Vehicle air-conditioning system

Abstract

A vehicle air-conditioning system includes a duct housing therein an evaporator, an air-mixing mechanism, and a heater core that are successively arranged along the direction in which air is delivered by a blower to flow through the duct. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the evaporator is disposed upstream of the evaporator with respect to the direction in which the air flows through the duct. The temperature sensor has at least a portion inserted in the evaporator.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a vehicle air-conditioning system having a duct for discharging regulated air into the passenger's compartment of a vehicle, the duct housing therein a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between air and a temperature-regulating medium which flow in the duct.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Usually, vehicle air-conditioning systems include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of air immediately after the air has passed through a heat exchanger such as an evaporator or the like for the purpose of preventing the heat exchanger from being frozen.[0005]For example, as shown in FIG. 8 of the accompanying drawings, a vehicle air-conditioning system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-300410 has a casing 2 defining therein a passage 1 for discharging regulated air into the passenger's compartment of the vehicle. The vehicle air-condition...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]It is a major object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air-conditioning system which is capable of accurately detecting the temperature of a heat exchanger and of performing temperature adjustment with high accuracy, and is reduced in size.

[0012]Generally, the duct has a relatively large space therein upstream of the heat exchanger with respect to the direction in which the air flows, for supplying the uniform air to the heat exchanger. Since the temperature sensor is disposed upstream of the heat exchanger with respect to the direction in which the air flows through the duct, the temperature sensor can be mounted in a desired position with increased freedom. The temperature sensor can thus be laid out in a position with respect to the heat exchanger for maximum heat exchange performance, and can measure the temperature of the heat exchanger accurately and reliably.

[0013]As the temperature sensor is not positioned downstream of the heat exchanger, other devices, e.g., an air-mixing mechanism, can be laid out as closely to the heat exchanger as possible downstream thereof. Therefore, the vehicle air-conditioning system can be greatly reduced in overall size, and the air-mixing mechanism can reliably perform air flow rate adjustment and temperature adjustment for highly accurate air-conditioning operation.

Problems solved by technology

However, the position or layout change would lower the accuracy of the temperature of the air measured by the temperature sensor 7 or prevent the air-mixing doors from controlling air flow rate and temperature effectively, resulting in a reduction in the air-conditioning capability of the vehicle air-conditioning system.

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