JPH111114A - Automobile air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automobile air conditioner improving amenity by appropriately controlling temperature difference of upper and lower blowout air at the time of a complex mode while miniaturizing a unit. SOLUTION: An automobile air conditioner having a sliding type mixing door 5 is provided with a cold air control door 13 selectively opening/closing a first passage 12 from a bypass passage B to an upper chamber 10 or a second passage 14 from the bypass passage B to a mixing zone 7. The cold air control door 13 can also be constituted to selectively open/close a differential blowout port Fd or the first passage 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle having a plate-shaped mix door which controls an air flow by sliding in a narrow portion, and appropriately adjusts a temperature difference between upper and lower blowing air in a combined mode. And improved comfort.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an air conditioner for a vehicle has an intake unit for introducing inside and outside air, a cooler unit for cooling the introduced air, and a heater unit for heating the introduced air. It is well known that they are united in series in the left-right direction of the vehicle and installed in a narrow space inside an instrument panel in a vehicle interior.

[0003] However, this air conditioner for automobiles has the following problems.
Since the two units are connected in series, the entire device becomes large, and if it is mounted on a small vehicle, it is not preferable because the narrow interior space of the vehicle becomes smaller. In particular, since the unit is placed even at the foot of the passenger seat, it becomes narrow.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, there is a so-called vertical type in which an evaporator 3 and a heater core 4 are provided in a case C so as to be arranged upright in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The illustrated device is made more compact by integrating the cooler unit 1 and the heater unit 2 and disposing the evaporator 3 and the heater core 4 closer to each other. That is, the intake unit is arranged on the side of the case C, and the air introduced from the introduction port O is cooled by the evaporator 3 and is allowed to flow by the mix door 5 up and down into two parts. If the mix door 5 provided between the heater core 4 and the door supported by one fulcrum is configured to rotate about the fulcrum, space becomes large. In order to shorten the distance and reduce the space in the front-rear direction, this is a flat plate-shaped door, and the temperature is controlled by sliding the door substantially up and down.

[0005] The lower air flow of the two divided air flows is
The air is heated by the heater core 4 to become hot air and flows through the lower passage 6, and the upper air flow (cold air) flows through the bypass passage B that bypasses the heater core 4 and is mixed with the warm air in the mix zone 7. You. The mixed air reaches a predetermined temperature and is supplied to various outlets F (vent outlet Fv, differential outlet Fd,
The air is distributed from the foot outlet Ff) into the vehicle interior, or is blown out with cold air or hot air without being mixed.

[0006] The temperature of the cool air or warm air blown from each outlet F is controlled by the position of the mix door 5.

Here, as is well known, the "evaporator" means that a low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by an expansion valve or the like in a cooling cycle flows through the inside, and the air introduced therein is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant. Is what you do. Further, the "heater core" is one in which high-temperature engine cooling water flows inside, and heats the air introduced therein by heat exchange with the high-temperature engine cooling water.

The various air distribution modes include a vent mode (a mode in which cool air is blown to the occupant's upper body), a bi-level mode (a mode in which cool air is blown to the occupant's upper body and a warm air to the lower body, a so-called head cold foot heat mode), and a defrost mode. (Mode for clearing the front and side window fogging), Foot mode (mode for blowing warm air to the lower body of the occupant) or Def-Foot mode (mode for blowing warm air to the lower body of the occupant while clearing the window) There is.

In the vent mode and the defrost mode among these modes, since the cool air or the hot air is distributed to the upper part of the vehicle interior, the length of the duct can be shortened. It is preferable to provide the foot outlet Ff in the lower part of the case C because it is preferable to provide it in the upper part of the case C. In the case of the foot mode, warm air is distributed to the lower part in the vehicle interior.

Therefore, in the vertical type air conditioner for a vehicle which is installed in the instrument panel at the front part of the vehicle interior, the upper air outlet which is the vent air outlet Fv or the differential air outlet Fd is provided above the case C. A lower outlet, which is a foot outlet Ff, is provided at a lower portion.

[0011]

By the way, in a vertical type air conditioner for a vehicle, the upper outlet is opened near the side where the cool air flows, and the lower outlet is formed by the heater core 4. Since it will be opened near the side where the heated hot air flows, in the case of the combined mode in which the cool air and the hot air are blown from the upper and lower outlets respectively, such as the bi-level mode and the differential-foot mode, Generally, the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts tends to increase. Moreover, if the front and rear dimensions of the case are reduced by adopting a sliding mix door, it is difficult to secure sufficient space for mixing cool air and hot air inside the case, and the temperature difference between the top and bottom is further increased. easy.

