Air conditioning for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention discloses an air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: a housing accommodating a cooler and a heater; a front temperature door disposed in the housing to control the temperature of air supplied to the front seat area; a rear temperature door disposed below the front temperature door to control the temperature of air supplied to the rear seat area; and a rear vent disposed in the lower portion of the housing to discharge air into the rear seat area. By improving the flow path of air supplied to the rear seat area, the air conditioner can ensure a sufficient flow rate of air supplied to the rear seat area within the vehicle interior.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present application and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] Generally, a vehicle is equipped with an air conditioner that can control the interior temperature for heating / cooling. This air conditioner includes an evaporator and a condenser and controls the temperature of the air supplied to the vehicle.

[0004] In the related art, the air conditioner generally adopts a single-zone control type that controls the interior of a vehicle at the same temperature or a dual-zone control type that controls the temperatures of the front seat area and the rear seat area separately by dividing the interior of the vehicle.

[0005] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an air conditioner of the related art, Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing the flow path of air blown toward the rear seats through the heater.

[0006] like Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner of the related art includes a housing 4 in which an evaporator 1, a condenser 2, and a heater 3 are provided, and a front door 5 and a rear door 6 are mounted on the housing 4. When the front door 5 is opened, the air at the controlled temperature in the housing 4 is discharged to the front seat area in the vehicle, and when the rear door 6 is opened, the air at the controlled temperature in the housing 4 is discharged to the rear seat area in the vehicle.

[0007] We have found that this air conditioner of the related art has a limitation in that single-zone control and dual-zone control can be applied, but three-zone control that is being studied recently cannot be applied.

[0008] In addition, we found that since the rear door 6 is provided above the heater 3 and the temperature door 7 in the air conditioner, the air heated by the heater 3 is guided by the temperature door 7 through the opened inlet, is turned to the opened inlet through the rear door 6, and is then discharged to the rear vent 8 (see FIG. Figure 2 Due to the above-described appropriate path, a flow loss occurs in the air discharged to the rear vents 8, and thus there is a problem in that the flow rate of air supplied to the rear seats is insufficient.

[0009] Furthermore, the air conditioner has the partition wall 9 for draining condensed water generated in the evaporator 1 , and thus there is a problem that the partition wall 9 reduces a space in which air flows after passing through the evaporator 1 . Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present invention provides an air conditioner for a vehicle, which can ensure the flow rate of air supplied to a rear seat area in a vehicle by improving the flow path of the air supplied to the rear seat area.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present application, an air conditioner for a vehicle includes: a housing configured to accommodate a cooler and a heater, wherein the cooler is configured to lower the temperature of air discharged into the vehicle interior, and the heater is configured to increase the temperature of the air inside the vehicle interior; a front temperature door disposed in the housing and configured to control the temperature of air supplied to a front seat area inside the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air passing through the cooler and flowing to the heater; a rear temperature door disposed below the front temperature door and configured to control the temperature of air supplied to a rear seat area inside the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air passing through the cooler and flowing to the heater; and a rear vent disposed in a lower portion of the housing and below the cooler, the cooler being disposed in front of the heater, and the rear vent configured to discharge air into the rear seat area. The air conditioner has the following detailed features.

[0012] In some forms of the present application, a rear door that opens and closes the rear vent may be provided at a lower portion of the housing, and the rear door may be provided below a cooler provided in front of the heater.

[0013] In one form, a front partition wall configured to inhibit or prevent air having passed through the cooler from flowing to the heater may be provided between the cooler and the heater, and the front partition wall may have an inlet opened and closed by a rear temperature door.

[0014] In another form, when the inlet of the front partition wall is opened by the rear temperature door, air that has passed through the cooler can flow to the heater through the inlet.

[0015] In other forms, the rear temperature door can inhibit or prevent air that has passed through the cooler from flowing to the rear vent through the first passage provided between the lower end of the cooler and the lower end of the heater by closing the first passage when the inlet of the front partition wall is opened.

[0016] In some forms of the present application, a second passage that may be provided below the heater is configured to guide air that has passed through the heater to a rear seat area, and the rear vents may be provided on a downstream side of the first and second passages.

[0017] In some forms of the present application, the front partition wall can be arranged in front of the heater, the rear partition wall can be arranged behind the heater, and the upper portion of the heating space surrounded by the front partition wall and the rear partition wall can be opened and closed by a left front temperature door and a right front temperature door.

