Air conditioning device for a vehicle

Abstract

Air conditioning device (1) which conditions air in a cabin for a vehicle, comprising: a housing (10) forming an air duct through which air flows; a blower fan (31) arranged inside the housing (10) to rotate about a fan axis (CL) to suck in air from one side in an axial direction and blow out air in a direction away from the fan axis (CL); and a heating device (50) arranged downstream of the blower fan (31) in a flow of air inside the housing (10) to heat air blown out by the blower fan (31), wherein the housing (10) comprises a fan housing section (40) in which the blower fan (31) is housed, and a system housing section (60) which is connected to the fan housing section (40) and in which the heating device (50) is housed, the fan housing section (40) has a channel section (46) on the outside of the blower fan (31) in a radial direction so as to form an outlet channel (45) through which the air blown by the blower fan (31) flows, the system housing section (60) has a warm air duct (65) that allows air blown by the blower fan (31) to flow to the heating device (50) and a bypass duct (66) that allows air blown by the blower fan (31) to bypass the heating device (50), the warm air duct (65) and the bypass duct (66) are arranged in a first direction which is perpendicular to the axial direction, a second direction is perpendicular to both the axial direction and the first direction, a blow-out width dimension of the channel section (46) in the second direction is greater than that of the heating device (50) in the second direction, the discharge width dimension of the duct section (46) in the second direction is smaller than a discharge height dimension of the duct section (46) in the first direction, the channel section (46) has an outer shape by connecting a pair of short sides (47) facing in the first direction and a pair of long sides (48) facing in the second direction, and the pair of long sides (48) is formed in a straight line extending in the first direction.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application is based on JP 2020-117 094 A filed on January 24, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0002] The present invention relates to an air conditioning device (air conditioning device) for a vehicle. background

[0003] In the prior art, there is an air conditioning device (air conditioner) for a vehicle provided with a casing forming an air duct and a centrifugal fan inside the casing (see, for example, JP 2018-079918 A). The outer shape of the centrifugal fan is formed in a circular shape, and the centrifugal fan of the air conditioning device is installed in the casing such that the axial direction of the centrifugal fan is substantially parallel to the air flow direction on the upstream side of the centrifugal fan. Prior art documentsPatent documents

[0004] Patent document 1: JP 2018-079 918 A Summary

[0005] The centrifugal blower has a structure in which the inner fan rotates to suck in air along the axis of the fan and expel the air outward in the axial direction perpendicular to the axis of the fan. Therefore, the length in the radial direction may be larger than the length in the axial direction. Furthermore, since an air duct through which the air blown by the centrifugal blower flows is required on the outer side of the centrifugal blower in the radial direction, the fan casing accommodating the centrifugal blower is larger than the outer diameter of the centrifugal blower. Therefore, in an air conditioning device for a vehicle in which a centrifugal blower and a heater are installed, the outer diameter of the fan casing may be larger than the height and width of the heater.

[0006] When a heater with a size smaller than the outer diameter of the fan casing is arranged downstream of the centrifugal fan, the air blown by the centrifugal fan spreads (widens) outward in the radial direction of the fan impeller. Then, a contraction flow results, which contracts (constricts) inward in the radial direction of the fan impeller toward the heater.

[0007] Generally, the opening shape of the fan casing is formed into a substantially perfect circle according to the outer diameter of the cylindrical centrifugal fan. However, for example, if the opening shape of the fan casing is elliptical, the air passage formed on the outside of the centrifugal fan in the radial direction is not constant over the entire circumference, and an expanding portion and a contracting portion are present. Therefore, in the air passage formed on the outside in the radial direction of the centrifugal fan, the air blown out by the centrifugal fan contracts as it flows from the expanding portion to the contracting portion in the air passage.When the air blown out of the centrifugal fan contracts, a pressure loss is generated, which is not preferable because the pressure loss causes noise and deterioration in the efficiency of the air conditioning device.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning device for a vehicle capable of avoiding or suppressing a pressure loss caused by a contraction in the air flow.

[0009] This object is achieved by an air conditioning device having the features of claim 1.

[0010] Accordingly, the air conditioning device is configured such that the discharge width of the duct portion in the second direction is smaller than the discharge height in the first direction. As a result, the air conditioning device can suppress the dispersion of the air blown by the blower fan in the second direction and suppress the contraction of the air in the second direction in the air duct from the blower fan to the heating device. Thus, the pressure loss caused by the contraction of the air can be suppressed (avoided).

[0011] Furthermore, since the blowout width dimension of the duct portion in the second direction is formed to be larger than the blowout height dimension of the duct portion in the first direction, the air blown out from the blower fan is likely to disperse (spread) in the first direction. As a result, the air can be properly distributed to both the warm air duct and the bypass duct arranged side by side in the first direction.

[0012] An alternative air conditioning device is shown in claim 6.

[0013] Accordingly, the air conditioning device is configured such that the blow-out width dimension of the duct section in the second direction is smaller than the blow-out height dimension of the duct section in the first direction. Furthermore, the air conditioning device is provided with a resistance section in the region that is smaller than the blow-out height dimension in the duct section.

[0014] As a result, in the air duct formed on the outside of the blower fan in the radial direction, the resistance portion suppresses air from flowing from the expanded portion of the air duct to the contracted portion of the air duct. Therefore, in the air conditioning device, it is possible to prevent air from contracting in the area smaller than the blowout height in the duct portion, and it is possible to avoid the pressure loss caused by air contraction.

[0015] Advantageous further training is the subject of dependent claims.

[0016] The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component or the like show a correspondence example between the components or the like and the specific components or the like described below in the embodiments. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is an explanatory view for explaining a position of an air conditioning device in a vehicle. Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of the air conditioning device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view along a line III-III in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining sizes of a fan housing portion and a plant housing portion according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an air flow in a first direction in an air conditioning device for a vehicle as a comparative example. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an air flow in a second direction in an air conditioning device for a vehicle as a comparative example. Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional view along a line VII-VII in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an air flow during a cooling operation in the air conditioning apparatus according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is an explanatory view showing an air flow in a second direction in the air conditioning apparatus of the first embodiment. Fig. 10 shows a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioning device for a vehicle according to a second embodiment. Fig. 11 shows a cross-sectional view along a line XI-XI in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an air flow in a circumferential direction of a blower impeller in the air conditioning device according to the second embodiment. Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an air flow in the circumferential direction of the blower fan in the air conditioning device according to the second embodiment. Description of the embodiments

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, portions that are the same as or equivalent to those described in previous embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the same or equivalent portions may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the components is described in the embodiment, the components described in the previous embodiment may be applied to other parts of the components. In the following embodiments, the embodiments may be partially combined with each other as long as no difficulty arises particularly in the combination, even if the combinations are not specifically explained. First embodiment

[0018] The present embodiment is described with reference to the Fig. 1 to 9. An air conditioning device (air conditioner) 1 for a vehicle of the present embodiment includes an interior air conditioning unit 2 and an air conditioning control device 80. The interior air conditioning unit 2 adjusts the temperature of the air in the cabin by blowing air that has been adjusted to a desired temperature into the cabin.