For this reason, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 13, an upright wall 8 is formed downstream of the heater core 4, and a foot outlet Ff is formed between the upright wall 8 and the side wall Ca of the case C.
The warm air heated by the heater core 4 and flowing through the lower passage 6 is once raised to the cool air side, and collided with the cool air passed through the bypass passage B to improve the air mix property.

However, the bi-level mode and the differential
In the combined mode such as the foot mode, even if the cold air and the hot air collide with each other, one of them tends to repel or reflect the other depending on the air volume, and is not sufficiently mixed. Or differential outlet F
d and the foot outlet Ff tend to flow out, and the above-mentioned increase in the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides is not surely eliminated.

That is, as shown in FIG. 14, in the bilevel mode, a vent door Dv for opening and closing the vent outlet Fv and a foot door D for opening and closing the foot outlet Ff are provided.
f is opened, the cool air passing through the bypass passage B is blown out from the vent outlet Fv, and the warm air heated by the heater core 4 is blown out from the foot outlet Ff. As a result,
The temperature difference between the temperature of the cool air blown out from the vent outlet Fv and the temperature of the warm air blown out from the foot outlet Ff is still large, the head becomes cold, the feet become hot, and comfort is impaired.

This is the same tendency in the differential-foot mode. As shown in FIG. 15, a differential door Dd for opening and closing the differential outlet Fd and a differential door Df for opening and closing the differential outlet Ff are opened. Then, the cool air that has passed through the bypass passage B is blown out from the differential air outlet Fd, and the warm air heated by the heater core 4 is blown out from the foot air outlet Ff with a large vertical difference temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is possible to appropriately control the temperature difference between the upper and lower blowing air in the combined mode while reducing the size of the unit, and to improve the comfort. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved air conditioner for a vehicle.

[0017]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for selectively cooling cooled air flowing through a case by sliding a plate-shaped mixing door. Flow as upper cool air or lower cool air, or separate at a predetermined ratio into upper cool air and lower cool air,
The lower cool air is heated through the heater core to generate hot air, and the upper cool air is guided to a bypass passage that bypasses the heater core, and an upper outlet including a differential outlet and a vent outlet is opened adjacent to the bypass passage. A lower outlet, which is a foot outlet, is provided at the lower part of the case, and the cool air from the bypass passage and the warm air from the lower passage are mixed in a mix zone and distributed to the vehicle interior from the various outlets. In the air conditioner for a vehicle which winds, a cool air control door for opening and closing the first flow path is provided in a first flow path from the bypass passage to the upper chamber.

According to the present invention, in the combined mode, the cold air control door closes the first flow path. As a result, the cool air that has passed through the bypass passage collides with the warm air that is heated by the heater core and flows through the lower passage in the mix zone. As a result, the cool air and the warm air are mixed sufficiently in the mix zone, and the air mix property of both is improved. On the other hand, in the case of the vent mode, the cold air control door opens the first flow path. Thereby, the cool air that has passed through the bypass passage passes through the first flow passage, is directed substantially straight from the upper chamber to the vent outlet, and is distributed toward the vehicle interior.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect, the cold air control door is connected to the first flow passage or the bypass passage toward the mix zone. The second flow path is selectively opened and closed.

According to the present invention, in the case of the vent mode, the cool air passing through the entire bypass passage flows along the cool air control door without flowing into the mix zone and is guided to the upper chamber.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner of the first aspect, the cold air control door selectively opens and closes the differential air outlet or the first flow path. It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, the cold air control door also functions as a door for opening and closing the differential air outlet.
It is possible to appropriately control the temperature difference between the upper and lower blowing air in the combined mode without separately adding a new door.

[0023]

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

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an automotive air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG.
6 are diagrams for explaining the door position and the air flow in each mode of the first embodiment. Components common to those shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The vertical type air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has a case C in which a cooler unit 1 and a heater unit 2 are integrated and the size of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction is shortened. The evaporator 3 is provided in the upstream air passage of the case C, and the heater core 4 is provided in the downstream air passage. Vehicle width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in Fig. 1)
The air introduced from the inlet through the inlet O is bent in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the case C, and is cooled through the evaporator 3. An intake unit for taking in air is arranged on a side surface of the case C,
The length of the device in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is reduced.

