Mounting structure of air conditioning device

Abstract

A mounting structure of an air conditioning device (10) for vehicles comprises: a gas cooler (18) that exchanges heat between outside air and a refrigerant which is a natural refrigerant; an accumulator (20) that separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid; a connection pipe (50) that connects a first port (46) provided to a lower part of the gas cooler (18) and a second port (48) provided to a lower part of the accumulator (20); and a PT sensor (45) provided to the connection pipe (50). The mounting position of the PT sensor (45) is higher than the center of a hub (58) for a front wheel (56) of the vehicle.

Description

Mounting Structure of Air Conditioning Device

[0001] This specification discloses a mounting structure of an air conditioning device on a vehicle.

[0002] Generally, an air conditioning device is mounted on a vehicle. In the process of circulating a refrigerant, the air conditioning device compresses, expands, condenses, and evaporates the refrigerant to adjust the temperature of the air, and then sends the temperature-adjusted air into the vehicle interior to adjust the temperature inside the vehicle. Here, in recent years, it has been proposed to use natural refrigerants as the refrigerant of air conditioning devices. Natural refrigerants are refrigerants mainly composed of substances generated in nature. For example, they are mainly composed of carbon compounds (such as carbon dioxide or hydrocarbons) or ammonia. Natural refrigerants have a lower global warming potential compared to fluorine-based refrigerants. Therefore, by using natural refrigerants, the environmental load can be reduced. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning device that uses a CO2 refrigerant mainly composed of carbon dioxide.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-157588

[0004] Here, compared with fluorine-based refrigerants, the research on the temperature-pressure characteristics of natural refrigerants has not advanced much. Therefore, when using natural refrigerants in an air conditioning device, in order to accurately judge the state of the natural refrigerant, it is necessary to measure the temperature and pressure of the natural refrigerant at multiple locations in the refrigerant path.

[0005] The pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the natural refrigerant measures the differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, there is a hole in the housing of the pressure sensor for communicating with the atmosphere. In this case, if the pressure sensor is submerged due to heavy rain or the like, water will enter the inside of the pressure sensor, causing the pressure sensor to malfunction or its accuracy to decrease. However, conventionally, the mounting structure for preventing such submergence of the pressure sensor has not been sufficiently studied.

[0006] Therefore, this specification discloses a mounting structure of an air conditioning device that can effectively prevent the submergence of the pressure sensor.

[0007] The mounting structure for an air conditioning system disclosed herein is a mounting structure for an air conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising: a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a natural refrigerant and outside air; an accumulator for separating the refrigerant into gas and liquid; a connecting pipe connecting a first port provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger and a second port provided at the bottom of the accumulator; and a pressure sensor provided on the connecting pipe, wherein the mounting position of the pressure sensor is higher than the center of the hub of the vehicle's wheel.

[0008] By positioning the pressure sensor on the connecting piping higher than the center of the wheel hub, the pressure sensor can be effectively prevented from being submerged in water.

[0009] In this case, the connecting piping has a bypass portion that extends upward from the upper end of the accumulator to the vehicle and then downward from the vehicle in the process of going from the first port to the second port, and the pressure sensor may be attached to the bypass portion.

[0010] By rerouting the connecting pipe, the pressure sensor can be mounted on the pipe at a higher position. Furthermore, rerouting the connecting pipe ensures sufficient slack in the pipe, preventing excessive tension from being applied to it.

[0011] Furthermore, the pressure sensor may overlap with the side member when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and may be located further outward in the vehicle width direction than the side member when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0012] This configuration effectively blocks the airflow from the grille opening towards the pressure sensor, thanks to the side members. As a result, less airflow hits the pressure sensor, improving its measurement accuracy.

[0013] Furthermore, the system may include a bracket to which a portion is connected to the vehicle's frame member and which is fixed to the connecting piping near the pressure sensor or around the pressure sensor.

[0014] By installing such a bracket, vibrations in the connecting pipes are suppressed even when the connecting pipes are long. This prevents damage to the connecting pipes and improves the measurement accuracy of the pressure sensor.

[0015] In this case, the skeletal member may also be a side member.

