Housing and device for heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning, particularly for motor vehicles

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning unit, particularly for motor vehicles, said unit comprising a body (2) defining an air inlet channel (4) and a first housing (6) for one or more heat exchangers intended to cool and / or heat said air inlet, said unit comprising a liquid drain passage (8) located at a distance from said inlet channel (4) and / or said first housing (6), said body (2) further comprising at least one liquid collector (10, 12) at the level of said inlet channel (4) and / or said first housing (6), said unit comprising at least one pipe (14, 16) attached to said body (2) to allow the liquid to flow from said collector(s) (10, 12) to said drain passage (8). Figure for the abbreviated version: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Housing and device for heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning, in particular for a motor vehicle

[0001] The invention relates to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning housing. It also relates to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device, said device comprising such a housing. It is intended, in particular, for applications in motor vehicles.

[0002] In this field, heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning boxes are known. Liquids can accumulate inside these, either from outside, such as raindrops, or as a result of condensation. In order to prevent them from stagnating and risking generating unpleasant odors, or even being the source of microbial contamination, they should be evacuated.

[0003] It has already been proposed in this sense to provide heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning housings with a drain orifice placed in a low point. However, known housings have complex internal partitioning configurations in order to guide any liquids that may be present towards this orifice. Such configurations increase the size and cost of the housings, in particular due to their molding difficulties.

[0004] The invention aims to at least partially overcome the above drawbacks and to this end proposes a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning housing, in particular for a motor vehicle, said housing comprising a body defining an inlet channel for an air flow and a first housing for one or more heat exchangers, intended to cool and / or heat said air flow, said housing comprising a liquid discharge passage, located at a distance from said inlet channel and / or said first housing, said body further comprising at least one liquid collector at said inlet channel and / or said housing, said housing comprising at least one tube attached to said body to allow a flow of liquid from said collector(s) to said discharge passage.By "tubing" is meant a tube or a tube-shaped part, independent of the body of the housing and attached to said body, for example at the level of connections provided on the body at each of the ends of said tubing so that the liquid coming from the body passes through said tubing at one of its ends and re-enters said body through its opposite end.

[0005] The pipe(s) make it possible to facilitate the configuration of the body of the housing by avoiding having to create internal conduits within said body using shaped partitions complex to connect the discharge passage, on the one hand, and the inlet channel and / or the first air flow passage housing, on the other hand. In this way, water drops and / or condensates appearing in the housing can be drained in a simplified manner.

[0006] According to various additional characteristics of the invention, which may be taken together or separately and which form as many embodiments of the invention: - said tube(s) are located outside the body of said housing, - the said pipe(s) are flexible, - said evacuation passage is intended to be located in the lower part of said body, - said housing comprises a second housing for a blower, intended to generate said airflow, - said second housing is located vertically at least partly under said inlet channel and / or under said first housing, - said evacuation passage is located in the lower part of said second housing, - said second housing comprises a first and a second face opposite sides, connected by a face, called a volute, - the inlet channel of said air flow opens into said second housing at a first part of said volute face, - said first housing opens into said second housing at a second part of said volute face, - said first and second parts of said scroll face are located on either side of said lower part of the second housing, - a first of said tubes follows at least in part said first part of the scroll face, - a second of said tubes at least partly follows said second part of the scroll face, - a first of said collectors is located opposite an upper part of the first part of said scroll face, - a second of said collectors is located opposite an upper part of the second part of said volute face, - said housing comprises a casing, intended to accommodate a drive motor for said blower, - the casing is located on a first of the lateral faces of said second housing, - a radial extension of said casing is less than a radial extension of said second housing so as to leave free an annular portion of said first lateral face, - said evacuation passage is offset laterally relative to said first side face so as to be vertically located under said casing, - said first tube is located opposite a first part of the annular portion of said first lateral face, - the second tube is located opposite a second part of said annular portion of said first lateral face, - said first and second parts of the annular portion are located on either side of said lower part of the second housing, - the first collector opens into the first pipe through a first orifice offset laterally relative to said first lateral face in order to be located opposite said casing at the level of an upper part of the first part of the annular portion of said first lateral face, - the second collector opens into the second pipe through a second orifice offset laterally relative to said first lateral face in order to be located opposite said volute face at the level of an upper part of the second part of the annular portion of said first lateral face, - said evacuation passage extends vertically upwards to said casing, - said evacuation passage comprises a fixing flange to said second housing, - said first housing is formed of two half-shells joined to each other along a joint plane, - at least one of said collectors is formed by extensions of each of said half-shells, - said extensions are joined to each other along said joint plane, - said housing comprises a seal between said half-shells, - said first housing is intended to accommodate an evaporator, - the or one of said collectors is located vertically under said evaporator, - said first housing is intended to further accommodate a radiator for heating said air flow, - the air inlet channel includes an air treatment unit, including an air filter.