[0019] In the present embodiment, a Fig. 1 indicates the forward and backward direction when the air conditioning device 1 is installed in the vehicle. Fig. 1 shows the left and right direction (ie, the width direction of the vehicle) when the air conditioning device 1 is installed in the vehicle. Furthermore, an arrow DRw shown in Fig. 2 shows the vertical direction when the air conditioning device 1 is installed in the vehicle.

[0020] As this is Fig. As shown in Fig. 1, the interior air conditioning unit 2 is disposed inside the instrument panel 3 at the frontmost portion of the cabin. The interior air conditioning unit 2 adjusts the air blown from the air blowing portion 77 disposed on the surface of the instrument panel 3 to have a desired temperature.

[0021] The air blowing section 77 of the present embodiment includes a defrosting outlet 77a, a face outlet 77b and a foot outlet 77c.

[0022] The defrost outlet 77a is an outlet for blowing out air whose temperature has been adjusted by the interior air conditioning unit 2 to the windshield of the vehicle (not shown). The defrost outlet 77a is open on the surface of the instrument panel 3 near the windshield of the vehicle.

[0023] The face outlet 77b is an outlet for blowing air, whose temperature has been adjusted by the interior air conditioning unit 2, toward the upper body of an occupant sitting in a front seat in the cabin. The face outlet 77b is open on the surface of the instrument panel 3 at the rear of the defrost outlet 77a.

[0024] The foot outlet 77c is an outlet for blowing air, whose temperature has been adjusted by the interior air conditioning unit 2, to the lower body of an occupant sitting in the front seat of the cabin. The foot outlet 77c is open on the inside of the instrument panel 3.

[0025] As this is Fig. 2, the indoor air conditioning unit 2 includes a housing 10, an evaporator 21, a blower fan 31, a heater 50, and an air mixing door 67.

[0026] The housing 10 forms an air duct through which air supplied to the cabin flows. The housing 10 is formed in a hollow shape and is made of a material (for example, polypropylene) that has excellent strength and a certain degree of elasticity.

[0027] Furthermore, the housing 10 comprises an evaporator housing section (evaporator housing section) 20 in which the evaporator 21 is housed, a fan housing section (fan housing section) 40 in which the blower fan 31 is housed, and an equipment housing section (equipment housing section) 60 in which the heating device 50 is housed.

[0028] The casing 10 has an outside air introduction port 11 for introducing outside air from the outside of the cabin and an inside air introduction port 12 for introducing inside air from the inside of the cabin on the most upstream side in the air flow. The outside air introduction port 11 introduces outside air into the air duct inside the casing 10. The inside air introduction port 12 introduces inside air into the air duct inside the casing 10. The opening areas of the outside air introduction port 11 and the inside air introduction port 12 are continuously adjusted by an inside-outside air switching door (not shown). The inside-outside air switching door continuously changes the air volume ratio between the volume of inside air and the volume of outside air.

[0029] The air duct formed inside the casing 10 is separated by an inside-outside air partition wall (inside air / outside air separation wall) 13 into an outside air duct 16 through which the outside air flows and an inside air duct 17 in which the inside air flows. The upstream side of the outside air duct 16 is connected to the outside air inlet port 11. The upstream side of the inside air duct 17 is connected to the inside air inlet port 12. The inside-outside air partition wall 13 is arranged inside the casing 10. The outside air duct 16 is an upper air duct in the vertical direction DRud. The lower air duct in the vertical direction DRud is the inside air duct 17.

[0030] The indoor-outdoor air partition wall 13 extends in the horizontal direction and is formed into a flat plate that crosses the evaporator 21. As a result, the outside air introduced from the outside air introduction port 11 and the inside air introduced from the inside air introduction port 12 are drawn into the evaporator 21 in a separated state. The evaporator housing section 20, in which the evaporator 21 is housed, is formed downstream of the outside air introduction port 11 and the inside air introduction port 12 of the housing 10 in the air flow.

[0031] In the evaporator housing section 20, the evaporator 21 is housed inside the housing 10. The evaporator housing section 20 is formed in a hollow shape, and the cross-sectional shape is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The evaporator housing section 20 is provided with the inside-outside air partition walls 13 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the evaporator 21 in the air flow. The evaporator 21 is attached to the inner wall of the evaporator housing section 20.

[0032] The evaporator 21 cools the air passing through the evaporator 21 by evaporating the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing inside the evaporator 21. The evaporator 21 has an evaporator inflow surface 22 formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The evaporator inflow surface 22 extends over the entire area (entire surface) of the outside air duct 16 and the inside air duct 17 inside the evaporator housing section 20. Therefore, the outside air flowing on the upper side in the vertical direction DRud of the inside-outside air partition wall 13 passes through the upper portion of the evaporator 21. Furthermore, the inside air flowing on the lower side in the vertical direction DRud of the inside-outside air partition wall 13 passes through the lower portion of the evaporator 21.The evaporator 21 forms a vapor compression refrigeration cycle together with a compressor, a radiator, an expansion valve, and the like (not shown). The fan housing portion 40, in which the blower fan 31 is housed, is formed downstream of the evaporator housing portion 20 in the air flow.

[0033] The blower fan 31 is a centrifugal fan that draws air along the axial direction of the fan axis CL of the blower fan 31 and blows the drawn air outward in the radial direction of the blower fan 31 perpendicular to the axial direction. The fan axis CL of the present embodiment is arranged along the front-and-rear direction DRfr of the vehicle. The blower fan 31 has an impeller 32 having blades (not shown), and the impeller 32 rotates around the impeller axis CL to generate airflow in the air duct in the casing 10.

[0034] The impeller 32 has an air intake port 33 for intake of air at one side in the axial direction. In the present embodiment, the impeller 32 has the air intake port 33 for intake of air at the front of the vehicle in the front-and-rear direction DRfr. Furthermore, the impeller 32 has an air outlet 34 that expels the air intake from the air intake port 33 outward in the radial direction away from the fan axis CL. The impeller 32 has a substantially columnar shape, and the air intake port 33 has a substantially perfect circular shape.