The air flow flowing down from the upstream air passage is moved by the mix door 5 provided between the evaporator 3 and the heater core 4 by a slide drive mechanism (not shown) in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure. Side and
The air is selectively flown to the bypass passage B side that bypasses the heater core 4 or is flowed at a predetermined ratio to each of the air passages of the heater core 4 side and the bypass passage B side.

Here, on the upstream side and the downstream side of the mix door 5, the evaporator 3 and the heater core 4 are provided close to each other. The mix door 5 has an arc shape extending between the evaporator 3 and the heater core 4 in a direction in which the air flow from the upstream air passage is shut off, and bulging downstream with a predetermined radius of curvature. As shown in FIG. 1, the mixing door 5 has an opening 11 between the upstream air passage and the downstream air passage.
And the width direction is provided from one side of the case C to the other side.

The slide drive mechanism for operating the mix door 5 is configured, for example, to drive a pair of gears meshing with teeth formed near both side ends of the mix door 5 by a motor or the like. The slide drive mechanism may be a manual operation mechanism connected to the controller via a wire cable in some cases.

In the case C, an upper chamber 10 having a vent outlet Fv and a differential outlet Fd is formed above and adjacent to the bypass passage B.

In the present embodiment, a cool air control door 13 for opening and closing the first flow path 12 is provided in the first flow path 12 extending from the bypass passage B toward the upper chamber 10. Further, the cool air control door 13 is configured to selectively open and close the first flow path 12 or the second flow path 14 from the bypass passage B toward the mix zone 7.

Therefore, by closing the cool air control door 13, it is possible to guide the upper cool air flowing through the bypass passage B smoothly toward the mix zone 5. On the other hand, by opening the cold air control door 13,
The upper cold air flowing through the bypass passage B is directly supplied to the upper chamber 1.
It can lead to zero.

The cool air control door 13 operates a drive unit such as an actuator in response to a signal from a controller (not shown) to open and close the rotary shaft 13a. It may be configured to work in conjunction with various mode doors D (general term for vent doors Dv, differential doors Dd, and foot doors Df), or may operate independently.

An upright wall 8 is formed downstream of the heater core 4, and a foot outlet Ff is formed between the upright wall 8 and the side wall Ca of the case C. Therefore, the warm air heated by the heater core 4 and flowing through the lower passage 6 once rises to the cool air side, and collides with the cool air passing through the bypass passage B in the mix zone 7 to be mixed.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described. << Vent Mode >> The vent mode is a mode for cooling the vehicle interior. In this vent mode, as shown in FIG. 2, the vent door Dv is set to "open", the foot door Df is set to "closed", and the differential door Dd is set to "closed". The cool air control door 13 is set in a state where the first flow path 12 is opened and the second flow path is closed by a signal from a controller (not shown).

In this vent mode, in the case of the full cool mode in which the cold air is blown into the passenger compartment without heating the whole amount,
The mix door 5 is set at the lower end position as shown in FIG. In the case of an intermediate temperature state, the mix door 5 is set at an intermediate position in the vertical direction.

Thus, after the air flow cooled by the evaporator 3 flows through the bypass passage B in its entirety, the air flow from the upper chamber 10 is substantially straight.
, And the air is distributed toward the passenger compartment through a vent duct (not shown). Therefore, the ventilation resistance in the vent mode is reduced, and a large amount of cold air is guided into the vehicle interior, thereby improving the cooling performance. Furthermore, since the cool air passing through the bypass passage B flows through the cool air control door 13 without flowing into the mix zone 7 and is guided to the upper chamber 10, the cooling performance can be further improved.

The flow direction of the air flow that has passed through the evaporator 3 is changed along the arc-shaped surface of the mix door 5 so as to smoothly face the direction of the vent outlet Fv. The ventilation resistance does not increase, the air flow does not decrease, and a comfortable cool air feeling can be obtained.

<< Bi-level mode >> In this mode, cold air is distributed from the vent outlet Fv through the vent duct to the upper body of the occupant in the passenger compartment, and hot air is supplied to the foot outlet F.
In this mode, the air is distributed from f through the foot duct toward the feet of the occupant in the vehicle compartment.

