Fluid distribution gates and HVAC air handling systems

Abstract

This application relates to fluid distribution gates and HVAC air handling systems. In one aspect, a fluid distribution gate for an air handling system used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems is provided, comprising an air guide wall having a first main surface and a second main surface arranged opposite to it, an exhaust port projecting from the second main surface of the air guide wall, and an exhaust path formed through the fluid distribution gate. The exhaust path extends through the air guide wall and the exhaust port.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 263,824, filed November 10, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for vehicles, and more specifically, to fluid distribution gates having an exhaust port protruding from the fluid distribution gates. Background Technology

[0004] Vehicles typically include a climate control system that maintains a comfortable temperature within the passenger compartment by providing heating, cooling, and ventilation. Comfort in the passenger compartment can also be maintained through an integrated system known as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. An HVAC system regulates the air flowing through it and distributes the regulated air throughout the passenger compartment. The design of an HVAC system includes features such as controlling airflow, air temperature, and airflow paths. The performance of an HVAC system can be tailored to specific objectives, including temperature stratification and airflow distribution among the various exhaust vents within the passenger compartment.

[0005] Many HVAC air handling systems utilize adjustable fluid distribution gates to control the airflow through the air handling system. Fluid distribution gates are typically capable of rotating or translating between multiple locations associated with various airflow patterns through the air handling system, each corresponding to a desired airflow rate and / or temperature through a desired vent in the air handling system.

[0006] Such fluid distribution gates can be configured to distribute conditioned air within the HVAC air handling system to vents located within the passenger compartment according to a selected operating mode of the HVAC air handling system. For example, a defrost operating mode may include directing the majority of conditioned air to individual windshield defrost vents or side window defrost vents instead of floor or panel vents of the associated vehicle. One or more fluid distribution gates may be adjustable to determine the distribution of air to each of these vents, wherein certain positions of the individual fluid distribution gates promote airflow to certain vents preferentially over others, relative to pre-conditioned air within the HVAC air handling system.

[0007] Some operating modes of an HVAC air handling system may require a relatively small amount of air to be delivered to certain vents in the passenger compartment in order to maintain the desired operation of the HVAC air handling system within certain specifications. This relatively small airflow is generally referred to as an air vent, and the path followed by this airflow is generally referred to as an vent path or vent route. Depending on the selected operating mode, this vent path may be necessary to maintain the desired pressure, temperature, humidity, and / or flow rate of the pre-conditioned air at various locations within the HVAC air handling system and in the passenger compartment.

[0008] One way to establish such an exhaust path includes forming an opening in an air guide wall that passes through one of the fluid distribution doors responsible for distributing air to different vents in the passenger compartment. This opening can be a through-hole extending from one main side of the air guide wall to another main side, or a recess formed along the periphery of the air guide wall, allowing air to bypass the air guide wall at certain locations relative to a fluid distribution door that would otherwise be configured to restrict flow through it. Such a through-hole or recess can include an axial length equal to the thickness of the air guide wall, such that each opposite axial end of the through-hole or recess is defined by an edge along one of the corresponding main sides of the air guide wall.

[0009] One drawback of using such through-holes or peripheral recesses to form exhaust paths is that airflow at the downstream end of the through-hole or peripheral recess cannot be controlled in a manner that facilitates the desired distribution of air to the passenger compartment vents. The way the outlet end of the through-hole or recess is open at the edge of the main surface arranged downstream of the air guide wall allows air to flow in any number of directions as it exits the through-hole or recess and passes the downstream edge, including lateral flow of air relative to the axial direction of the through-hole or recess, such as a sharp turn immediately after passing through a fluid distribution gate.

[0010] When multiple different vents are arranged downstream of and in fluid communication with their respective fluid distribution gates, uncontrolled airflow exiting the orifice or recess at the main side of the air guide wall downstream is particularly disadvantageous. For example, it may be possible that a duct leading to an vent through which air is desired to be directed is arranged generally in the axial direction of the orifice or recess, while another duct leading to an vent through which air is not desired to be directed is arranged transversely to the axial direction of the orifice or recess. This uncontrolled transverse flow of air exiting the orifice or recess may therefore result in an unwanted amount of air flowing laterally toward the unwanted duct to vents that are generally unrelated to receiving air exhaust during the selected operating mode. This situation may adversely cause vehicle passengers to experience unwanted airflow through vents unrelated to the selected operating mode, potentially giving the false impression that the HVAC air handling system is failing to operate in the selected operating mode.