[0007] The invention also relates to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing as described above.

[0008] The invention will be better understood, and other aims, details, characteristics and advantages thereof will appear more clearly during the detailed explanatory description which follows, of at least one embodiment of the invention given by way of purely illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the schematic drawings annexed among which:

[0009] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a perspective view of an example of a housing according to the invention, in a first orientation;

[0010] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a perspective view of the housing of [Fig.l], according to a second orientation.

[0011] It should first be noted that the terms upstream and downstream used in the following description refer to the direction of circulation of the fluid in question. Furthermore, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are only used to distinguish the components concerned from each other and do not indicate an order or a possible importance of said components.

[0012] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the invention relates to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning unit, in particular for a motor vehicle. Said unit is intended to be located, for example, under a dashboard of the vehicle, in particular in a central part of said dashboard. It is configured to be crossed by an air flow, in particular an air flow intended to supply a passenger compartment of the vehicle in order to allow its thermal regulation and / or defrosting / demisting, in particular its windshield, via different outlets of said unit.

[0013] Said housing comprising a body 2 defining a channel 4 for inlet of said air flow. Said air flow comes, for example, from the outside and / or from the inside of the vehicle. The air inlet channel 4 optionally comprises an air treatment unit, not illustrated, for example an air filter.

[0014] Said body 2 also comprises a first housing 6 for one or more heat exchangers, not illustrated, intended to cool and / or heat said air flow. The first housing 6 is here shown open, without the part of the body 2 intended to close it. Said heat exchangers comprise, for example, an evaporator and / or a heating radiator, the evaporator being intended to cool and / or dehumidify the air flow and the heating radiator to heat it. Said exchangers are integrated into thermoregulation loops of a refrigerant fluid and / or a heat transfer fluid, intended to exchange heat with the air flow at the level of said heat exchangers.

[0015] Said housing comprises a liquid discharge passage 8, located at a distance from said inlet channel 4 and / or from said first housing 6. Preferably, said discharge passage 8 is intended to be located in the lower part of said body 2. In other words, when said housing is placed, in particular in the vehicle, said discharge passage 8 is placed vertically at the lowest point of the housing or in its vicinity. Such a position facilitates the most complete possible drainage of the liquids. Said passage 8 here comprises an outlet orifice for the collected liquids, according to the arrow marked E.

[0016] Said body further comprises at least one liquid collector 10, 12 at the level said inlet channel 4 and / or said first housing 6. Said collector is intended to collect by gravity the liquids likely to be present in said inlet channel 4 and / or in said first housing 6. On the side of the inlet channel 4, these are, in particular, drops of water which may enter said inlet channel 4, for example in the event of heavy rain. On the side of the first housing 6, these are in particular condensates likely to form at the level of exchange surfaces of the evaporator.

[0017] According to the invention, said housing comprises at least one tube 14, 16 attached to said body 2 to allow a flow of liquid from said collector(s) 10, 12 to said discharge passage 8. It is thus possible to discharge liquids which would otherwise risk stagnating in the housing at the level of the inlet channel 4 and / or the first housing 6. Furthermore, the choice of a tube to connect the collector(s) 10, 12 and the discharge passage 8 makes it possible to facilitate the configuration of the body 2 by avoiding having to create internal conduits in said body using partitions of complex shapes.