[0035] The blower fan 31 is arranged such that the air intake port 33 faces the evaporator outlet surface 23 of the evaporator 21 at a predetermined distance. Furthermore, the blower fan 31 has an electric motor 35. The impeller 32 is rotatably connected to a motor shaft 36, which is connected to the electric motor 35. Furthermore, the blower fan 31 is provided with a motor flange 37 for attaching the electric motor 35 to the fan housing portion 40.

[0036] The fan housing portion 40 is connected to the evaporator housing portion 20 and is formed in a hollow shape. The fan housing portion 40 has a suction duct portion 41 that forms a suction duct through which the outside air and the inside air that have passed through the evaporator 21 flow in the air flow on the upstream side of the air intake port 33. Furthermore, the fan housing portion 40 has a duct portion 46 on the outside of the blower fan 31 in the radial direction to form an exhaust duct 45 through which the outside air and the inside air blown by the blower fan 31 flow.

[0037] The suction channel portion 41 is an air channel for flowing the air that has passed through the evaporator 21 to the air intake port 33 of the blower fan 31. The suction channel portion 41 is configured to converge to form a substantially perfect circle from the upstream side to the downstream side in the air flow. The suction channel portion 41 has a suction opening 42 on the most downstream side in the air flow and on the upstream side of the air intake port 33 in the air flow.

[0038] Furthermore, in the suction passage portion 41, a suction-side partition wall 13a is formed continuously with the inside-outside air partition wall 13 formed in the evaporator housing portion 20. The suction-side partition wall 13a separates the outside air passage 16 and the inside air passage 17 on the upstream side of the suction port 42 in the air flow. The suction-side partition wall 13a extends in the horizontal direction and is formed into a flat plate that crosses the suction port 42. As a result, the outside air and the inside air that have passed through the evaporator 21 are sucked into the blower fan 31 in a separated state.

[0039] The duct portion 46 is an air duct portion that forms an exhaust duct 45 through which the air blown by the blower fan 31 flows in the radial direction on the outside of the blower fan 31. The air blown out from the blower fan 31 is introduced into the exhaust duct 45 and flows to the heater 50 and to the bypass duct 66 located downstream in the air flow.

[0040] The outlet-side partition wall 13b is formed in the duct portion 46 to separate the outside air duct 16 and the inside air duct 17. The outlet-side partition wall 13b extends in the horizontal direction and is formed into a flat plate that crosses the duct portion 46. As a result, the blower fan 31 can blow out the outside air flowing through the outside air duct 16 and the inside air flowing through the inside air duct 17 in a separate state. The outlet-side partition wall 13b is fixed to the inner wall surface of the fan housing portion 40 and the unit housing portion 60 on the downstream side of the impeller 32 of the blower fan 31 in the air flow. The details of the shape of the duct portion 46 will be described below.

[0041] The equipment housing portion 60 is formed in a hollow shape and is connected to the fan housing portion 40. The equipment housing portion 60 forms an air passage for flowing the air blown by the blower fan 31 to the heater 50 and to the bypass passage 66. The equipment housing portion 60 is formed to contract in a rectangular shape from the upstream side to the downstream side in the air flow.

[0042] The equipment housing section 60 is provided with the outlet-side partition wall 13b on the upstream side and the downstream side of the heating device 50 in the air flow. The heating device 50 and the bypass passage 66 are configured in a state where the outside air and the inside air blown out by the blower fan 31 can pass through in the separated state. The equipment housing section 60 forms the outside air passage 16 on the upper side of the outlet-side partition wall 13b in the vertical direction DRud and the inside air passage 17 on the lower side of the outlet-side partition wall 13b in the vertical direction DRud. The outlet-side partition wall 13b formed in the equipment housing section 60 is arranged at the same position in the vertical direction DRud as the suction-side partition wall 13a formed in the evaporator housing section 20.

[0043] Furthermore, the system housing section 60 includes a warm air duct 65 that allows the air blown by the blower fan 31 to flow to the heating device 50, and a bypass duct 66 that bypasses the heating device 50 for the air blown by the blower fan 31. The warm air duct 65 and the bypass duct 66 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0044] More precisely, how this is done in Fig. As shown in Fig. 2, inside the equipment housing section 60 of the present embodiment, a first warm air duct 65a is formed on the upper side of the outlet-side partition wall 13b in the vertical direction, and a second warm air duct 65b is formed on the lower side of the outlet-side partition wall 13b in the vertical direction. The outside air blown out by the blower fan 31 flows to the upper portion of the heating device 50 through the first warm air duct 65a. The inside air blown out by the blower fan 31 flows to the lower portion of the heating device 50 through the second warm air duct 65b.

[0045] Furthermore, a first bypass passage 66a is formed on the upper side of the first warm air passage 65a in the vertical direction DRud, and a second bypass passage 66b is arranged on the lower side of the second warm air passage 65b in the vertical direction DRud, inside the equipment housing section 60. The outside air blown out from the blower fan 31 bypasses the heating device 50 through the first bypass passage 66a. The inside air blown out from the blower fan 31 bypasses the heating device 50 through the second bypass passage 66b. That is, inside the equipment housing section 60, the first bypass channel 66a is formed alongside the first warm air channel 65a on the upper side of the heating device 50 in the vertical direction DRud, and the second bypass channel 66b is formed alongside the warm air channel 65b on the lower side of the heating device 50 in the vertical direction DRud.

[0046] Inside the plant housing section 60, the first warm air duct 65a and the first bypass duct 66a and also the second warm air duct 65b and the second bypass duct 66b are arranged side by side in the vertical direction DRud which is perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0047] Furthermore, the equipment housing section 60 is provided with a first air mixing door 67a for adjusting the amount of air flowing through the first warm air duct 65a and the first bypass duct 66a on the upstream side of the heating device 50 in the air flow. Furthermore, the equipment housing section 60 is provided with a second air mixing door 67b for adjusting the amount of air flowing through the second warm air duct 65b and the second bypass duct 66b on the upstream side of the heating device 50 in the air flow. The heating device 50 is arranged at substantially the center of the equipment housing section 60 in the vertical direction DRud. The details of the shape of the equipment housing section 60 will be described below.

[0048] The first air mixing door 67a is a temperature control unit configured to adjust the temperature of the air blown into the cabin by adjusting the volume ratio of the air flowing into the heating device 50 and the air flowing through the first bypass passage 66a that bypasses the heating device 50. The second air mixing door 67b is a temperature control unit configured to adjust the temperature of the air blown into the cabin by adjusting the volume ratio of the air flowing into the heating device 50 and the air flowing through the second bypass passage 66b that bypasses the heating device 50.

[0049] The first air mixing door 67a and the second air mixing door 67b of the present embodiment are composed of sliding doors that slide in a direction intersecting the horizontal direction. The first air mixing door 67a and the second air mixing door 67b are capable of being driven independently of each other by an output from an actuator (not shown). The first air mixing door 67a and the second air mixing door 67b may be composed of a revolving door that rotates around a rotation axis.