[0011] Therefore, it is desirable to manufacture a fluid distribution gate having a discharge path through which a predictably controllable air discharge flow passes for distributing air discharge to vents in the passenger compartment according to a selected operating mode of the corresponding HVAC air handling system. Summary of the Invention

[0012] Consistent with and in accordance with this invention, an improved fluid distribution gate has been surprisingly discovered, which has an exhaust port for controlling air discharge.

[0013] In one embodiment, the fluid distribution gate of an air handling system for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems includes an air guide wall having a first main surface and a second main surface arranged opposite to it, an exhaust port protruding from the second main surface of the air guide wall, and an exhaust path formed through the fluid distribution gate. The exhaust path extends through the air guide wall and the exhaust port. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The above and other advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, particularly when considered with reference to the accompanying drawings described herein.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an HVAC air handling system with a fluid distribution gate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an HVAC air handling system; and

[0017] Figure 3yes Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of an HVAC air handling system. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following detailed description and accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings are intended to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

[0019] Figures 1 to 3 The illustration shows a fluid distribution gate 20 for use in an air handling system for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a vehicle (not shown), according to an embodiment of the invention. Air handling systems are also commonly referred to as HVAC systems. Air handling systems typically provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning for the passenger compartment (not shown) of a vehicle.

[0020] The air handling system includes a housing 14 for conveying airflow through the system. The housing 14 may include an inlet section (not shown), a regulating section (not shown), a mixing section 8, and a delivery section 9. The air supply may be provided, for example, from outside the vehicle, recirculated from the vehicle's passenger compartment, or a mixture of both. The regulating section may include heat exchangers, such as an evaporator core (not shown) and a heater core (not shown), for controlling the temperature and humidity of the air supply to be distributed to the vehicle's vents. Air leaving the regulating section flows into the mixing section 8, where it is mixed before being distributed to the vehicle's vents via the delivery section 9. The delivery section 9 may include multiple fluid conduits leading to various vents in the vehicle's passenger compartment. For example, a first duct may lead to one or more windshield defrost vents (not shown) and one or more side window defrost vents (not shown), a second duct may lead to one or more panel vents (not shown) and one or more console vents (not shown), and a third duct may lead to one or more front floor vents (not shown) and one or more rear floor vents (not shown). However, it should be understood that various other configurations of fluid ducts leading to various different vents of the air handling system may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the invention, the fluid distribution gate 20 includes a discharge port 30. The discharge port 30 is configured to direct air discharge encountering the fluid distribution gate 20 toward a desired fluid conduit for delivering air to a desired vent within the passenger compartment. The discharge port 30 is also configured to limit the amount of air discharge flowing toward a fluid conduit not intended to receive air discharge via the fluid distribution gate 20. Therefore, the discharge port 30 is configured to ensure that a larger distribution volume of air flowing through the discharge port 30 is delivered to the desired fluid conduit and the corresponding vent in the passenger compartment.

[0022] exist Figures 1 to 3 In the diagram, housing 14 is shown as a pair of lateral sections, each associated with a specific portion of the passenger compartment, such as the pilot's side or passenger side. The lateral sections are arranged symmetrically relative to each other and generally comprise the same structure; therefore, the fluid distribution gate 20 is described below with reference only to one of the lateral sections. It should be apparent that the advantageous features of the exhaust port 30 of the present invention can be applied to housing 14 divided into any number of different sections or compartments while remaining within the scope of the invention.

[0023] The fluid distribution gate 20 includes at least one axial portion 21 defining a rotation axis A of the fluid distribution gate 20, and an air guide wall 22 of the fluid distribution gate 20 is configured to rotate about the rotation axis A. The air guide wall 22 refers to a portion of the fluid distribution gate 20 that is adjustable relative to the housing 14 to control the airflow encountering the fluid distribution gate 20. The air guide wall 22 may be configured to adjust the flow cross-section through the housing 14 (including blocking flow paths through the housing 14), or the air guide wall 22 may be used to control the flow direction of air passing through the air guide wall 22.