[0016] Because the side members are highly rigid, fixing brackets to these side members can more effectively prevent vibrations in the connecting piping and pressure sensors.

[0017] Furthermore, the headlight unit may be provided, and the wires connected to the pressure sensor and the wires connected to the headlight unit may be routed from a common wire harness.

[0018] When the pressure sensor is positioned above the center of the hub, its location tends to be close to the headlight unit. Therefore, the wires connected to the pressure sensor and the wires connected to the headlight unit can maintain a bundled wire harness configuration until they reach close to the pressure sensor and the headlight unit. This shortens the distance the wires are routed from the wire harness to the pressure sensor, simplifying the wiring.

[0019] Furthermore, the vehicle comprises a front grille positioned at the front end and having a grille opening, and a crash box, wherein the pressure sensor may be mounted above the upper end of the grille opening or above the lower end of the crash box.

[0020] By mounting the pressure sensor above the top edge of the grille opening, the amount of airflow hitting the pressure sensor can be reduced. This improves the measurement accuracy of the pressure sensor. Additionally, by mounting the pressure sensor above the bottom edge of the crush box, water submersion of the pressure sensor can be more reliably prevented.

[0021] Here, the frame member may be part of a die-cast part in which the wheelhouse and the side member are integrally molded. Alternatively, the frame member may be part of a die-cast part in which a pair of side members, a pair of wheelhouses, and a cross member connecting the pair of side members are integrally molded.

[0022] Because die-cast parts have high rigidity, this configuration can more effectively prevent vibrations in the connecting pipes and pressure sensors.

[0023] The technology disclosed herein can effectively prevent the pressure sensor from being submerged in water.

[0024] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system. This is a perspective view of the main elements of the air conditioning system. This is a side view of the area around the accumulator. This is a schematic front view of the area around the accumulator. This is a schematic front view of the area around the accumulator in the mounting structure of a comparative example. This is a schematic perspective view of a die-cast part. This is a perspective view of the area around the target sensor. This is a schematic diagram explaining the "lower part" and the "detour part".

[0025] The mounting structure of the air conditioning unit 10 will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning unit 10. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main elements of the air conditioning unit 10. Furthermore, Figure 3 is a side view of the area around the accumulator 20, and Figure 4 is a schematic front view of the area around the accumulator 20. In each drawing, Fr, Up, and Rh indicate the front, top, and right side of the vehicle 54, respectively.

[0026] The air conditioning unit 10 is installed in the vehicle 54 and adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle. The type of vehicle 54 on which the air conditioning unit 10 is installed is not particularly limited. Therefore, the vehicle 54 may be an engine-powered vehicle or an electric vehicle powered by a motor. Furthermore, the vehicle may be a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with both an engine and a motor, a fuel cell vehicle equipped with a fuel cell, or a battery electric vehicle that runs on electricity stored in a battery.

[0027] The air conditioning unit 10 has a refrigerant circuit 12. The refrigerant circuit 12 is a circuit that generates heat and latent heat by compressing, expanding, condensing, and evaporating the refrigerant in the process of circulating it. The heat generated in this refrigerant circuit 12 is used for heating, and the latent heat is used for cooling.

[0028] Traditionally, fluorinated refrigerants have been widely used as refrigerants. However, fluorinated refrigerants have the problem of placing a high burden on the environment. Therefore, in this example, a natural refrigerant is used as the refrigerant. A natural refrigerant is a refrigerant whose main component is a substance that occurs in nature. Natural refrigerants mainly consist of ammonia or carbon compounds. Carbon compounds used as natural refrigerants include, for example, carbon dioxide (hereinafter referred to as "CO2") or hydrocarbons (for example, propane or butane). Compared to fluorinated refrigerants, these natural refrigerants have a lower global warming potential and a smaller burden on the environment. For example, while the global warming potential of fluorinated refrigerants is approximately 1400, the global warming potential of CO2 refrigerants, whose main component is CO2, is a very small 1. Therefore, the air conditioning system 10 in this example uses a natural refrigerant to reduce the burden on the environment. Below, we will explain an example in which CO2 refrigerant is used as the natural refrigerant.