[0050] The heating device 50 is a heating heat exchanger arranged on the downstream side of the blower fan 31 in the air flow to heat the air flowing through the outside air duct 16 and the inside air duct 17. The heating device 50 heats the outside air and the inside air passing through the heating device 50 by heat exchange between the cooling water for cooling the internal combustion engine (not shown) and the air blown by the blower fan 31. The heating device 50 of the present embodiment is arranged inside the equipment housing section 60 across a portion of the outside air duct 16 and the inside air duct 17. The heating device 50 is attached to the inner wall of the equipment housing section 60 in the left-right direction DRw. The details of the shape of the heating device 50 will be described below.

[0051] The outside air mixing unit 71 and the inside air mixing unit 72 are arranged downstream of the heating device 50 in the air flow. The outside air passing through the first bypass duct 66a and the outside air passing through the heating device 50 are mixed in the outside air mixing unit 71. The inside air passing through the second bypass duct 66b and the inside air passing through the heating device 50 are mixed in the inside air mixing unit 72.

[0052] The outdoor air mixing unit 71 and the indoor air mixing unit 72 communicate with each other through a vertical communication duct 73 installed between the outdoor air mixing unit 71 and the indoor air mixing unit 72. Furthermore, a vertical communication door 74 for opening and closing the vertical communication duct 73 is disposed in the vertical communication duct 73. The vertical communication door 74 is driven by an output (an output signal) from an actuator (not shown).

[0053] The outside air introduced from the outside air introduction port 11 is introduced to the indoor air mixing unit 72 by opening the vertical communication door 74. Furthermore, the inside air introduced from the inside air introduction port 12 is introduced into the outside air mixing unit 71 by opening the vertical communication door 74. Openings for blowing out the temperature-controlled air from the casing 10 into the cabin are formed downstream of the outside air mixing unit 71 and the indoor air mixing unit 72 in the air flow.

[0054] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, a defrosting opening 76a and a face opening 76b are formed downstream of the outside air mixing unit 71. A foot opening 76c is formed downstream of the inside air mixing unit 72. That is, the defrosting opening 76a and the face opening 76b are formed on the upper side of the foot opening 76c in the vertical direction DRud.

[0055] Furthermore, a mode switching door 75 is arranged upstream of each of the openings 76a, 76b, and 76c in the airflow to open and close each opening to change the air blowing mode. Specifically, the mode switching door 75 includes a defrosting switching door 75a, a face switching door 75b, and a foot switching door 75c, which are arranged upstream of the defrosting opening 76a, the face opening 76b, and the foot opening 76c in the airflow, respectively.

[0056] The thawing opening 76a communicates with the thawing outlet 77a via a channel (not shown). The face opening 76b communicates with the face outlet 77b via a channel (not shown). The foot opening 76c communicates with the foot outlet 77c.

[0057] The defrosting opening 76a and the face opening 76b are capable of communicating with the outside air duct 16 through the vertical communication door 74 on the downstream side of the housing 10. On the downstream side of the housing 10, the foot opening 76c is capable of communicating with the inside air duct 17 through the vertical communication door 74.

[0058] Therefore, when the vertical communication door 74 completely closes the vertical communication duct 73, the outside air flowing through the outside air duct 16 is introduced into the cabin through the defrosting port 76a and the face port 76b. When the vertical communication door 74 completely closes the vertical communication duct 73, the inside air flowing through the inside air duct 17 is introduced into the cabin through the foot port 76c. When the vertical communication door 74 completely opens the vertical communication duct 73, the outside air and the inside air mixed by the outside air mixing unit 71 and the inside air mixing unit 72 are introduced into the cabin through the defrosting port 76a, the face port 76b, and the foot port 76c.

[0059] The air conditioning control device 80 is described below. The air conditioning control device 80 has a well-known microcomputer including a processor, a memory, and the like, and its peripheral circuits. The air conditioning control device 80 performs various calculations and processes based on control programs stored in the memory, and controls the operation of the various devices connected to the air conditioning control device 80. The memory is a non-volatile, tangible storage medium.

[0060] Various sensors (not shown) for controlling air conditioning (air conditioning), such as an inside air sensor, an outside air sensor, a solar radiation sensor, an evaporator temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air blown from the evaporator 21, and a cabin temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the cabin, are connected to the input side of the air conditioning controller 80.

[0061] Furthermore, an air conditioning operation panel (not shown) is connected to the input side of the air conditioning controller 80. Operation signals from various operation switches of the air conditioning operation panel are input to the air conditioning controller 80. The air conditioning operation panel is arranged near the instrument panel 3. The various operation switches may include an operation switch of the air conditioning device 1, an air suction mode switching switch, and a temperature setting switch for setting a target temperature in the cabin.

[0062] The air conditioning control device 80 integrally comprises software and hardware, such as an air conditioning control device connected to its output side for controlling various control devices. Some of the control devices connected to the output side of the air conditioning control device 80 may be configured as a separate control device.

[0063] Hereinafter, the details of each shape of the channel portion 46, the plant housing portion 60 and the heating device 50 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. In the present embodiment, the warm air duct 65 and the bypass duct 66 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction DRud of the vehicle. Hereinafter, the arrangement direction of the warm air duct 65 and the bypass duct 66 will be referred to as a first direction. Further, the left-right direction DRw of the vehicle, which is perpendicular to both the first direction and the axial direction, will be referred to as a second direction.

[0064] As this is Fig. 3, the duct portion 46 of the present embodiment has an outer shape configured by joining a pair of short blowout side portions 47 as a pair of short sides facing each other in the first direction and a pair of long blowout side portions 48 as a pair of long sides facing each other in the second direction. More specifically, in the duct portion 46, the pair of short blowout side portions 47 facing in the first direction are formed in an arc shape, and the pair of long blowout side portions 48 facing in the second direction are formed in a straight line. The duct portion 46 has a blowout width dimension W1, which is the size of the duct portion 46 in the second direction. The blowout width dimension W1 is smaller than a blowout height dimension H1, which is the size of the duct portion 46 in the first direction.

[0065] In the duct portion 46, the short blow-out side portion 47 may be formed in a straight line, and the long blow-out side portion 48 may be formed in an arc shape. Alternatively, in the duct portion 46, both the short blow-out side portion 47 and the long blow-out side portion 48 may be formed in a straight line. Furthermore, in the duct portion 46, both the short blow-out side portion 47 and the long blow-out side portion 48 may be formed in an arc shape.