[0018] In some forms of the present application, the rear partition wall may have a baffle protruding toward the heater, and the baffle may guide the air that has passed through the lower portion of the heater after passing through the inlet of the front partition wall to the second passage.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present application, a secondary rear temperature door may be provided in the second passage, configured to inhibit or prevent air that has passed through the first passage from flowing backward toward the upstream side of the second passage. In another embodiment, the housing may include a condensate collector disposed below the cooler. The condensate collector may include a drain port for draining condensate generated by the cooler, and the rear surface of the condensate collector may curve upward behind the drain port. The rear surface of the condensate collector may be located below the lower end of the cooler.

[0020] In other forms, a bottom surface of the housing disposed behind the condensate collector and below the first channel may be inclined upward and rearward from the front.

[0021] In some forms of the present application, a left outlet for discharging air to the left front seat area and a left front door for opening and closing the left outlet may be provided at the upper portion of the left shell portion, and the flow rate of air blown to the left front seat area may be controlled according to the degree of opening of the left front door.

[0022] In some forms of the present application, a right outlet for discharging air to the right front seat area and a right front door for opening and closing the right outlet can be provided at the upper part of the right shell part, and the flow rate of air blown to the right front seat area can be controlled according to the opening degree of the right front door.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, the housing may be divided into a left housing portion and a right housing portion by a partition provided at a central portion of the housing. In another embodiment, the front temperature door may include: a left front temperature door provided in the left housing portion and configured to control the temperature of air supplied to the left front seat area of the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air flowing to the heater after passing through the cooler; and a right front temperature door provided in the right housing portion and configured to control the temperature of air blown to the right front seat area of the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air flowing to the heater after passing through the cooler.

[0024] According to the above configuration, the air conditioner according to the present application can achieve the following effects.

[0025] First, compared with the air conditioner of the related art, by optimizing the flow path of the air discharged to the rear seat area, the flow rate of the air supplied to the rear seat area can be increased.

[0026] Second, the temperature of the front and rear areas can be controlled separately by dividing the interior of the vehicle into the front and rear areas.

[0027] Third, by reducing the partition wall structure for collecting and draining condensed water, the blowing space for air passing through the container is increased, thereby increasing the flow rate of air.

[0028] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to make the present application easier to understand, various forms of the present application will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an air conditioner of the related art;

[0031] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the flow path of air blown to the rear seat area through the heater;

[0032] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner according to one form of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4A It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA is shown;

[0034] Figure 4B It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line BB is shown;

[0035] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line A'-A' is shown;

[0036] Figure 6 is a diagram showing the housing when both the left front temperature door and the rear temperature door are operated in a closed mode;

[0037] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the housing when both the left front temperature door and the rear temperature door are operated in an open mode;

[0038] Figure 8is a diagram showing the housing when the left front temperature door operates in a closed mode and the rear temperature door operates in an open mode;

[0039] Figure 9 is a diagram showing the housing when the left front temperature door operates in an open mode and the rear temperature door operates in a closed mode;

[0040] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the housing when both the left front temperature door and the rear temperature door are operated in an intermediate mode; and

[0041] Figure 11 It is a view showing a drain device for draining condensed water.

[0042] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present application, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0044] It should be noted that directions such as "left," "right," "up," and "down" are defined based on a vehicle equipped with an air conditioner.

[0045] The air conditioner of the present application is configured to ensure a sufficient flow rate of air supplied to the rear seat area of the vehicle interior by improving the air flow path therein. Furthermore, the air conditioner is configured to separately control the temperature of the front seat area and the rear seat area by partitioning the vehicle interior, and to separately control the temperature of the left front seat area, the right front seat area, and the rear seat area by partitioning the vehicle interior.

[0046] The left front seat area may be a driver seat area, and the right front seat area may be a passenger seat area.

[0047] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the air conditioner includes a housing 100 having an interior space, and a cooler 102 and a heater 104 provided in the interior space of the housing 100 .

[0048] The air blown by the blower may flow in the interior space of the housing 100. The air blown by the blower may have its temperature lowered by the cooler 102 and may have its temperature raised by the heater 104. The air may be discharged into the vehicle interior after passing through the cooler 102, or may be discharged into the interior after passing through the cooler 102 and the heater 104.

[0049] The cooler 102 may be an evaporator that may lower the temperature of the air by performing heat exchange using a refrigerant, and the heater 104 may include a condenser 104a that may increase the temperature of the air by performing heat exchange using a refrigerant and a PTC heater 104b that may heat the air by receiving electricity.