[0029] The refrigerant circuit 12 has refrigerant piping 14 through which CO2 refrigerant flows. Along the path of this refrigerant piping 14, there is a compressor 16, a gas cooler 18, an accumulator 20, a cooling expansion valve 42, and an evaporator 22. The compressor 16 compresses the gaseous CO2 refrigerant.

[0030] The gas cooler 18 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between CO2 refrigerant and outside air. This gas cooler 18 functions as a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between CO2 refrigerant (i.e., natural refrigerant) and outside air. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the gas cooler 18 is a roughly flat plate with a small thickness compared to its external dimensions. The gas cooler 18 is fixed at the front of the vehicle 54 in an inclined position such that its upper end is located behind its lower end. The gas cooler 18 has two ports that function as an inlet and outlet for the CO2 refrigerant. Hereinafter, the port that functions as the outlet for the CO2 refrigerant will be referred to as the "first port 46". Behind the gas cooler 18, a fan 19 (not shown in Figures 2 and 3) is positioned to efficiently take in outside air.

[0031] The accumulator 20 separates the CO2 refrigerant output from the gas cooler 18 into gas and liquid phases and sends it to the compressor 16. In the example shown in Figure 1, the accumulator 20 has a main body 20a for gas and liquid separation and a built-in heat exchanger 20b. The accumulator 20 has a total of four ports: two ports that function as the inlet and outlet of the main body 20a, and two ports that function as the inlet and outlet of the built-in heat exchanger 20b. Hereafter, the port that functions as the inlet of the built-in heat exchanger 20b will be referred to as the "second port 48". The first port 46 of the gas cooler 18 and the second port 48 of the accumulator 20 are connected by a connecting pipe 50, which is part of the refrigerant piping 14.

[0032] The cooling expansion valve 42 is a solenoid valve that is throttled during cooling operation and completely closed during heating operation. When the cooling expansion valve 42 is throttled, the CO2 refrigerant is rapidly depressurized as it passes through the cooling expansion valve 42. The evaporator 22 is an evaporator that evaporates the atomized CO2 refrigerant and is located in the airflow path of the air conditioning unit provided in the unit case 30. The latent heat generated during this evaporation cools the air around the evaporator 22.

[0033] A blowing mechanism 28 is located inside the vehicle. The blowing mechanism 28 is a mechanism that cools or heats air taken in from outside or inside the vehicle and blows it into the vehicle. This blowing mechanism 28 has a unit case 30, a blower fan 32, and a heater core 33. An interior / exterior air switching door 38 is formed at the upstream end of the unit case 30 to switch the destination of the unit case 30 to inside or outside the vehicle. An air outlet (not shown) is formed at the downstream end of the unit case 30 to lead the conditioned air into the vehicle. An evaporator 22 and a heater core 33 are also located inside the unit case 30. During cooling operation, the evaporator 22 cools the air sent from the blower fan 32 by the latent heat when the refrigerant vaporizes. The cooled conditioned air is output into the vehicle, thereby cooling the interior.

[0034] During heating operation, the heater core 33 is heated by another heat source. This other heat source could be, for example, an engine or an electric heater. The heater core 33 is heated either directly or indirectly via a refrigerant such as water by the other heat source. A mode switching door 36 is located upstream of the heater core 33. The mode switching door 36 adjusts the amount of air passing through the heater core 33. During heating operation, the mode switching door 36 moves to a position that does not obstruct the airflow toward the heater core 33 (the position indicated by the dashed line in Figure 1). As a result, the air sent from the blower fan 32 passes through the heater core 33 and is heated. The heated conditioned air is then output into the vehicle, heating the interior.

[0035] Although not shown in Figure 1, the refrigerant circuit 12 is equipped with several solenoid valves that switch the direction of flow of the air conditioning refrigerant. Furthermore, multiple PT sensors 44 and 45 are arranged in the refrigerant circuit 12. The PT sensors 44 and 45 detect the pressure and temperature of the CO2 refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant piping 14. In other words, the PT sensors 44 and 45 are both temperature sensors and pressure sensors. The reason for arranging these PT sensors 44 and 45 will be briefly explained below.