[0066] As this is the case in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the equipment housing portion 60—downstream of the heating device 50 in the air flow—has an opening shape constructed by combining a pair of first device-side portions 61 facing in the second direction and a pair of second device-side portions 62 facing in the first direction. Furthermore, in the equipment housing portion 60, the first device-side portion 61 and the second device-side portion 62 are formed to have substantially the same size.

[0067] As this is the case in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the heater 50 has a heater inflow surface 51 to which air flows, and the heater inflow surface 51 has a substantially rectangular shape. The heater inflow surface 51 is formed by a combination of a pair of long heater side portions 53 facing each other in the first direction and a pair of short heater side portions 52 facing each other in the second direction. The heater 50 has a heater width dimension W2, which is the size of the heater 50 in the second direction. The heater width dimension W2 is larger than a heater height dimension H2, which is the size of the heater 50 in the first direction.More specifically, the heater 50 is configured such that the short heater side portion 52 is smaller than the long heater side portion 53.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the channel section 46 is formed such that the blow-out width dimension W1 is greater than the heater width dimension W2, and the blow-out height dimension H1 is greater than the heater height dimension H2.

[0069] The operation of the air conditioning device 1 is described below with reference to the Fig. 5 to 9. First, to explain the operation of the air conditioning device 1, operations of a vehicle air conditioning device, which is a comparative example to the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment, are described with reference to Fig. 5 to 7. The Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are explanatory views for explaining how the air flows in the first direction and the second direction of the vehicle in the comparative example.

[0070] In the comparative example, a blow-out width dimension W3 corresponding to the duct section 46 of the present embodiment is larger than the blow-out width dimension W1 of the duct section 46. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, in the comparative example, the discharge width dimension W3 and the discharge height dimension H3 are formed to have the same size in the duct portion 46, which corresponds to the duct portion 46 of the present embodiment. The air conditioning device 1 of the comparative example has the same remaining structure as the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment.

[0071] The air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment and the air conditioning device 1 of the comparative example control the inside-outside air switching door and the vertical communication door 74 to change the air introduction mode in the inside air conditioning unit 2 to the outside air mode, the inside air mode, or the inside-outside air dual-layer mode.

[0072] The outside air mode is an air intake mode in which the outside air introduced from the outside air introduction port 11 is blown out into the cabin. In the outside air mode, the air conditioning controller 80 controls the inside-outside air switching door so that the inside air introduction port 12 is completely closed and the vertical communication door 74 is set to a position where the vertical communication duct 73 allows communication.

[0073] The inside air mode is an air intake mode in which the inside air introduced from the inside air introduction port 12 is blown out into the cabin. In the inside air mode, the air conditioning controller 80 controls the inside-outside air switching door so that the outside air introduction port 11 is completely closed and the vertical communication door 74 is set to a position where the vertical communication duct 73 allows communication.

[0074] In the inside-outside air dual-layer mode, the outside air, which has a lower relative humidity than the inside air, is blown out to the windshield on the inside of the vehicle to prevent fogging, and the inside air, which has a higher relative humidity than the outside air, is circulated inside the vehicle for heating. The inside-outside air dual-layer mode is an air intake mode that can improve heating efficiency. In the inside-outside air dual-layer mode, the air conditioning controller 80 controls the inside-outside air switching door so that the outside air introduction port 11 and the inside air introduction port 12 are open, and controls the vertical communication door 74 so that the vertical communication channel 73 is completely closed.

[0075] In the indoor-outdoor air dual-layer mode, when the blower fan 31 is driven to rotate, the indoor air conditioning unit 2 introduces outside air from the outside air introduction port 11 into the outside air duct 16 and introduces inside air from the inside air introduction port 12 into the inside air duct 17.

[0076] The outside air flowing through the outside air duct 16 is cooled and dehumidified as it passes through the upper portion of the evaporator 21. Then, the outside air that has passed through the upper portion of the evaporator 21 is heated by the upper portion of the heater 50, and is blown out to the windshield on the front surface of the cabin through the defrosting port 76a disposed on the upper side of the case 10.

[0077] The indoor air flowing through the indoor air duct 17 is cooled and dehumidified as it passes through the lower portion of the evaporator 21. Then, the indoor air that has passed through the lower portion of the evaporator 21 is heated by the lower portion of the heater 50 and blown toward the occupant's lower body through the foot opening 76c located on the lower side of the case 10. This allows the cabin to be heated while preventing fogging of the windows.

[0078] Fig. 5 shows the air flow in the cabinet 10 when the air conditioner 1 of the comparative example operates in the indoor-outdoor air dual-layer mode. For example, in the indoor-outdoor air dual-layer mode, the air conditioner controller 80 controls the first air mixing door 67a to fully close the first bypass passage 66a and the second air mixing door 67b to fully close the second bypass passage 66b. Furthermore, the air conditioner controller 80 controls the defrost switching door 75a to open the defrost opening 76a and the foot switching door 75c to open the foot opening 76c.

[0079] As this is Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the outside air and the inside air introduced into the housing 10 by the rotating drive of the blower fan 31 flow into the evaporator 21 through the outside air duct 16 and the inside air duct 17 and are cooled. Then, the outside air and the inside air that have passed through the evaporator 21 are sucked into the air intake port 33 of the blower fan 31 through the suction duct portion 41, as indicated by the arrow FL1 in Figure 5. Fig. 5. The outside air and the inside air sucked in from the air intake port 33 are blown out from the air outlet 34 to the exhaust duct 45 on the outside in the radial direction.

[0080] The air blown into the outlet duct 45 is blown out so that it spreads outwards in the radial direction as shown by the arrows FL2 in Fig. 5 and FL3 in Fig. 6. At this time, the air collides with the inner wall of the fan housing portion 40 to flow toward the rear of the vehicle in the front-and-rear direction DRfr. When the first air mixing door 67a is located at a position where the first bypass passage 66a is completely closed and the second air mixing door 67b completely closes the second bypass passage 66b, all the air colliding with the inner wall of the fan housing portion 40 flows toward the heating device 50.

[0081] Here, in the channel section 46 of the comparative example, the blow-out width dimension W3 in the second direction is larger than the heater width dimension W2 in the second direction of the heater 50. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, the air flowing in the second direction of the duct portion 46 contracts inward in the radial direction and flows to the heating device 50. The air blown out from the blower fan 31 contracts to generate a pressure loss, which causes noise and deterioration of the efficiency of the air conditioning device.

[0082] Then, the outside air introduced into the heating device 50 is heated by the heating device 50 and blown out from the defrosting port 76a via the outside air mixing unit 71 on the downstream side. Furthermore, the inside air introduced into the heating device 50 is heated by the heating device 50 and blown out from the foot port 76c via the inside air mixing unit 72 on the downstream side.