In this mode, the mix door 5
Is set at an intermediate position in the vertical direction, the vent door Dv and the foot door Df are set to “open”, and the differential door Dd is set to “closed”. The cool air control door 13 is usually set so as to close the first flow path 12. However, it may be slightly opened in some cases.

A part of the air flow cooled by the evaporator 3 flows through the upper portion of the mix door 5, reaches the mix zone 7 from the bypass passage B, and the remaining air flow passes through the lower portion of the mix door 5. It is heated by the heater core 4 and reaches the mix zone 7 through the lower passage 6.

Here, the cool air that has passed through the bypass passage B is:
The hot air heated by the heater core 4 flows through the lower passage 6 and rises along the standing wall 8 and collides in the mix zone 7. Even if the cold air is reflected by the collision, the air blows directly to the vent outlet Fv or the differential outlet Fd. Since it is blocked by the cool air control door 13 so as not to flow out, as a result, the cool air and the warm air are sufficiently mixed in the mix zone 7, and the air mix property of both is improved. Therefore, the temperature difference between the upper and lower portions is reduced to have a desired temperature characteristic, and a comfortable bi-level state without a sense of discomfort is achieved. Note that, in FIG. 3, a broken line arrow indicates a flow of cold air, a solid line arrow indicates a flow of warm air, and an alternate long and short dash line indicates a flow of air whose temperature is adjusted (the same in other drawings).

In the bi-level mode, when the cool air control door 13 is slightly opened, a part of the cool air from the bypass passage B is directly introduced into the vent outlet Fv and mixed with the cool air from the bypass passage B. Since the amount of cold air reaching the zone 7 is reduced, a state where the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides is slightly increased can be obtained. That is, various bi-level states can be set by controlling the cool air control door 13, and fine bi-level control can be performed.

<< Foot Mode >> The foot mode is a mode for heating the vehicle interior. In this mode, FIG.
, The vent door Dv is closed, and the foot door D
f is set to “open”, and the differential door Dd is set to “closed”.

In the foot mode, in the case of a full hot mode in which the entire amount of cold air from the evaporator 3 is heated by the heater core 4 and blown into the vehicle interior, the mix door 5 is set at the upper end position. In the case of an intermediate temperature state, the mix door 5 is set at an intermediate position in the vertical direction.

Here, the cool air control door 13 closes the first flow path 12 in response to a signal from a controller (not shown).

In the case of the full hot mode, the air flow cooled by the evaporator 3 is entirely heated by the heater core 4 to become warm air, which flows into the foot outlet Ff through the lower passage 6. The air is distributed from the foot duct (not shown) toward the feet of the occupant.

In this mode, as in the case of the vent mode, the cooled air is supplied to the mix door 5.
The flow direction is changed so as to smoothly face the direction of the heater core 4 along the arc-shaped surface.

<< Diff-Foot Mode >> In the differential-foot mode, as shown in FIG. 5, the differential door Dd and the foot door Df are opened and the vent door Dv is closed. In this mode, the mixed door 5
It is set at the middle position in the vertical direction.

In this manner, similarly to the case of the bi-level mode, the air flow which has been sufficiently mixed with the cool air and the hot air in the mix zone 7 to reach the predetermined temperature is supplied to the differential air outlet Fd and the air outlet. This leads to a mode in which fogging of the window is prevented while heating the feet.

Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the temperature difference between the upper and lower blown air in the combined mode while making the unit compact, and it is possible to improve comfort.

<< Defrost Mode >> The defrost mode is a mode for preventing and fogging the windshield and the like.

In this mode, as shown in FIG. 6, the vent door Dv is set to "close", the differential door Dd is set to "open", and the foot door Df is set to "close". The cool air control door 13 closes the first flow path 12 in response to a signal from a controller (not shown).

To blow out high-temperature air from the differential duct connected to the differential outlet Fd, the mix door 5 is moved to the upper end as shown in the figure. When blowing out the medium-temperature air, the mix door 5 is set at an intermediate position.

