heat generation are set in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Outlet 18 of blower unit 17
Is provided on one side of the scroll 20 on which the centrifugal multi-blade fan 19 is disposed, offset in the tangential direction of the scroll 20. Therefore, as shown in the second embodiment, the auxiliary heater unit 30 is used for heating. Outlet part 1
8, the storage section 21 of the auxiliary heater unit 30 can be separated into the dead space S at the corner between the scroll 20 and the outlet section 18 as shown in FIG. Can be reduced in size.

When the auxiliary heater unit 30 is arranged so as to intersect the outlet 18 of the blower unit 17 as in the second embodiment, the auxiliary heater unit 30 is added to the electric operation circuit of the air conditioner. When a heat generation operation is performed, the refrigeration cycle of the evaporator 3 is stopped, and a shutoff circuit for closing the water valve of the heater core 4 is provided to avoid a decrease in the temperature of the hot air due to the early heating of the auxiliary heater unit 30. It is desirable.

In the above embodiment, the unit in which the evaporator 3 is incorporated in the ventilation path of the case 1 is exemplified. However, the same effect as described above can be obtained by applying to the unit in which only the heater core 4 is incorporated.

The vent door 8, differential door 9 and air mix door 5 are all configured as slide doors SD, but these may be flap taps.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of the slide drive device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 4 Heater core 6 Air mix room 17 Blower unit 18 Outlet part 20 Scroll 30 Auxiliary heater unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A heating operation in a warm-up period of an engine using a resistance heating element as a heat source, separately from a heater core (4) provided in an air passage of a case (1) into which air is introduced and using the engine cooling water as a heat source. An air conditioner for an automobile, wherein an auxiliary heater unit (30) that sometimes generates heat is movably disposed at a heating use position crossing the ventilation path and a storage position deviating from the ventilation path. 2. The heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit (30) is determined by setting an air mixing chamber (6) downstream of the heater core (4).
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is set at an outlet of the vehicle. 3. A scroll (20) of the blower unit (17) to determine a heating use position of the auxiliary heater unit (30).
The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the outlet portion (18) is offset from the air conditioner.