[0050] The cooler 102 can be arranged in the front space of the internal space of the housing 100, and the heater 104 can be arranged in the rear space of the internal space of the housing 100. That is, the cooler 102 can be arranged at a predetermined distance in front of the heater 104. The cooler 102 can be installed to be fixed in the front space of the housing 100. The heater 104 can be installed to be fixed in the rear space of the housing 100, and the mounting frame 106 for mounting and fixing the heater 104 can be arranged in the rear space of the housing 100. When the heater 104 is installed on the mounting frame 106, it can be arranged in a space (i.e., a heating space) surrounded by a front partition wall 108 and a rear partition wall 110, which are arranged in the rear space of the housing 100.

[0051] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 The housing 100 can be divided into two parts, a left housing part 114 and a right housing part 116 , by a separator 112 , and the separator 112 is located between the left housing part 114 and the right housing part 116 .

[0052] A divider 112 is provided in the central portion of the housing 100 in the left-right direction, thereby dividing the rear space of the interior space of the housing 100 into left and right parts. Thus, the left housing portion 114 surrounds the left space within the interior space of the housing 100, while the right housing portion 116 surrounds the right space within the interior space of the housing 100. The left housing portion 114 can be provided in front of the left front seat area, and the right housing portion 116 can be provided in front of the right front seat area.

[0053] The cooler 102 may be disposed throughout the interior space of the left and right housing parts 114 and 116 . The heater 104 may also be disposed throughout the interior space of the left and right housing parts 114 and 116 .

[0054] Figure 4A It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA is shown. Figure 4B It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view is taken along the line BB shown. Figure 4A , the left front temperature door 118 is provided in the left housing portion 114. Further, as Figure 4B As shown, a right front temperature door 120 is disposed in the right housing portion 116 .

[0055] The left front temperature door 118 can be installed so as to be rotatable around a hinge 118a in the housing 100. The hinge 118a is fixed to the divider 112 and the left housing portion 114, thereby being able to support the rotation of the left front temperature door 118. That is, the left front temperature door 118 can be rotatably supported by the divider 112 and the left housing portion 114. When the opening degree is 0 (zero), the left front temperature door 118 can be in contact with the upper end of the front partition wall 108 and the upper end of the rear partition wall 108. In other words, when the left front temperature door 118 is operated in the closed mode, the front and rear ends of the left front temperature door 118 can be in contact with the upper end of the front partition wall 108 and the upper end of the rear partition wall 110.

[0056] The right front temperature door 120 can be installed to rotate about a hinge 120a in the housing 100. That is, the right front temperature door 120 can be rotatably supported by the divider 112 and the right housing portion 116. When the opening degree is 0 (zero), the right front temperature door 120 can contact the upper end of the front partition wall 108 and the upper end of the rear partition wall 110. That is, when the right front temperature door 120 is operated in the closed mode, the front and rear ends of the right front temperature door 120 can contact the upper ends of the front partition wall 108 and the upper ends of the rear partition wall 108.

[0057] The front partition wall 108 can be arranged in front of the heater 104 in the housing 100, and the rear partition wall 110 can be arranged behind the heater 104. By having the left front temperature door 118, the right front temperature door 120, and the mounting bracket 106 surround the heater 104, the front partition wall 108 and the rear partition wall 110 can form a heating space 122. Accordingly, the upper portion of the heating space 122 can be opened / closed by the left front temperature door 118 and the right front temperature door 120. In addition, a passage is formed between the rear partition wall 110 and the lower portion of the mounting bracket 106, so that the heating space 122 can be connected to the second passage 126. In other words, the heating space 122 can be open so that its lower portion can be connected to the second passage 126. The second passage 126 is arranged at the lower portion of the housing 100, and it can guide the air heated by the heater 104 to the rear vent 130. The second passage 126 can extend below the first passage 124. The rear vent 130 may be connected to downstream sides of the first passage 124 and the second passage 126 .

[0058] Figure 6 The housing is shown when both the left front temperature door 118 and the rear temperature door 140 are operating in a closed mode. Figure 7The housing is shown when both the left front temperature door 118 and the rear temperature door 140 are operated in an open mode. The right front temperature door 120 can be operated in a closed mode and an open mode in the same manner as the left front temperature door 118.

[0059] Reference Figure 7 When the left front temperature door 118 is operated in the open mode, the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can flow into the left area of the heating space 122. The air flowing in the heating space 122 can be heated by the left side of the heater 104.