When blowing out high-temperature air, the heater core 4
The warm air heated by the air flows through the lower passage 6 and rises along the standing wall 8, is guided to the differential outlet Fd, and is distributed to the windshield and the like via the differential duct.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an automotive air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Components common to those of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The air conditioner for a vehicle according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the differential door Dd is configured to selectively open and close the differential air outlet Fd or the first flow path 12. It is different from 1. In other words, the cool air control door 13 in the first embodiment also has a function of the differential door Dd for opening and closing the differential air outlet Fd.

Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the temperature difference between the upper and lower blowing air in the combined mode without separately providing a new door, and it is possible to further reduce the size and cost of the unit.

FIGS. 8 to 12 are views for explaining the door position and the air flow in the vent mode, the bi-level mode, the foot mode, the differential-foot mode, and the defrost mode, respectively. The operation in each mode is substantially the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the detailed description thereof is omitted.

In the vent mode, as shown in FIG. 8, the differential door Dd closes the differential outlet Fd and simultaneously opens the first flow path 12. Thereby, the air flow cooled by the evaporator 3 is smoothly blown out from the vent outlet Fv along both the front and back surfaces of the vent door Dv.

In the bi-level mode, as shown in FIG. 9, the differential door Dd closes the first flow path 12, and the so-called butterfly type vent door Dv rotates around an axis provided near the center of the door. At the same time, the vent outlet Fv is opened to shut off the flow path to the differential outlet Fd and guide the air to the vent outlet Fv. This allows
It is possible to distribute air from a desired outlet while ensuring a sufficient air-mixing property between the cool air and the warm air in the mix zone 7.

In the differential foot mode and the defrost mode, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, air is guided by a passage formed between the differential door Dd and the vent door Dv.

As described above, each mode door D is connected to each outlet F
Not only open and close, but also perform the function of guiding the flow of air, so that it is possible to further reduce the size of the unit and omit parts.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0064]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the combined mode, even if the cold air passing through the bypass passage collides with the hot air in the mix zone and is reflected, the cool air control door can be used. Therefore, the cold air and the hot air are sufficiently mixed without flowing out to the vent outlet or the differential outlet as it is, so that the air mix properties of the two can be improved. Therefore, a desired temperature characteristic can be obtained by reducing the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts while downsizing the unit, and the comfort in the combined mode is improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the case of the vent mode, the cool air passing through the bypass passage in the entire amount flows along the cool air control door without flowing into the mix zone and is guided to the upper chamber. The cooling performance is further improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cold air control door also has a function of a door for opening and closing the differential air outlet, so that the upper and lower air blowing in the combined mode can be performed without adding a new door. The temperature difference can be appropriately controlled, and the unit can be further reduced in size and cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an air conditioner for a vehicle according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a vent mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a bi-level mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a foot mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a differential foot mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a differential mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing an air conditioner for a vehicle according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a vent mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a bi-level mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a foot mode of the device.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a differential-foot mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a differential mode of the apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view showing a conventional automobile air conditioner.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a bi-level mode of the device.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a differential foot mode of the apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 evaporator, 4 heater core, 5 mix door, 6 lower passage, 7 mix zone, 10 upper chamber, 12 first flow path, 13 cold air control door, 14 second flow path, B: bypass passage, C: case, Fv: vent outlet, Fd: differential outlet, Ff: foot outlet.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cooled air flowing in a case (C) is selectively moved as an upper cold air or a lower cold air by sliding a plate-shaped mixing door (5) or an upper cold air and a lower cold air. The lower cold air is heated through the heater core (4) to generate hot air, and the upper cool air is guided to the bypass passage (B) that flows by bypassing the heater core (4), and is passed through the bypass passage (B). Adjacent,
An upper chamber (10) with an upper outlet consisting of a differential outlet (Fd) and a vent outlet (Fv) is provided, and a lower outlet, which is a foot outlet (Ff), is provided below the case (C). The cold air from the bypass passage (B) and the warm air from the lower passage (6) are mixed in a mixing zone (7), and the various outlets (F) are mixed.
In the air conditioner for an automobile which distributes air more in the vehicle interior, the first flow path (12) is connected to the first flow path (12) from the bypass passage (B) toward the upper chamber (10). An air conditioner for automobiles, comprising a cool air control door (13) for opening and closing the air conditioner. 2. The cold air control door (13) selects the first flow path (12) or the second flow path (14) from the bypass path (B) to the mix zone (7). The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is opened and closed. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cold air control door selectively opens and closes the differential outlet or the first flow passage. Air conditioner.