[0036] The temperature-pressure characteristics of CO2 refrigerant differ significantly from those of conventionally used fluorine-based refrigerants. Furthermore, research into the temperature-pressure characteristics of CO2 refrigerant is less advanced compared to that of fluorine-based refrigerants. Therefore, when using CO2 refrigerant in the air conditioning system 10, it is necessary to measure the temperature and pressure of the CO2 refrigerant at multiple locations in the refrigerant piping 14 in order to accurately determine the state of the CO2 refrigerant. In this example, PT sensors 44 and 45 are placed at multiple locations in the refrigerant piping 14. In the following description, among the multiple PT sensors 44 and 45, the PT sensor 45 installed in the connecting pipe 50 that connects the gas cooler 18 and the accumulator 20 will be referred to as the "target sensor 45". In this example, the connecting pipe 50 is rerouted to protect this target sensor 45, which will be explained later.

[0037] Next, the arrangement of the gas cooler 18 and accumulator 20 will be described. At the front of the vehicle 54 is a power unit room where the power source (e.g., engine or motor) is located. The gas cooler 18, accumulator 20, and compressor 16 of the air conditioning system 10 are located in this power unit room. As shown in Figure 3, the front end of the vehicle 54 is provided with a front bumper 64 and a front grille 60. The front bumper 64 is a long member in the width direction of the vehicle. The front bumper 64 is the member that receives impact when the vehicle 54 is involved in a frontal collision. The front grille 60 is a long member in the width direction of the vehicle and is located below the front bumper 64. The front grille 60 has a grille opening 62 for guiding airflow to the gas cooler 18. The gas cooler 18 is positioned so as to face the front grille 60 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] A pair of side members 66 are positioned at both ends of the power unit compartment in the vehicle width direction. The side members 66 are elongated structural members in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. A crash box 67 is provided between these side members 66 and the front bumper 64. The crash box 67 is a component that reduces the impact load transmitted to the passenger compartment by breaking during a collision. As shown in Figure 4, the gas cooler 18 is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the crash box 67 and the side members 66. The accumulator 20 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the crash box 67 and the side members 66.

[0039] In Figure 3, the side member 66 is shown as a separate, single component. However, the side member 66 may also be part of the die-cast component 80, which will be described later. The die-cast component 80 is a large cast part in which the wheelhouse and other structural members are cast together as a single unit, as will be explained in detail later. This die-cast component 80 will be described later.

[0040] The vehicle 54 also has a pair of headlight units 68. As shown in Figure 4, the right headlight unit 68 is located above the accumulator 20 and outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0041] Next, the arrangement of the target sensor 45 will be described in detail. The target sensor 45 is attached to a connecting pipe 50 that connects the first port 46 and the second port 48. And the target sensor 45 detects the temperature and pressure of the CO2 refrigerant flowing through the connecting pipe 50.

[0042] Here, as is clear from FIGS. 2 to 4, the first port 46 is provided at the lower part of the gas cooler 18. Also, the second port 48 is provided at the lower part of the accumulator 20. And in this example, both the first port 46 and the second port 48 are lower than the center height H1 of the hub 58 of the front wheel 56.

[0043] Here, the connecting pipe 50 is generally required to be short. Therefore, normally, as shown in FIG. 5, the connecting pipe 50 connects the first port 46 and the second port 48 without greatly detouring in the vertical direction. In other words, normally, the connecting pipe 50 does not pass above the center height H1 of the hub 58. And the target sensor 45 attached to this connecting pipe 50 is also located below the center height H1.

[0044] However, in this case, the possibility that the target sensor 45 will be submerged is high. That is, due to heavy rain, the road or parking lot may be flooded. When the installation height of the target sensor 45 is low, there is a risk that the target sensor 45 itself will be submerged along with this flooding. Therefore, it is conceivable to cover the target sensor 45 with a housing in a liquid-tight manner to form a waterproof structure. However, the target sensor 45 is both a temperature sensor that measures temperature and a pressure sensor that measures pressure. The pressure sensor needs to be open to the atmosphere in terms of measuring the differential pressure from the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, an opening that communicates with the atmosphere must be formed in the target sensor 45. In other words, it is difficult to make the target sensor 45 have a waterproof structure. And when the non-waterproof target sensor 45 is submerged, the electrical components of the target sensor 45 fail and the temperature and pressure cannot be measured. In this case, the air conditioner 10 will be forced to stop driving.