[0060] Similar to Figure 7 The left front temperature door 118 and the right front temperature door 120 shown can be operated in an open mode. When the right front temperature door 120 is operated in the open mode, air whose temperature has been lowered by the cooler 102 can flow into the right area of the heating space 122. The air flowing in the heating space 122 can be heated by the right side of the heater 104.

[0061] The air that has flowed in the housing 100 and has passed through the cooler can be blown to the interior of the vehicle without passing through the heater 104 (see FIG. Figure 6 ), or may be discharged into the vehicle interior after passing through the heater 104 before being blown into the vehicle interior (see Figure 7 When the left front temperature door 118 is operated in the closed mode, the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can be blown to the front seat area through the third passage 128 and can pass through the third passage 128 and flow to the front seat area (see FIG. Figure 6 ). The right front temperature door 120 can be Figure 6 The left front temperature door 118 shown operates in the closed mode in the same manner. When the left front temperature door 118 operates in the open mode, the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can be blown to the heating space 122, heated by the heater 104, and then discharged into the vehicle interior (see FIG. Figure 7 ).

[0062] When the current temperature doors 118 and 120 are operated in the open mode, the third channel 128 is closed and the upper portion of the heating space 122 is opened, so that the air that has passed through the cooler 102 flows into the heating space 122. The third channel 128 may be a channel between the upper portion of the cooler 102 and the heating space 122. That is, the third channel 128 may be a channel located behind the upper portion of the cooler 102. The third channel 128 may be divided into a 3-1 channel on the left side (see Figure 4A 128 in the middle) and the 3-2 channel on the right (see Figure 4B 128 in ), and a separator 112 is located between the two.

[0063] When the front temperature doors 118 and 120 are operated in the open mode, the front and rear ends of the front temperature doors 118 and 120 may respectively contact the support protrusion 134 and the upper portion of the mounting bracket 106. The support protrusion 134 protrudes from the inner side of the housing 100 and may be provided behind the upper portion of the cooler 102.

[0064] Figure 8 The housing is shown when the left front temperature door 118 is operating in a closed mode and the rear temperature door 140 is operating in an open mode. Figure 9 The housing is shown when the left front temperature door 118 is operating in an open mode and the rear temperature door 140 is operating in a closed mode.

[0065] Figure 10 The housing is shown when both the left front temperature door 118 and the rear temperature door 140 are operated in the intermediate mode. The right front temperature door 120 can be operated in the intermediate mode in the same manner as the left front temperature door 118.

[0066] like Figure 10 As shown, when left front temperature door 118 is operated in an intermediate mode (which is between the closed and open positions, i.e., the degree of opening of left front temperature door 118 is greater than 0% and less than 100%), some air that has passed through cooler 102 (i.e., first air) can flow through left front door 152 without passing through heater 104, while other air that has passed through cooler 102 (i.e., second air) can flow toward left front door 152 after passing through heater 104. Before the first air and the second air are discharged into the vehicle interior through left front door 152, they can be mixed in housing 100. That is, the first air and the second air can be discharged into the vehicle interior after being mixed together in housing 100 (i.e., in the front mixing zone). The front mixing zone may be a space located upstream of front doors 152 and 154.

[0067] By controlling the operation of left front temperature door 118 and right front temperature door 120 in the above manner, the flow rate of air blown to heater 104 after passing through cooler 102 can be controlled. Therefore, the temperature of the air discharged into the left and right front seat areas of the vehicle interior can be controlled separately. To this end, left front temperature door 118 and right front temperature door 120 can be controlled separately. The temperature of the air blown into the left front seat area can be controlled based on the degree of opening of left front temperature door 118, and the temperature of the air blown into the right front seat area can be controlled based on the degree of opening of right front temperature door 120.

[0068] refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4BThe front partition wall 108 is provided between the cooler 102 and the heater 104 so as to suppress or prevent the air that has passed through the cooler 102 from flowing into the heater 104. An inlet 108a through which the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can flow may be formed below the front partition wall 108, and a rear temperature door 140 for opening / closing the inlet 108a may be provided. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, when the inlet 108a is opened by the rear temperature door 140, the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can flow to the heater 104 through the inlet 108a. The rear temperature door 140 is rotatably supported at the lower portion of the housing 100.

