Vehicle air-conditioning blower unit

Abstract

To provide a vehicle air-conditioning blower unit that is compact in a vertical direction.SOLUTION: A vehicle air-conditioning blower unit (30; 30A; 30B) is provided with an inside / outside air adjustment door (50; 50A) upward a suction port (46) of a blower housing (40; 40A; 40B). The inside / outside air adjustment door (50; 50A) adjusts a ratio between inside air of vehicle interior (VI) sucked by the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and outside air of the vehicle. The inside / outside air adjustment door (50; 50A) is slidable so as to draw a circular arc trajectory which projects upward about a door rotation center line (O) positioned downward from the suction port (46).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a blower unit for use in an air conditioning system of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, a vehicle air conditioner has an air blowing unit for blowing air, and an air conditioning unit for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the air blown from the air blowing unit. Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional technology related to a vehicle air conditioner.

[0003] The air conditioning unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a heater for warming the blown air disposed horizontally, which makes it possible to reduce the dimension, particularly in the vertical direction, of the rear part of the air conditioning unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-062725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is also preferable for the vehicle air-conditioning blower unit, which is often disposed adjacent to the air conditioning unit, to be made more compact in the vertical direction, since this would ensure a larger interior space in the vehicle.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vertically compact blower unit for vehicle air conditioning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In the following description, reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are placed in parentheses to facilitate understanding of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated form.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle air conditioning blower unit mounted in a passenger compartment (VI) of a vehicle (10), comprising: a blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) in which air is drawn in through an inlet (46) formed on an upper surface and blown out through an outlet (47) formed on a side thereof, and in which a flow path area, which is the area of ​​a flow path (R) of the air, gradually increases; a blower motor (32) having a rotating shaft portion (32a); a fan (33) rotatably provided inside the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and configured to rotate about a rotation axis (CL) of the rotating shaft portion (32a) to draw in ventilation air from the suction port (46) into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and blow out the ventilation air in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis (CL); an inside / outside air adjusting door (50; 50A) provided above the suction port (46) for adjusting the ratio of inside air in the vehicle compartment (VI) and outside air outside the vehicle sucked into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B); The air outlet (47) is formed forward of the rotation axis (CL), The blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) has a downwardly expanding portion (44) that gradually protrudes downward toward the downstream of the flow path (R), The inside / outside air adjustment door (50; 50A) is slidable so as to describe an upwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory around a door rotation center line (O) located below the intake port (46), thereby providing a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning mounted in a passenger compartment (VI) of a vehicle (10), comprising: a blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) in which air is drawn in through an inlet (46) formed on an upper surface and blown out through an outlet (47) formed on a side thereof, and in which a flow path area, which is the area of ​​a flow path (R) of the air, gradually increases; a blower motor (32) having a rotating shaft portion (32a); a fan (33; 33B) rotatably provided inside the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and configured to rotate about a rotation axis (CL) of the rotating shaft portion (32a) to draw in ventilation air from the suction port (46) into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and blow out the ventilation air in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis (CL); an inside / outside air adjusting door (50C) provided above the suction port (46) for adjusting the ratio of inside air in the vehicle compartment (VI) and outside air outside the vehicle sucked into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B); The air outlet (47) is formed forward of the rotation axis (CL), The blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) has a downwardly expanding portion (44) that gradually protrudes downward toward the downstream of the flow path (R), The inside / outside air adjusting door (50C) is slidable so as to describe a planar track, thereby providing a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vertically compact air blower unit for vehicle air conditioning. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle air-conditioning blower unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 6A is a perspective view of the vehicle air-conditioning blower unit shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is a view of the vehicle air-conditioning blower unit shown in FIG. 6A with an inside / outside air control door removed. [Figure 7]6 is a cross-sectional view of an air conditioning unit for vehicle air conditioning to which air is blown from the air blowing unit for vehicle air conditioning shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In the description, left and right refer to left and right based on the occupant of the vehicle in which the vehicle air conditioner is installed, and front and rear refer to front and rear based on the traveling direction of the vehicle. In the drawings, Fr indicates front, Rr indicates rear, Le indicates left as seen by the occupant, Ri indicates right as seen by the occupant, Up indicates up, and Dn indicates down. The embodiment shown in the attached drawings is one example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0013] <Example 1> Please refer to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a vehicle 10 equipped with an air conditioner 20 for vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "air conditioner 20"). The vehicle 10 is, for example, a passenger car, and has left and right front seats 12, 12 provided at the front of the passenger compartment VI, and a rear seat 13 provided behind the front seats 12, 12 across both ends in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The air conditioning device 20 is provided in front of the front seats 12, 12, and is used to blow air conditioned to a predetermined temperature to the occupants in the front seats 12, 12 and the rear seat 13. Side vent switching units 14, 14 that can switch whether or not to blow out the blown air are formed in front of the front seats 12 at the right and left ends in the vehicle width direction, respectively. Center vent switching units 15, 15 that can switch whether or not to blow out the blown air are formed in front of the front seats 12, at the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] A rear duct 16 extending toward the rear seat 13 is connected to the air conditioning device 20, and air can be sent to the rear seat 13 via the rear duct 16. A rear seat air blowing switching unit 17 that can switch whether or not air is blown to the rear seat 13 is provided at the rear end or downstream end of the rear duct 16.