[0045] In this example, to prevent the target sensor 45 from being submerged in water, the target sensor 45 is positioned above the center height H1 of the hub 58, as shown in Figures 2 to 4. More specifically, in this example, the connecting pipe 50 is provided with a bypass section 52 that extends upward from the accumulator 20 to the vehicle and then downward from the vehicle. The connecting pipe 50 is then attached to this bypass section 52. This configuration ensures that the position of the target sensor 45 is higher than the center height H1 of the hub 58. If the target sensor 45 is higher than the center height H1 of the hub 58, the connecting pipe 50 may not have the bypass section 52 which will be explained in detail later. Furthermore, the target sensor 45, or the opening provided in the target sensor 45, may be located above the center height H1, above the uppermost point of the hub 58.

[0046] Recent statistics show that flooding caused by heavy rain rarely exceeds the center height H1 of the hub 58. Therefore, by positioning the target sensor 45 above the center height H1, it is possible to effectively prevent the target sensor 45 from being submerged and, consequently, the air conditioning unit 10 from shutting down.

[0047] The first port 46 and the second port 48 are located at the lower part of the gas cooler 18 and the lower part of the accumulator 20, respectively. Here, "lower part of the gas cooler 18" and "lower part of the accumulator 20" refer to the lower half of the gas cooler 18 and the lower half of the accumulator 20, respectively. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating this "lower part" and "bypass portion 52". As shown in Figure 8, the first port 46 may be located at position P1, which is the side of the gas cooler 18, or at position P2, which is the bottom surface of the gas cooler 18, as long as it is below the vertical center line L1 of the gas cooler 18. Similarly, the second port 48 may be located at position P3, which is the side of the accumulator 20, or at position P4, which is the bottom surface of the accumulator 20, as long as it is below the vertical center line L2 of the accumulator 20.

[0048] Also, the bypass portion 52 of the connecting pipe 50 is a portion of the connecting pipe 50 that extends upward of the vehicle and then extends downward of the vehicle, and is a portion above the upper end of the accumulator 20. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 8, the thick line portion becomes the bypass portion 52. By attaching the target sensor 45 to such a bypass portion 52, it is possible to effectively prevent the target sensor 45 from being submerged. Further, by providing such a bypass portion 52, the extra length of the connecting pipe 50 becomes longer. And thereby, it is possible to prevent an excessive tension from being applied to the connecting pipe 50.

[0049] Further, in this example, in order to improve the detection accuracy of the target sensor 45, the mounting position of the target sensor 45 is devised. For example, as is clear from FIGS. 2 to 4, the mounting position of the target sensor 45 is above the upper end of the grill opening 62. With such a configuration, the running wind flowing from the grill opening 62 into the power unit chamber is less likely to hit the target sensor 45. Thereby, the detection accuracy of the temperature and pressure by the target sensor 45 is improved.

[0050] Also, the target sensor 45 is attached above the lower end of the crash box 67. Since the lower end of the crash box 67 is often higher than the center height H1 of the hub 58, with such a configuration, the possibility of the target sensor 45 being submerged can be further reduced.

[0051] Also, in this example, when viewed from the side of the vehicle 54, the target sensor 45 overlaps with the side member 66, and is arranged at a position outside the vehicle width direction from the side member 66 when viewed from the front of the vehicle 54. With such a configuration, the side member 66 functions as a windbreak, and the detection accuracy of the target sensor 45 is improved. That is, as described above, the running wind flows from the grill opening 62 into the power unit chamber. When this running wind hits the target sensor 45, the detection accuracy of the target sensor 45 decreases. In this example, since the side member 66 is arranged inside the vehicle width direction of the target sensor 45, the running wind heading toward the target sensor 45 is blocked by the side member 66. And thereby, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the detection accuracy of the target sensor 45 caused by the running wind.