[0069] The rear temperature door 140 may be provided with a predetermined gap below the front temperature doors 118 and 120. When operating in the closed mode, the rear temperature door 140 closes the entrance 108a of the front partition wall 108, and when operating in the open mode, the rear temperature door 140 opens the entrance of the front partition wall 108. Figure 6 As shown, when the inlet 108a of the front partition wall 108 is closed, the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can be blown to the rear vent 130 through the first passage 124. Figure 7 As shown, when the inlet 108a of the front partition wall 108 is opened, the air that has passed through the cooler 102 can be blown to the heater 104 through the inlet 108a. The air blown to the heater 104 can be heated by the heater 104 and then blown to the rear vent 130 through the second passage 126.

[0070] When the inlet 108a of the front partition wall 108 is opened, the rear temperature door 140 can suppress or prevent the air that has passed through the cooler 102 from flowing to the rear vent 130 through the first passage 124 provided between the lower end of the cooler 102 and the lower end of the heater 104 by closing the first passage 124. In addition, when the inlet of the front partition wall 108 is closed, the rear temperature door 140 allows the air that has passed through the cooler 102 to flow to the rear vent 130 through the first passage 124 by opening the first passage 124.

[0071] In addition, when the rear temperature door 140 is in the intermediate mode (which is between the position of the closed mode and the position of the open mode, that is, when the opening degree of the rear temperature door 140 is greater than 0% and less than 100%, as shown in FIG. Figure 10 When the air conditioner 102 is in operation (as shown), some of the air that has passed through the cooler 102 (i.e., the third air) can flow to the rear vents 130 without passing through the heater 104, while another part of the air that has passed through the cooler 102 (i.e., the fourth air) can flow to the rear vents 130 through the second channel 126 after passing through the heater 104.

[0072] The third air and the fourth air may be mixed in the housing 100 before being discharged into the vehicle interior through the rear vent 130. That is, the third air and the fourth air may be discharged into the vehicle interior after being mixed in the housing 100 (i.e., in a rear mixing area). The rear mixing area may be a space located upstream of the rear vent 130.

[0073] By controlling the operation of rear temperature door 140 in the above manner, the flow rate of air blown to heater 104 after passing through cooler 102 can be controlled, thereby controlling the temperature of the air discharged to the rear seat area in the vehicle interior. The temperature of the air blown to the rear seat area can also be controlled according to the degree of opening of rear temperature door 140.

[0074] like Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, a rear vent 130 for discharging air to the rear seat area and a rear door 138 for opening / closing the rear vent 130 may be provided at the rear portion of the housing 100. The rear vent 130 may be provided at a lower portion of the housing 100 so as to be below the cooler 102, and the rear door 138 may be provided in the rear vent 130 (i.e., a passage) to open / close an internal passage of the rear vent 130.

[0075] When the rear door 138 is in the closed mode, the air flowing to the rear vents 130 cannot be discharged to the rear seat area. When the rear door 138 is in the open mode, the air flowing to the rear vents 130 can be discharged to the rear seat area. For example, the air flowing to the rear vents 130 can be blown to the rear seat area through a separate duct connected to the rear vents 130 outside the housing 100.

[0076] When the rear door 138 is operated in the intermediate mode, the flow rate of air discharged from the rear vents 130 may be smaller than the flow rate of air discharged from the rear vents 130 when the rear door 138 is operated in the open mode. In other words, the flow rate of air blown to the rear seat area through the rear vents 130 may be controlled according to the degree of opening of the rear door 138.

[0077] Furthermore, the rear partition wall 110 may include a baffle 144. The baffle 144 may protrude from the front surface of the rear partition wall 110 toward the heater 104. The baffle 144 may extend to the rear surface of the heater 104. In this manner, the baffle 144 may define the upper and lower portions of the rear region of the heated space 122. The baffle 144 may guide air that has passed through the inlet 108a of the front partition wall 108 to the second passage 126 that passes through the lower portion of the heater 104. In other words, the baffle 144 may prevent air from flowing to the upper portion of the heated space 122, thereby guiding air that has passed through the lower portion of the heater 104 to the second passage 126, thereby ensuring a sufficient flow of air directed to the rear seat area.