[0024] However, the fluid distribution gate 20 is not limited to a configuration in which it is rotatably connected to the housing 14. For example, the fluid distribution gate 20 may alternatively be slidably connected to the housing 14, wherein the corresponding air guide wall 22 is configured to slide relative to the flow path through the housing 14 for adjusting the flow cross-section through the housing 14 or for guiding air through the air guide wall 22 in a particular direction.

[0025] It should also be apparent that, in addition to those described, the discharge port 30 of the present invention can be incorporated into alternative configurations of the fluid distribution gate 20 while remaining within the scope of the present invention, provided that the discharge port 30 maintains the same general relationship with respect to the structure of the fluid distribution gate 20 and the housing 14, as described below.

[0026] The air guide wall 22 with exhaust port 30 includes a first main surface 23 corresponding to the upstream arrangement side of the air guide wall 22 and a second main surface 24 corresponding to the downstream arrangement side of the air guide wall 22, wherein the thickness of the air guide wall 22 is measured between opposite portions of the main surfaces 23 and 24. In this example, the upstream arrangement of the first main surface 23 generally faces the mixing section 8 from which the exhaust gas originates, while the downstream arrangement of the second main surface 24 generally faces the delivery section 9, which has fluid conduits for delivering the exhaust air to the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In this example, the delivery section 9 includes each of a first fluid conduit 11 and a second fluid conduit 12, which are arranged downstream of the fluid distribution gate 20 and separated from each other by a partition wall 13, wherein it is assumed that the first fluid conduit 11 leads to a different vent in the passenger compartment than the second fluid conduit 12.

[0027] The discharge port 30 is configured as a fluid conduit or conduit projecting away from the second main surface 24 of the air guide wall 22, wherein the discharge port 30 is axially aligned with and extends away from the first opening 35 formed through the air guide wall 22. The discharge port 30 includes a circumferential wall 31 projecting away from the second main surface 24 in the axial direction of the discharge port 30, wherein the circumferential wall 31 defines a second opening 36. The discharge port 30 may be integrally formed with the air guide wall 22, meaning that the discharge port 30 and the air guide wall 22 may be integrally formed in a common manufacturing process, such as a suitable molding or casting process.

[0028] The discharge path 37 formed through the fluid distribution gate 20 correspondingly includes air discharge through a first opening 35 and a second opening 36, the first opening 35 being formed through the air guide wall 22 and the second opening 36 being formed through the discharge port 30, wherein the second opening 36 extends from the first opening 35. The first opening 35 extends axially from the first main surface 23 to the location where the discharge port 30 protrudes from the second main surface 24, and therefore, the first opening 35 includes an axial length equal to the thickness of the air guide wall 22 adjacent to and surrounding the discharge port 30. The second opening 36 includes an axial length equal to the distance between the distal end of the discharge port 30 and the location where the discharge port 30 protrudes away from the second main surface 24.

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the circumferential wall 31 is shown to have a hexagonal cross-sectional shape that is constant relative to the axial direction of the exhaust port 30. However, the circumferential wall 31 may include substantially any closed cross-sectional shape suitable for air exhaust through it, while remaining within the scope of the invention; as a non-limiting example, the circumferential wall 31 includes the use of a rectangular cross-section, an elliptical cross-section, or a combination thereof. The circumferential wall 31 is also not limited to including a constant cross-section extending only in a single axial direction, but may alternatively form a curved or arcuate path when projecting away from the second main surface 24, as needed.

[0030] The discharge path 37 formed through the fluid distribution gate 20 correspondingly includes a greater flow length than the first opening 35, which, when considered alone, includes a flow length equal to the thickness of the air guide wall 22 at the location of the discharge port 37. The inclusion of the discharge port 30 protruding from the second main surface 24 of the fluid distribution gate 20 correspondingly increases the flow length of the discharge path 37 through the fluid distribution gate 20 compared to the use of a through-hole extending between opposing main surfaces 23, 24. This increase in the flow length of the discharge path 37 causes the air exiting the discharge path 37 to flow more predisposedly in the longitudinal direction (in this case, axial direction) of the discharge path 37, defined by the extending direction of the discharge port 30. This allows for better control over the directionality of the air exiting the discharge path 37 at the distal end of the discharge port 30 compared to using a through-hole with a relatively short flow length equal to the thickness of the air guide wall 22.