[0016] The rear duct 16 may be arranged, for example, so as to extend rearward along the lower surface of the center console and also extend upward along the rear surface of the center console. Alternatively, the rear duct 16 may be arranged so as to pass under the floor of the passenger compartment VI and stand up along the B-pillar. Also, the rear duct 16 may be arranged so as to branch midway and be able to blow air to the upper and lower bodies of rear seat passengers.

[0017] Each of the switching sections 14, 15, 17 is formed of a louver, and the passenger can switch the airflow amount from fully open to fully closed by swinging the operating section 14a, 15a, 17a.

[0018] The air conditioner 20 has a blower unit 30 for vehicle air conditioning (hereinafter referred to as "blower unit 30") that can take in air from the vehicle interior VI and / or outside the vehicle and blow it out, and an air conditioning unit 60 for vehicle air conditioning (hereinafter referred to as "air conditioning unit 60") that adjusts the blown air sent from the blower unit 30 to a predetermined temperature and humidity. The blown air sent to the right from the blower unit 30 flows into the air conditioning unit 60 and flows inside it. The blown air sent into the air conditioning unit 60 has its temperature and humidity adjusted and is blown out from each of the switching parts 14, 15, and 17 into the vehicle interior VI.

[0019] Please refer to Fig. 2. The blower unit 30 has a blower housing 40 as a case, a blower motor 32 fixed to the bottom of the blower housing 40 and operated when energized, a fan 33 connected to the blower motor 32 and rotating to blow air, an inside / outside air adjustment door 50 provided above the blower housing 40 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction and for switching the ratio of air introduced into the blower housing 40, and a filter 35 provided above along the trajectory of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50 to prevent dust from entering the blower housing 40 from the outside.

[0020] A dash panel 18 is provided in front of the blower unit 30, and separates the vehicle interior VI where the occupants sit from a front room MR located in front of the vehicle interior VI. The dash panel 18 has a dash panel main body 18a made of a steel plate that is the structural body of the vehicle 10, and a sound absorbing material 18b that suppresses noise that infiltrates into the vehicle interior VI through the dash panel main body 18a. An outside air duct 19 is provided above the filter 35, and guides air from outside the vehicle toward the blower unit 30.

[0021] The blower housing 40 is a so-called scroll-type housing with a hollow interior. The hollow portion inside the blower housing 40 is a flow path R through which the sucked air flows. This flow path R gradually widens toward the downstream based on the flow direction of the blown air. The blower housing 40 is made of, for example, two upper and lower resin parts, which are assembled together.