[0078] In addition, the auxiliary rear temperature door 142 may be provided in the second passage 126. The auxiliary rear temperature door 142 may be provided in the housing 100 so as to be located below the front partition wall 108 and the mounting frame 106. The auxiliary rear temperature door 142 may be rotated so that when it is operated in the open mode, its lower portion contacts the bottom of the mounting frame 106. When the auxiliary rear temperature door 142 is operated in the open mode, it may open the second passage 126. The auxiliary rear temperature door 142 may be rotated so that when it is operated in the closed mode, its lower portion contacts the bottom surface of the housing 100. The auxiliary rear temperature door 142 may close the second passage 126 when it is operated in the closed mode. When the auxiliary rear temperature door 142 is operated in the closed mode, the air flowing to the rear vent 130 through the first passage 124 may be prevented from flowing back to the upstream side of the second passage 126. That is, when the auxiliary rear temperature door 142 is operated in the closed mode, the air flowing to the rear vent 130 through the first passage 124 can be prevented from flowing back to the side opposite to the rear vent 130 and the rear space in the housing 100. When the auxiliary rear temperature door 142 is operated in the closed mode, the auxiliary rear temperature door 142 can guide the air flowing through the first passage 124 to the rear vent 130.

[0079] In addition, a condensation water collector 146 that collects condensation water generated by the cooler 102 may be provided at the lower portion of the housing 100. The condensation water collector 146 may be provided below the cooler 102 and above the rear vent 130. The condensation water collector 146 may have one or more drain ports 148 for draining the condensation water from the housing 100. The rear side 146a of the condensation water collector 146 is bent upward behind the drain port 148, thereby preventing the condensation water from overflowing from the condensation water collector 146. The rear side 146a may be located at a lower position than the lower end of the cooler 102 in the up-down direction of the vehicle. That is, the rear side 146a may be located below the lower end of the cooler 102. Figure 11 When the condensed water collector 146 has two or more discharge ports 148 , the discharge ports 148 may be provided left and right in the lower portion of the housing 100 .

[0080] refer to Figure 4A and Figure 11 A drain port 148 may be provided in the rear vent 130, and a drain port 150 for draining condensed water from the rear vent 130 may be provided on one side of the rear vent 130. The condensed water may be discharged from the vehicle through a drain hose connected to the drain port 150.

[0081] The bottom surface 100a of the housing 100 surrounding the lower portion of the second channel 126 can be tilted upward and backward from the front. In other words, the bottom surface 100a of the housing 100, which is located behind the condensation collector 146 and below the first channel 124, can be tilted upward and backward from the front. Therefore, even if the condensation generated by the cooler 102 overflows the rear surface 146a of the condensation collector 146 toward the second channel 126, the condensation will flow to the rear vent 130 due to gravity and can be discharged to the drain port 150.

[0082] At the same time, reference Figure 4A and 4B A left outlet 114a for delivering air to the left front seat area and a left front door 152 for opening / closing the left outlet 114a may be provided at an upper portion of the left housing portion 114. The left front door 152 may be rotated by an actuator, and the flow rate of air blown toward the left front seat area may be controlled according to the degree of opening of the left front door 152.

[0083] In addition, a right outlet 116a for discharging air to the right front seat area and a right front door 154 for opening / closing the right outlet 116a may be provided at an upper portion of the right housing portion 116. The right front door 154 may be rotated by an actuator, and the flow rate of air blown toward the right front seat area may be controlled according to the degree of opening of the right front door 154.

[0084] In addition, other doors described herein can also be rotated by actuators, and actuators for multiple doors can be controlled individually. In addition, all doors described herein can be rotatably applied to the housing 100.

[0085] A first side door 156 may be provided in the left housing portion 114. The first side door 156 may form a left enclosed space 160 in the left housing portion 114. The left enclosed space 160 may be enclosed by the rear surface and side surfaces of the left housing portion 114, the rear partition wall 110, the divider 112, and the first side door 156. When the first side door 156 is operated in an open mode, the upper portion of the left enclosed space 160 may be opened. Air flowing in the left enclosed space may be discharged to the left front seat area through a left front vent 164. The left front vent 164 may protrude from the outer surface of the left housing portion 114.

[0086] In addition, a second side door 158 may be provided in the right housing portion 116. The second side door 158 may form a right enclosed space 160 in the right housing portion 116. The right enclosed space 162 may be enclosed by the rear surface and side surfaces of the right housing portion 116, the rear partition wall 110, the divider 112, and the second side door 158. When the second side door 158 is operated in the open mode, the upper portion of the right enclosed space 162 may be opened. Air flowing in the right enclosed space 162 may be discharged to the right front seat area through a right front vent 168. The right front vent 168 may protrude from the outer surface of the right housing portion 116.