[0083] When the air conditioning device 1 is used at the maximum capacity of the cooling operation, the air conditioning controller 80 controls the first air mixing door 67a so that the first bypass passage 66a is fully open. Furthermore, the air conditioning controller 80 controls the second air mixing door 67b so that the second bypass passage 66b is fully open.

[0084] In this case, the air blown out to the duct portion 46 is blown out so as to spread outward in the radial direction as shown by the arrow FL4 in Fig. 8, and all the air is directed to the bypass duct 66. Since the bypass duct 66 is arranged on the outside relative to the arrangement position of the heating device 50 in the radial direction, the air flowing from the blower fan 31 to the bypass duct 66 is unlikely to contract. Therefore, the pressure loss caused by the contraction in the air blown out in the first direction of the duct portion 46 is small compared to the case where the first bypass duct 66a and the second bypass duct 66b are completely closed while operating at the maximum capacity of the heating operation.

[0085] The difference in air flow between the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment and the comparative example will be described below with reference to the Fig. 6 and Fig. 9 described.

[0086] In the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment, the air blown from the air outlet 34 to the duct portion 46 is blown out so as to spread outward in the radial direction, as shown in FIG. 5 in Fig. 9. Thereafter, the air collides with the inner wall of the fan housing section 40 and flows to the heating device 50.

[0087] Similar to the comparative example, the channel section 46 of the present embodiment is formed such that the blow-out width dimension W1 in the second direction is larger than the heater width dimension W2 in the second direction of the heater 50. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9, the air flowing in the second direction of the channel portion 46 flows inward in the radial direction and flows to the heating device 50.

[0088] Here, the duct portion 46 of the present embodiment is configured such that the blow-out width W1 is smaller than the blow-out width W3 of the comparative example. Therefore, compared to the comparative example, the air flowing from the second direction of the duct portion 46 to the heating device 50 is prevented from spreading outward in the radial direction.

[0089] As a result, according to the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the contraction of the air passage from the blower fan 31 to the heater 50 in the second direction compared to the case where the blowout width and blowout height of the duct portion 46 are the same size. That is, the air conditioning device 1 can avoid the pressure loss due to contraction compared to the case where the blowout width and blowout height of the duct portion 46 are the same size.

[0090] Furthermore, in the duct portion 46 of the present embodiment, the blowout height dimension H1 is formed to be larger than the blowout width dimension W1. Therefore, the air blown out from the blower fan 31 tends to spread in the first direction. As a result, the air can be properly distributed to both the warm air duct 65 and the first bypass duct 66a and the second bypass duct 66b. This is suitable for the air conditioning device 1 requiring a suitable air temperature control function.

[0091] Furthermore, the duct section 46 has a larger discharge height dimension H1 than the discharge width dimension W1, ensuring that the first bypass duct 66a and the second bypass duct 66b are sufficiently large for the passage of cooled air. Therefore, the air conditioning device 1 is designed so that the pressure loss in the air duct from the blower fan 31 to the heating device 50 in the first direction does not increase, while the pressure loss in the air duct from the blower fan 31 to the heating device 50 in the second direction is suppressed.

[0092] Furthermore, the duct portion 46 of the present embodiment has an outer shape constructed by joining the pair of arcuate (curved) short blow-out side portions 47 facing in the first direction and the pair of linear (linear) long blow-out side portions 48 facing in the second direction. As a result, the air flowing from the second direction of the duct portion 46 to the heater 50 is prevented from expanding (expanding) outward in the radial direction, compared to the case where the pair of long blow-out side portions 48 facing in the second direction are formed in an arc shape.That is, the duct portion 46 can suppress the contraction and pressure loss due to the contraction in the air duct from the blower fan 31 to the heater 50 in the second direction, compared with the case where the pair of long blow-out side portions 48 facing the second direction are formed in an arc shape. Modification of the first embodiment

[0093] In the first embodiment, the outer shape of the duct portion 46 is formed by connecting the pair of short blow-out side portions 47 facing the first direction and the pair of long blow-out side portions 48 facing the second direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0094] The outer shape of the channel section 46 may be formed, for example, from a polygonal shape, an elliptical shape, or various other shapes. Second embodiment

[0095] A second embodiment is described below with reference to the Fig. 10 to 13. In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10 and in Fig. 11, unlike the first embodiment, a resistance portion 90 is provided in the exhaust duct 45 to prevent the air from flowing in the circumferential direction of the blower fan 31 in a region where the size of the duct portion 46 is smaller than the blowout height dimension. In the present embodiment, the different part from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the description of the portions similar to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0096] In the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment, the blower fan 31 is composed, for example, of a turbo fan, which is a type of centrifugal fan. The blower fan 31 includes, for example, the impeller 32, which rotates clockwise with respect to the axial direction so that the air blown out from the air outlet 34 can rotate in the same direction in which the impeller 32 rotates. Therefore, the air blown out from the blower fan 31 includes not only the velocity component in the radial direction but also the velocity component in the rotational direction. Therefore, the air blown out to the duct portion 46 flows along the rotational direction of the fan, as shown in FIG. 6. Fig. 12 and based on FL7 in Fig. 13 is shown.

[0097] The duct portion 46 of the present embodiment, formed on the outer side of the blower impeller 31 in the radial direction, continuously includes the pair of curved (arched) short discharge side portions 47 facing in the first direction and the pair of linear (rectilinear) long discharge side portions 48 facing in the second direction. Furthermore, the duct portion 46 is formed such that the discharge width dimension W1 is smaller than the discharge height dimension H1. Therefore, the cross section of the discharge duct 45 is largest when passing through the region with the maximum discharge height dimension. The cross section of the discharge duct 45 is smallest when passing through the region with the minimum discharge width dimension and the region where the distance between the long discharge side portion 48 and the impeller axis CL is smallest.

[0098] Therefore, as stated in Fig. 13, the air blown out from the blower fan 31 will contract (contract) as the cross section of the exhaust duct 45 becomes smaller. As shown in the first embodiment described above, this contraction is not preferable because the contraction causes a pressure loss.

[0099] Therefore, in the air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in the Fig. 10 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 11, the resistance portion 90, which suppresses the flow of air in the rotational direction of the blower fan 31, is added in the exhaust duct 45. The resistance portion 90 is an air resistance element that facilitates the air blown out from the air outlet 34 to flow in the axial direction by suppressing the air from flowing in the rotational direction of the blower fan 31.