[0052] Furthermore, in this example, the target sensor 45 is located near the headlight unit 68. This configuration simplifies the routing of the wires 72 and 74 (see Figure 4). That is, as shown in Figure 4, the wire 72 connected to the target sensor 45 and the wire 74 connected to the headlight unit 68 are both drawn from the same wire harness 70. When the target sensor 45 is located near the headlight unit 68, the distance from which the wire 72 is drawn from the wire harness 70 can be kept shorter compared to the case in Figure 5. This simplifies the routing of the wire 72.

[0053] Incidentally, the target sensor 45 or the connecting pipe 50 is fixed to the frame member of the vehicle 54 via the bracket 90. This will be explained with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the die-cast part 80. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the area around the target sensor 45.

[0054] The vehicle 54 in this example has die-cast parts 80. Die-cast parts 80 are parts made by casting and molding light metals such as aluminum. As shown in Figure 6, the die-cast parts 80 in this example are cast parts in which a pair of left and right wheelhouses 82, a pair of left and right side members 66, and a cross member 86 are integrally molded. Such die-cast parts 80 are manufactured using a large-scale die-casting method called "megacast," "gigacast," or "gigapress."

[0055] As shown in Figure 7, the die-cast part 80 has multiple ribs 81 extending from the main surface that constitutes the basic shape of the part. By providing these multiple ribs 81, high rigidity can be obtained for the die-cast part 80 as a whole. This makes it possible to use a part of the die-cast part 80 as a structural member of the vehicle 54, specifically as a side member 66.

[0056] In this example, a bracket 90 is fastened to a side member 66, which is part of the die-cast component 80. As shown in Figure 7, part of the bracket 90 is screw-fastened to the side member 66, and the other part is fixed to the connecting pipe 50. More specifically, the bracket 90 has a main body portion 93, an arm portion 94, and a holding portion 96. The main body portion 93 is screw-fastened to the side member 66 by fastening bolts 92. The arm portion 94 extends from the main body portion 93 toward the connecting pipe 50. A holding portion 96 for holding the connecting portion is provided at the end of this arm portion 94.

[0057] In this example, the holding portion 96 is curved in a semicircular shape, and the connecting pipe 50 is held by fitting the connecting pipe 50 inside the semicircle. However, this configuration is just one example, and the configuration of the holding portion 96 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the holding portion 96 may be a clip having a pair of arms that grip the connecting pipe 50 with elastic force. Alternatively, the holding portion 96 may have two semi-ring members that form a single ring when screwed together. Alternatively, the holding portion 96 may hold the connecting pipe 50 with the adhesive force of an adhesive. Also, in this example, the holding portion 96 holds the portion of the connecting pipe 50 near the target sensor 45. However, the holding portion 96 may also hold the target sensor 45 itself. For example, the holding portion 96 may be screwed to the housing of the target sensor 45.

[0058] In any case, the target sensor 45 or the connecting pipe 50 near the target sensor 45 is fixed to the side member 66, which is a skeletal member, via a bracket 90. In this example, the connecting pipe 50 has a bypass portion 52, which is longer and more prone to vibration than the case without the bypass portion 52. In this example, by fixing the connecting pipe 50 to the highly rigid side member 66 via a bracket 90, vibration of the connecting pipe 50 and the target sensor 45 is effectively prevented. This effectively prevents deterioration of the connecting pipe 50 and improves the measurement accuracy of the target sensor 45. In particular, the side member 66 in this example is part of a die-cast part 80. The die-cast part 80 is reinforced with numerous ribs 81 and has sufficient thickness to function as a skeletal member. Therefore, the side member 66 in this example has high rigidity. By connecting and fixing the connecting pipe 50 to a part of such a die-cast part 80, vibration of the connecting pipe 50 and the target sensor 45 can be further reduced.