[0018] Said housing comprises a second housing 18 for a blower, intended to generate said air flow. Said blower comprises, for example, a fan, in particular a tangential fan, and an air flow outlet volute, located in said second housing.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, said second housing 18 is located vertically at least partly under said inlet channel 4 and / or under said first housing 6. This means that, in use, said second housing 18 extends lower than said inlet channel 4 and / or said first housing 6.

[0020] Said inlet channel 4 opens into a non-visible inlet of said second housing 18 to supply the blower with said air flow. An outlet 19 of said second housing 18, in particular of the volute of said blower, is connected to said first housing 6. In this way, the air flow coming from the inlet channel 4 is sucked in by the blower and leaves through its volute to pass through said first housing 6.

[0021] Said second housing 18 here comprises a first and a second opposite lateral faces 20, 22, connected by a face 24, called a volute face. Said volute face 24 has a generally partly angular ring shape. It comprises a first part 26 and a second part 28 angularly opposite. The inlet channel 4 opens into said second housing 18 at said first part 26 of the volute face 24, at an upper part of the latter. Said first housing 6 opens into said second housing 28 at said second part 28 of the volute face 24, at a part of the latter. Above said second housing 18, said casing here has orifices 30 for the passage of the air flow.

[0022] Said evacuation passage 8 is preferably located in the lower part of said second housing 18. Said first and second parts 26, 28 of said face in volute 24 are located on either side of said lower part of the second housing 18.

[0023] Said collectors 10, 12 have any suitable shape in continuity with an interior volume of said inlet channel 4 and / or said first housing 6 for collecting the liquids likely to be present in said inlet channel 4 and / or in said first housing 6. Here they have a funnel shape, more or less pronounced, ending in an orifice 32, 34 opening onto said tubes 14, 16. As a variant, a light located in a bottom of said inlet channel 4 and / or said first housing 6 and in communication with said tube(s) 14, 16, is sufficient to form a collector within the meaning of the invention. Said collectors 10, 12 are, for example, made from the material of said inlet channel 4 and / or said first housing 6 or attached to said inlet channel 4 and / or said first housing 6.In the illustrated embodiment, the collectors 10, 12 are respectively attached to the body 2 for the inlet channel 4 and made from the material of the body 2 for the first housing 6.

[0024] A first 10 of said collectors is here located opposite an upper part of the first part 26 of said scroll face 24. A second 12 of said collectors is located opposite an upper part of the second part 28 of said scroll face 24. In other words, the first collector 10 is located under the inlet channel 4, for example near the inlet into the second housing 18. The second collector 12 is located under the first housing 6.

[0025] More generally, the collector in question, here the first collector 10, is located upstream, opposite and / or downstream of said air treatment unit depending on the direction of circulation of said air flow. The collector in question, here the second collector 12, is located vertically, preferably under said evaporator.

[0026] Advantageously, said tube(s) 14, 16 are external to said body 2. In this way, they do not obstruct the flow of air in the housing. Such a location also frees up the volume necessary for the blower without increasing the overall size of the housing. It also makes it possible to avoid suction of the liquids evacuated by the blower.

[0027] Said tube(s) 14, 16 are preferably flexible. They can thus be put in place more easily while extending along the desired trajectory.

[0028] More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, a first 14 of said tubes follows a curvature of said first part 26 of the volute face 24. A second 16 of said tubes follows a curvature of said second part 28 of the volute face 24.

[0029] It is noted that said housing here comprises a casing 36, intended to accommodate a drive motor of said blower. Said casing 36 is located, for example on a first 20 of the lateral faces of said second housing 18.

[0030] A radial extension of said casing 36 is less than a radial extension of said second housing 18 so as to leave free an annular portion of said first lateral face 20.