[0100] The resistance portion 90 is made of, for example, the same material as the outlet-side partition wall 13b and is integrally formed with the outlet-side partition wall 13b. The resistance portion 90 is disposed in a region where the size of the duct portion 46 is smaller than the blowout height dimension. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the resistance portion 90 is formed on the outlet-side partition wall 13b to have a flat plate shape extending inward from the duct portion 46 from a portion where the distance between the duct portion 46 and the impeller axis CL is minimum. Further, the resistance portion 90 includes a first resistance portion 90a installed on one side in the second direction and a second resistance portion 90b installed on the other side in the second direction.

[0101] As this is Fig.As shown in Figure 11, the first resistance portion 90a and the second resistance portion 90b are arranged at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction to suppress the flow of air in the rotation direction. The resistance portion 90 may be formed separately from the housing 10 and may be attached (fixed) to the housing 10.

[0102] The predetermined angle θ is set to 45°, for example. The predetermined angle θ is set within a range greater than 0° and less than 90°, so that it does not overlap with the inside-outside air partition wall 13 and the long blow-out side portion 48.

[0103] When the air flows through the exhaust duct 45 in the circumferential direction of the blower fan 31, when flowing through the region where the distance between the duct portion 46 and the fan axis CL is maximum, the air flows to a position where the distance between the duct portion 46 and the fan axis CL is minimum. In the present embodiment, the first resistance portion 90a and the second resistance portion 90b are arranged at the position where the distance between the duct portion 46 and the fan axis CL is minimum. Therefore, the air flowing to the position where the distance between the duct portion 46 and the fan axis CL is minimum is prevented from flowing to the contracting portion of the exhaust duct 45.Therefore, the air blown out from the blower fan 31 includes not only the velocity component in the rotational direction but also the velocity component in the radial direction. Therefore, the air blown out from the blower fan 31 is prevented from flowing in the rotational direction, facilitating flow in the radial direction.

[0104] That is, according to the air conditioning device 1, it is possible to avoid the contraction and the pressure loss caused by the contraction in a range smaller than the blow-out height by preventing the air from flowing from the expanding portion to the contracting portion of the exhaust duct 45 by the resistance portion 90. Modification of the second embodiment

[0105] In the second embodiment, the resistance section 90 is arranged on the outlet-side partition wall 13b, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the resistance section 90 may be arranged on the inner wall of the channel section 46, while the size of the channel section 46 is smaller than the blowout height in the outlet channel 45.

[0106] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the discharge width W1 of the duct section 46 is larger than the heater width W2, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the discharge width W1 of the duct section 46 may be smaller than the heater width W2.

[0107] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the resistance portion 90 is arranged on one side and the other side of the outlet-side partition wall 13b, respectively, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the resistance portion 90 may be arranged on either one side or the other side of the outlet-side partition wall 13b. Furthermore, two or more resistance portions 90 may be arranged on the outlet-side partition wall 13b and the channel portion 46. Further examples

[0108] The representative embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be variously modified as follows.

[0109] In the embodiment, the air conditioning device 1 controls the indoor-outdoor air switching door and the vertical communication door 74 so that the air intake mode can be set to any one of the outdoor air mode, the indoor air mode, and the indoor-outdoor air dual-layer mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0110] For example, the air conditioning device 1 does not need to have the indoor-outdoor air dual-layer mode for the air intake mode and may be set to only either the outdoor air mode or the indoor air mode.

[0111] Furthermore, in the embodiments, the bypass duct 66 has the first bypass duct 66a and the second bypass duct 66b on one side and the other side in the vertical direction DRud of the warm air duct 65, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0112] For example, the bypass duct 66 consists of a bypass duct and can be arranged on any side of the warm air duct 65 in the vertical direction DRud.

[0113] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the first direction is the vertical direction DRud of the vehicle and the second direction is the width direction DRw of the vehicle, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0114] For example, the first direction may be different from the vertical direction DRud of the vehicle, and the second direction may be different from the width direction DRw of the vehicle. overview

[0115] According to a first aspect shown in part or all of the embodiments, an air conditioning device comprises the features of claim 1.

[0116] Accordingly, the air flowing from the duct portion to the heater in the second direction can be prevented from spreading outward in the radial direction, compared to the case where the pair of long blow-out side portions facing in the second direction are formed in an arc shape. That is, the duct portion prevents the air in the air duct from the blower fan to the heater from contracting in the second direction, compared to the case where the pair of long blow-out side portions facing in the second direction are formed in an arc shape. Thus, the pressure loss due to the contraction can be avoided.

[0117] According to a second aspect, the equipment housing section includes an air mixing door for adjusting the amount of air flowing through the heating device and the bypass passage on the upstream side of the heating device in the air flow. Furthermore, in the equipment housing section, a first bypass passage is formed on one side of the heating device in the first direction, and a second bypass passage is formed on the other side of the heating device in the first direction.

[0118] Accordingly, the first bypass duct and the second bypass duct can easily ensure an air duct with a sufficient size for the passage of cooled air. Furthermore, the pressure loss in the air duct from the blower fan to the heating device in the second direction can be avoided without increasing the pressure loss in the air duct from the blower fan to the heating device in the first direction.

[0119] According to a third aspect, when the air conditioning device is installed in the vehicle, the first direction of the duct section is the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the second direction is the width direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the housing has an inside-outside air partition wall for defining an outside air duct for circulating outside air introduced from the outside of the cabin at an upper side inside the housing and an inside air duct for circulating inside air introduced from the cabin at the lower side inside the housing.

[0120] Accordingly, when the air conditioner operates in the indoor-outdoor air dual-layer mode, the outside air, which has a lower relative humidity than the indoor air, is blown out toward the windshield inside the cabin to prevent fogging, and it is possible to improve the heating efficiency by circulating the indoor air with a higher relative humidity than the outside air in the cabin. Furthermore, since the cabinet has the outside air duct on the upper side in the vertical direction and the inside air duct on the lower side in the vertical direction, it is easy to guide the outside air to the defrosting vent located on the upper side of the cabinet, and the inside air is easily sucked to the foot vent located on the lower side of the cabinet.

[0121] According to a fourth aspect, the discharge duct is provided with a resistance portion for preventing the air flow in the circumferential direction of the blower impeller in a region where the size of the duct portion is smaller than the discharge height dimension.

[0122] Accordingly, the air flowing through the exhaust duct in the circumferential direction of the blower fan is facilitated to flow to the downstream side in the axial direction by preventing the air from flowing in the rotational direction at the downstream side of the resistance portion. That is, the resistance portion suppresses the flow of air to the downstream area, thereby suppressing the contraction of the air in the area smaller than the discharge height, and thereby suppressing the pressure loss.

[0123] According to a fifth aspect, the resistance section is arranged above the area where the distance between the duct section and the fan wheel axis is minimal.