[0087] Although various forms of the present application are described above, the scope of the present application is not limited to these forms, and various changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art using the spirit of the present application are also included in the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: a housing configured to accommodate a cooler and a heater, wherein the cooler is configured to reduce the temperature of air discharged into the vehicle interior and the heater is configured to increase the temperature of the air discharged into the vehicle interior; a front temperature door disposed in the housing and configured to control the temperature of air supplied to a front seat area of the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air flowing to the heater after passing through the cooler; a rear temperature door disposed below the front temperature door and configured to control the temperature of air supplied to a rear seat area of the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air flowing to the heater after passing through the cooler; a rear vent disposed at a lower portion of the housing and below a cooler disposed forward of the heater, the rear vent being configured to discharge air into a rear seat area; a front partition wall disposed in front of the heater; a rear partition wall disposed behind the heater; a divider for dividing the interior space of the housing into a left housing portion and a right housing portion; a first side door disposed in the left housing portion; a second side door disposed in the right housing portion; a left front vent protruding from an outer surface of the left housing portion; a right front vent projecting from an outer surface of the right housing portion; a left enclosed space enclosed by the rear surface and side surfaces of the left housing portion, the rear partition wall, the divider, and the first side door; and a right enclosed space enclosed by the rear surface and side surfaces of the right housing portion, the rear partition wall, the divider, and the second side door; When the first side door is operated in the open mode, the upper portion of the left enclosed space is opened so that air flowing in the left enclosed space is discharged to the left front seat area through the left front vent; When the second side door is operated in the open mode, the upper portion of the right enclosed space is opened, so that air flowing in the right enclosed space is discharged to the right front seat area through the right front vent.

2. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein A rear door configured to open and close the rear vent is provided at a lower portion of the housing, and a flow rate of air blown toward a rear seat area through the rear vent is controlled according to an opening degree of the rear door.

3. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein A front partition wall configured to suppress air having passed through the cooler from flowing to the heater is provided between the cooler and the heater, and the front partition wall has an inlet opened and closed by a rear temperature door.

4. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein When the inlet of the front partition wall is opened by the rear temperature door, the air that has passed through the cooler flows to the heater through the inlet.

5. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein The rear temperature door is configured to suppress air having passed through the cooler from flowing to the rear vent through a first passage provided between a lower end of the cooler and a lower end of the heater by closing the first passage when an inlet of the front partition wall is opened.

6. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein The second passage provided below the heater is configured to guide air having passed through the heater to a rear seat area, and the rear vent is provided on a downstream side of the first passage and the second passage.

7. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein An upper portion of the heating space surrounded by the front partition wall and the rear partition wall is opened and closed by a left front temperature door and a right front temperature door.

8. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein The rear partition wall has a baffle protruding toward the heater, and the baffle is configured to guide air, which has passed through a lower portion of the heater after passing through an inlet of the front partition wall, to the second passage.

9. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein A sub-rear temperature door is provided in the second passage, the sub-rear temperature door being configured to suppress air having passed through the first passage from flowing backward toward an upstream side of the second passage.

10. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein The housing has a condensed water collector disposed below the cooler, the condensed water collector having a discharge port configured to discharge condensed water generated by the cooler, and a rear surface of the condensed water collector is bent upward behind the discharge port.

11. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein The rear surface of the condensed water collector is located below the lower end of the cooler.

12. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein A bottom surface of the housing, which is disposed behind the condensed water collector and below the first channel, is inclined upward and rearward from the front.

13. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein A left outlet for discharging air to the left front seat area and a left front door for opening and closing the left outlet are provided at the upper portion of the left housing portion, and the flow rate of air blown to the left front seat area is controlled according to the opening degree of the left front door.

14. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein A right outlet for discharging air to the right front seat area and a right front door for opening and closing the right outlet are provided at the upper portion of the right shell portion, and the flow rate of air blown to the right front seat area is controlled according to the opening degree of the right front door.

15. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The housing is divided into a left housing portion and a right housing portion by a partition provided at a central portion of the housing.

16. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein The front temperature door comprises: a left front temperature door provided in the left housing portion and configured to control the temperature of air supplied to a left front seat area in the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air flowing to the heater after passing through the cooler; and A right front temperature door is provided in the right housing portion and is configured to control the temperature of air blown toward the right front seat area in the vehicle interior by controlling the flow rate of air flowing to the heater after passing through the cooler.

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