[0022] The blower housing 40 has a bottom surface portion 41 to which the blower motor 32 is fixed, an upper surface portion 42 opposite the bottom surface portion 41, a side surface portion 43 covering the outer periphery of the fan 33, a downward expansion portion 44 protruding downwardly beyond the bottom surface portion 41 and expanding the flow path R, and an upward expansion portion 45 protruding upwardly beyond the upper surface portion 42 and expanding the flow path R.

[0023] The bottom surface portion 41 is inclined downward from the rear to the front.

[0024] A substantially circular suction port 46 is formed in the upper surface portion 42, through which air from the outside passes when the fan 33 is operated. The portion of the upper surface portion 42 surrounding the suction port 46 has a so-called bell-mouth shape, and curves downward toward the fan 33.

[0025] Please refer to Fig. 3. The downstream end of the blower housing 40 is an air outlet 47 that blows out the ventilation air toward the air conditioning unit 60 (see Fig. 1). The area of ​​the flow path R of the blower unit 30 is largest at the air outlet 47. The ventilation air blown out from the air outlet 47 is sent to the air conditioning unit 60 (see Fig. 1).

[0026] Please refer to Fig. 2. The downward projection amount of the downward expansion portion 44 gradually increases from the upstream to the downstream with respect to the flow direction of the blown air. The same is true for the upward expansion portion 45. In other words, the projection amount of the upward expansion portion 45 gradually increases from the upstream to the downstream with respect to the flow direction of the blown air.

[0027] The area of ​​the flow path R gradually increases from upstream to downstream as the winding angle increases, the distance from the fan 33 to the side portion 43 increases, and the protrusion amount of the downward expansion portion 44 and the upward expansion portion 45 increases.

[0028] The blower housing 40 may be configured by combining three or more parts. Also, the blower housing 40 does not necessarily need to be provided with the upwardly expanding portion 45.

[0029] A well-known electric motor can be used for the blower motor 32. The blower motor 32 is connected to a control unit (not shown), and the amount of electricity supplied to the blower motor 32 is changed by the control unit based on the set temperature and the temperature in the vehicle compartment VI, etc., and the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 32a is controlled based on this. By changing the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 32a, the rotation speed of the fan 33 also changes, and the amount of air blown changes.

[0030] For reasons that will be described later, it is preferable that the rotation axis CL, which is the rotation center line of the rotating shaft 32a of the blower motor 32 and extends along the rotating shaft 32a, be inclined forward from bottom to top. By fixing the blower motor 32 to the bottom surface portion 41 that slopes downward toward the front, the rotation axis CL is also inclined forward from bottom to top.

[0031] It should be noted that the present invention does not exclude the rotation axis CL being oriented in the vertical direction, being inclined backward from bottom to top, or being inclined to either the left or right direction.

[0032] A well-known sirocco fan can be used as the fan 33. The fan 33 is attached to the rotating shaft portion 32a and rotates together with the rotating shaft portion 32a. When the fan 33 rotates, it draws in air from the suction port 46 and blows it toward the side surface portion 43. In other words, when the fan 33 rotates, it draws in air in the axial direction of the rotation axis CL and blows it out over the entire circumference in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis CL.

[0033] The indoor / outdoor air adjustment door 50 has an actuator (not shown) that can be energized by the control unit, a shaft 52 that rotates when the actuator is activated, a pinion gear 53 provided on the shaft 52, and a door body 55 that can slide above the blower housing 40 as the pinion gear 53 rotates.

[0034] When the actuator rotates and the shaft 52 rotates, the pinion gear 53 also rotates. When the pinion gear 53 rotates, the door body 55 slides in a substantially arc shape around the door rotation center line O. Depending on the position of the door body 55, the ratio of the air inside the vehicle compartment VI (inside air) to the air taken in from outside the vehicle (outside air) is adjusted.