[0124] The air blown by the blower fan has the greatest pressure loss when the cross-section of the exhaust duct is smallest. Therefore, in the air conditioner, the pressure loss caused by contraction is minimized by disposing the resistance section over the area where the cross-section of the exhaust duct is minimal, compared to the case where the resistance section is arranged at any other position.

[0125] According to a sixth aspect, the air conditioning device comprises the features of claim 6.

[0126] According to a seventh aspect, the resistance portion is disposed over the region where the distance between the duct portion and the fan axis is minimal. Accordingly, the air blown by the blower fan has the greatest pressure loss when the cross section of the exhaust duct is smallest. For this reason, in the air conditioning device, the pressure loss caused by air contraction can be suppressed by disposing the resistance portion over the region where the cross section of the exhaust duct is minimal, compared to a case where the resistance portion is disposed at a different position.

[0127] According to an eighth aspect, the duct portion has an outlet-side partition wall for separating the outside air duct that circulates the outside air introduced from the outside of the cabin and the inside air duct that circulates the inside air introduced from the cabin. Furthermore, the resistance portion is configured to be connected to the outlet-side partition wall.

[0128] Accordingly, the outside air, which has a lower relative humidity than the inside air, is blown out to the windshield in the cabin to prevent fogging, and the inside air, which has a higher relative humidity than the outside air, circulates inside the cabin to improve the heating efficiency.

[0129] According to a ninth aspect, the duct portion is arranged such that the second direction is the width direction of the vehicle when the air conditioning device is installed in the vehicle. Furthermore, the outlet-side partition wall is formed to extend in the width direction so as to cross the duct portion.

[0130] Accordingly, when the air conditioner operates in the inside-outside air dual-layer mode, the outside air, which has a lower relative humidity than the inside air, is blown out toward the windshield inside the cabin to prevent fogging, and it is possible to improve the heating efficiency by circulating the inside air, which has a higher relative humidity than the outside air, in the cabin. Furthermore, since the outside air duct is formed on the upper side of the duct portion in the vertical direction and the inside air duct is formed on the lower side of the duct portion in the vertical direction, the outside air is guided to the defrosting vent located on the upper side of the case, and the inside air can be guided to the foot vent located on the lower side of the case.

Claims

An air conditioning device (1) that conditions air in a cabin for a vehicle, comprising:a housing (10) forming an air duct through which air flows;a blower impeller (31) disposed inside the housing (10) to rotate about a fan impeller axis (CL) to suck in air from one side in an axial direction and blow out air in a direction away from the fan impeller axis (CL); and a heating device (50) arranged downstream of the blower fan (31) in a flow of air inside the housing (10) to heat air blown out by the blower fan (31), wherein the housing (10) comprises a fan housing section (40) in which the blower fan (31) is housed, and an abutment housing section (60) connected to the fan housing section (40) and in which the heating device (50) is housed,the fan housing section (40) has a channel section (46) on the outside of the blower fan (31) in a radial direction so as to form an outlet channel (45) through which the air blown by the blower fan (31) flows, the system housing section (60) has a warm air channel (65) that allows air blown by the blower fan (31) to flow to the heating device (50) and a bypass channel (66) that allows air blown by the blower fan (31) to bypass the heating device (50), the warm air channel (65) and the bypass channel (66) are arranged in a first direction that is perpendicular to the axial direction, a second direction is perpendicular to both the axial direction and the first direction, an outlet width of the channel section (46) in the second direction is greater than that of the heating device (50) in the second direction,the discharge width dimension of the duct section (46) in the second direction is smaller than a discharge height dimension of the duct section (46) in the first direction, the duct section (46) has an outer shape by connecting a pair of short sides (47) facing in the first direction and a pair of long sides (48) facing in the second direction, and the pair of long sides (48) is formed in a straight line extending in the first direction. The air conditioning device (1) according to claim 1, wherein an air mixing door (67) is arranged in the equipment housing section (60) upstream of the heating device (50) in an air flow to adjust the amount of air flowing through the heating device (50) and the bypass channel (66), and a first bypass channel (66a) is formed on one side of the heating device (50) in the first direction, and a second bypass channel (66b) is formed on the other side of the heating device (50) in the first direction. The air conditioning device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the duct portion (46) is arranged such that the first direction is a vertical direction of the vehicle and the second direction is a width direction of the vehicle when the air conditioning device (1) is installed in the vehicle, and the casing (10) has an inside-outside air partition wall (13) for defining an outside air duct (16) for circulating outside air introduced from the outside of the cabin at an upper side in the casing (10) and an inside air duct (17) for circulating inside air introduced from the cabin at a lower side in the casing (10). Air conditioning device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a resistance portion (90) is arranged in the outlet duct (45) in a region where a size of the duct portion (46) is smaller than the blow-out height dimension, so as to prevent air from flowing in a circumferential direction of the blower fan (31). Air conditioning device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the resistance section (90) is arranged over a region in which the distance between the duct section (46) and the fan wheel axis (CL) is minimal. An air conditioning device (1) that conditions air in a cabin for a vehicle, comprising:a housing (10) that forms an air duct through which air flows; and a blower impeller (31) arranged inside the housing (10) to rotate around a blower impeller axis (CL) to suck in air from one side in an axial direction and blow out air in a direction away from the blower impeller axis (CL), wherein the housing (10) comprises a blower housing portion (40) in which the blower impeller (31) is housed, the blower housing portion (40) has a duct portion (46) on the outside of the blower impeller (31) in a radial direction to form an outlet duct (45) through which air blown by the blower impeller (31) flows, a first direction is perpendicular to the axial direction, and a second direction is perpendicular to both the axial direction and the first direction,a discharge width dimension of the duct section (46) in the second direction is smaller than a discharge height dimension of the duct section (46) in the first direction, a resistance section (90) is arranged in the outlet duct (45) in a region where a size of the duct section (46) is smaller than the discharge height dimension, so as to prevent air from flowing in a circumferential direction of the blower impeller (31), and the duct section (46) has an outer shape by connecting a pair of arcuate short sides (47) facing in the first direction and a pair of straight long sides (48) facing in the second direction. Air conditioning device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the resistance section (90) is arranged over a region in which a distance between the duct section (46) and the fan wheel axis (CL) is minimal. Air conditioning device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the duct portion (46) has a partition wall (13b) to define an outside air duct (16) for circulating outside air introduced from the outside of the cabin and an inside air duct (17) for circulating inside air introduced from the cabin, and the resistance portion (90) is continuous with the partition wall (13b). The air conditioning device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the duct portion (46) is arranged such that the second direction is a width direction of the vehicle when the air conditioning device (1) is installed in the vehicle, and the partition wall (13b) is formed to extend in the width direction so as to cross the duct portion (46).

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