[0031] Said first tube 14 is located at least partly opposite a first part 38 of the annular portion of said first lateral face 20. The second tube 16 is located at least partly opposite a second part 40 of said annular portion of said first lateral face 20. Said first and second parts 38, 40 of the annular portion are located on either side of said lower part of the second housing 18.

[0032] The first collector 10 opens into the first pipe 14, at the level of an upper part of the first part 38 of the annular portion of said first lateral face 20, this through a first orifice offset laterally relative to said first lateral face 20 in order to be opposite said casing 36.

[0033] The second collector 12 opens into the second pipe 16, at the level of an upper part of the second part 40 of the annular portion of said first lateral face 20, this through a second orifice offset laterally relative to said first lateral face 20 in order to be opposite said volute face 24.

[0034] Said discharge passage 8 is offset laterally relative to said first lateral face 10 in order to be located vertically under said casing 36.

[0035] Said first tube 14 thus extends substantially in the same plane, parallel to said first lateral face 20. Said second tube 16 follows a left curve passing in front of the volute face 24 then in front of the first lateral face 20.

[0036] Said evacuation passage 8 here extends vertically upwards to said casing 36. In the lower part, it comprises a fixing flange 42 to said second housing 18, at the level of its volute face 24.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, said first housing 6 and, possibly, said second housing 18, are formed of two half-shells 50a, 50b joined to each other along a joint plane 51. At least one of said collectors, here the second collector 12, is formed by extensions 52a, 52b of each of said half-shells 50a, 50b. In other words, said extensions 52a, 52b are respectively made from the material of each of said half-shells 50a, 50b. Such a configuration makes it possible to facilitate the integration of said collector while giving it a shape favorable to its function. Said extensions 52a, 52b are joined to each other along said joint plane 51.

[0038] To promote the sealing of the housing, the latter is optionally provided with a seal between said half-shells 50a, 50b, at said joint plane 51, preferably including at their extensions 52a, 52b.

[0039] The invention also relates to a heating, ventilation and / or conditioning device air operation, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing as described above. Said device further comprises the blower and its drive motor, the exchangers already mentioned and / or one or more flaps as well as their actuators in order to direct the air flow, in particular one or more flaps for distributing the air flow through the heating radiator and / or one or more flaps for distributing the air flow towards the various outlets of the housing.

Claims

Claims

1. Heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning housing, in particular for a motor vehicle, said housing comprising a body (2) defining an air flow inlet channel (4) and a first housing (6) for one or more heat exchangers, intended to cool and / or heat said air flow, said housing comprising a liquid discharge passage (8), located at a distance from said inlet channel (4) and / or said first housing (6), said body (2) further comprising at least one liquid collector (10, 12) at said inlet channel (4) and / or said first housing (6), said housing comprising at least one tube (14, 16) attached to said body (2) to allow a flow of liquid from said collector(s) (10, 12) to said discharge passage (8).

2. Housing according to the preceding claim in which said tube(s) (14, 16) are external to said body (2).

3. Housing according to any one of the preceding claims in which said tube(s) (14, 16) are flexible.

4. Housing according to any one of the preceding claims in which said evacuation passage (8) is intended to be located in the lower part of said body (2).

5. Housing according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a second housing (18) for a blower, intended to generate said air flow, said second housing being located vertically at least partly under said inlet channel (4) and / or under said first housing (6).

6. Housing according to the preceding claim in which said evacuation passage (8) is located in the lower part of said second housing (18).

7. Housing according to any one of the preceding claims in which said first housing (6) is formed of two half-shells (50a, 50b) joined to each other along a joint plane (51), at least one of said collectors (10, 12) being formed by extensions (52a, 52b) of each of said half-shells (50a, 50b).

8. Housing according to the preceding claim wherein said extensions (52a, 52b) are joined to each other along said joint plane (51).

9. A housing according to any preceding claim comprising a seal between said half-shells (50a, 50b).

10. Heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing according to any one of the preceding claims.

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