[0059] However, the configuration described here is just one example, and the side member 66 may be a separate part from the die-cast part 80. For example, the side member 66 may be constructed by welding multiple sheet metal members together. Alternatively, the side member 66 may be constructed by extrusion molding. In this case as well, the side member 66 will have sufficient rigidity. Therefore, by connecting and fixing the target sensor 45 to such a side member 66, the measurement accuracy of the target sensor 45 can be improved. Furthermore, the target sensor 45 may be connected and fixed to other skeletal members, not just the side member 66. Also, the target sensor 45 does not need to be connected and fixed to a skeletal member as long as vibrations of the connecting pipe 50 and the target sensor 45 can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0060] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle 54 has die-cast parts 80. The configuration of these die-cast parts 80 may also be changed as appropriate. For example, the die-cast parts 80 may be divided into left and right halves. That is, the right die-cast part 80, which integrally molds the right wheelhouse 82 and the right side member 66, and the left die-cast part 80, which integrally molds the left wheelhouse 82 and the left side member 66, may be separate parts independent of each other. Alternatively, the vehicle 54 may have no die-cast parts 80. That is, the body and frame members of the vehicle 54 may be constructed by welding together a plurality of sheet metal members.

[0061] Furthermore, the configurations described so far are all examples, and other configurations may be changed as long as the configuration of claim 1 is met. For example, if the target sensor 45 is located above the center height H1 of the hub 58, it may be located below the upper end of the grill opening 62 or below the lower end of the crush box 67. The shape of the connecting pipe 50 may also be changed as appropriate. For example, the connecting pipe 50 may not have a bypass portion 52 that extends above the upper end of the accumulator 20. Also, in the above description, the target sensor 45 is a PT sensor that detects both temperature and pressure. However, the target sensor 45 does not need to have a function to detect temperature as long as it is a sensor that detects at least pressure. In this case, a separate temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant may be provided.

[0062] 10 Air conditioning unit, 12 Refrigerant circuit, 14 Refrigerant piping, 16 Compressor, 18 Gas cooler (heat exchanger), 19 Fan, 20 Accumulator, 20a Main unit, 20b Built-in heat exchanger, 22 Evaporator, 28 Discharge mechanism, 30 Unit case, 32 Blower fan, 33 Heater core, 36 Mode switching door, 38 Interior / exterior air switching door, 42 Cooling expansion valve, 45 Target sensor (PT sensor, pressure sensor), 46 First port, 48 Second port, 50 Connecting piping, 52 Bypass section, 54 Vehicle, 56 Front wheel, 58 Hub, 60 Front grille, 62 Grille opening, 64 Front bumper, 66 Side member, 67 Crash box, 68 Headlight unit, 70 Wire harness, 72, 74 Electric wire, 80 Die-cast parts, 81 Rib, 82 Wheelhouse, 86 Cross member, 90 Bracket, 92 Fastening bolt, 93 Main body, 94 Arm, 96 Retaining part.

Claims

1. A mounting structure for an air conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising: a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a natural refrigerant and outside air; an accumulator for separating the refrigerant into gas and liquid; a connecting pipe connecting a first port provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger and a second port provided at the bottom of the accumulator; and a pressure sensor provided on the connecting pipe, wherein the mounting position of the pressure sensor is higher than the center of the hub of the vehicle's wheels.

2. An air conditioning mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting piping has a bypass portion that extends upward from the upper end of the accumulator to the vehicle and then downward from the vehicle in the process of going from the first port to the second port, and the pressure sensor is attached to the bypass portion.

3. An air conditioning unit mounting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure sensor overlaps with the side member when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and is located further outward in the vehicle width direction than the side member when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

4. An air conditioning unit mounting structure according to claim 1, further comprising a bracket, the latter part of which is connected to the frame member of the vehicle, and the other part of which is fixed to the connecting pipe at or around the pressure sensor.

5. An air conditioning mounting structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the skeletal member is a side member.

6. An air conditioning unit mounting structure according to claim 1, further comprising a headlight unit, wherein the wire connected to the pressure sensor and the wire connected to the headlight unit are drawn from a common wire harness.

7. An air conditioning unit mounting structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a front grille positioned at the front end of the vehicle and having a grille opening formed therein; and a crash box, wherein the pressure sensor is mounted above the upper end of the grille opening or above the lower end of the crash box.

8. An air conditioning mounting structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the frame member is part of a die-cast part in which the wheelhouse and the side member are integrally molded.

9. An air conditioning mounting structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the skeletal member is part of a die-cast part in which a pair of side members, a pair of wheelhouses, and a cross member connecting the pair of side members are integrally molded.

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