[0031] The discharge port 30 may include an axial or longitudinal length equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the discharge path 37 within either the first opening 35 or the second opening 36. The discharge port 30 may include an axial or longitudinal length at least as large as the thickness of the air guide wall 22 at the location of the discharge path 37. The discharge port 30 may extend a distance from the second main surface 24 such that the discharge path 37, including each of the openings 35 and 36, includes a flow length greater than the flow length through the first opening 35 alone, and the total combined flow length including the discharge path 37 is a multiple of the flow length through the first opening 35, such as at least twice the length, at least three times the length, etc.

[0032] If a rotatable fluid distribution gate 20 is used, the discharge port 30 may protrude away from the second main surface 24 in a direction transverse to the rotation axis A of the fluid distribution gate 20, such as in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis A. However, if necessary, the discharge port 30 may protrude at least partially in the direction of the rotation axis A to impart a desired directionality to the air discharged from the discharge port 30. If a translational fluid distribution gate 20 is used, the discharge port 30 may protrude away from the second main surface 24 in a direction transverse to the sliding direction of the fluid distribution gate 20.

[0033] like Figure 2 As best illustrated, the extension of the discharge port 30 away from the second main surface 24 causes the air discharge through the discharge path 37 to flow primarily in the axial direction of the discharge port 30, ensuring that a larger proportion of the air discharge flows toward the first fluid conduit 11 rather than the second fluid conduit 12. In other words, the discharge port 30 biases the air discharge flow from the discharge path 37 exiting the fluid distribution gate 20 toward the first fluid conduit 11 rather than the second fluid conduit 12, thereby ensuring a larger percentage of the air discharge flows to the first fluid conduit 11 rather than the second fluid conduit 12, which in turn results in the same relationship at the associated vents in the passenger compartment. The distance between the end of the discharge path 37 and the inlet into the first fluid conduit 11 is also shortened compared to using a through-hole alone, which further ensures that air flows toward the more favorable one of the conduits 11 and 12.

[0034] The inclusion of the exhaust port 30 advantageously allows for improved control of air exhaust through the corresponding fluid distribution door 20, which in turn allows the air exhaust to be delivered to the passenger compartment according to the selected operating mode of the HVAC air handling system and the desired specifications of the selected operating mode.

[0035] Although certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure, which is further described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An HVAC air handling system, comprising: Housing, the housing comprising: Entrance, An adjustment section, located downstream of the inlet, A mixing section, located downstream of the regulating section, and A conveying section, located downstream of the mixing section, comprising: Fluid distribution gate, the fluid distribution gate comprising: An air guiding wall having a first main surface and a second main surface arranged opposite to it; An exhaust port, the exhaust port protruding from the second main surface of the air guide wall; and A discharge path is formed to pass through the fluid distribution gate, extends through the air guide wall and the discharge port, wherein the discharge path is continuously open and independent of the operation of the fluid distribution gate. The conveying section includes multiple fluid pipes. The plurality of fluid pipes includes a first fluid pipe and a second fluid pipe separated by a partition wall, and the fluid distribution gate is disposed within the first fluid pipe. The extension of the discharge port is configured to ensure that a larger volume of air is discharged toward the first fluid conduit rather than the second fluid conduit.

2. The HVAC air handling system of claim 1, wherein, The regulating section includes at least one of a heat exchanger, an evaporator, and a heater core.

3. The HVAC air handling system of claim 1, wherein, The first main surface of the fluid distribution gate is the upstream arrangement surface of the fluid distribution gate, and the second main surface is the downstream arrangement surface of the fluid distribution gate.

4. The HVAC air handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge path of the fluid distribution gate includes a first opening extending within the air guide wall between the first main surface and the second main surface, and a second opening extending within the discharge port.

5. The HVAC air handling system of claim 1, further comprising at least one shaft portion coupled to the housing to define a rotation axis, wherein, The air guide wall is configured to rotate about the axis of rotation.

6. The HVAC air handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The air guide wall of the fluid distribution gate is slidably connected to the housing.

Images