[0035] Pinion gear 53 is located above suction port 46 and below the downstream end of outside air duct 19. In addition, the height of the lower end of pinion gear 53 is lower than the upper end position of upward expansion portion 45 (at least the highest position of the upper end positions).

[0036] Door body 55 is configured of a plate-like member having an arc shape along a track. A rack-shaped rack portion is integrally formed on the back surface (the surface facing suction port 46) of door body 55. The rack portion meshes with pinion gear 53.

[0037] A door rotation center line O of the door body 55 is located below the lower end of the downwardly expanded portion 44 and is located below and forward of the blower motor 32.

[0038] For example, when the humidity in the vehicle interior VI is high, the window glass is likely to fog up. For this reason, it is preferable to lower the humidity in the vehicle interior VI by taking in a large amount of dry air from outside the vehicle. On the other hand, when the humidity in the vehicle interior VI is appropriate or low, the vehicle interior VI can be maintained at a set temperature with less energy than when taking in air from outside the vehicle by circulating air in the vehicle interior VI that has been adjusted to an appropriate temperature.

[0039] 3, the door body 55 closes the rear side of the suction port 46 and opens the front side. In this case, air outside the vehicle can be taken into the blower housing 40. On the other hand, although not shown, by sliding the door body 55 forward, air inside the vehicle compartment VI can be sucked into the blower housing 40 through the suction port 46. It is also possible to stop the door body 55 at an intermediate position and take in air from both the outside of the vehicle and the vehicle compartment VI into the blower housing 40.

[0040] Nonwoven fabric or mesh can be used for filter 35. By providing filter 35, it is possible to prevent dust from entering inside blower housing 40 from suction port 46. In addition, by providing filter 35 upstream of inside / outside air adjustment door 50 in the flow of air sucked into suction port 46, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to pinion gear 53.

[0041] Please refer to Fig. 4. The air conditioning unit 60 has an air conditioning side housing 61 to which the blown air from the blower unit 30 (see Fig. 1) is sent, a cooling heat exchanger 62 that is provided in the internal space IS of the air conditioning side housing 61 and is capable of cooling the blown air, a heating heat exchanger 63 that is capable of heating the air that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger 62, a front seat temperature adjustment device 64 that is provided downstream of the heating heat exchanger 63 and adjusts the amount of blown air that passes through the heating heat exchanger 63, a defroster opening / closing door 81, a vent opening / closing door 82, and a foot opening / closing door 83 that are provided downstream of the front seat temperature adjustment device 64 and switch between opening and closing of openings 66 to 69 (see Fig. 1 for the side vent opening 68), and a rear seat air conditioning section 90 that extends downward in front of the heating heat exchanger 63 and adjusts the temperature of the air sent to the rear seat 13 (see Fig. 1).

[0042] Furthermore, the left-right dimension of the rear seat air conditioning unit 90 is smaller than the internal space IS of the air conditioning side housing 61, so that the air flowing out from the cooling heat exchanger 62 can reach the heating heat exchanger 63 through the left and right areas of the rear seat air conditioning unit 90.

[0043] The air conditioning side housing 61 is, for example, composed of a plurality of parts. More specifically, it is composed of three parts: parts constituting the left and right upper parts, and a part constituting the lower part. For each part, an injection molded product can be used. The air conditioning side housing 61 may be composed of two parts, or may be composed of four or more parts.

[0044] The bottom surface of the air conditioning side housing 61 is inclined upward from the front to the rear.

[0045] The heating heat exchanger 63 is provided behind the cooling heat exchanger 62 and is placed horizontally so that the blown air passes through it in a substantially vertical direction. The heating heat exchanger 63 is composed of, for example, a hot water heater 63a through which hot water heated by passing through an engine flows, and an electric heater 63b which is heated by passing electricity through it.

[0046] 4, a part of the blown air that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger 62 passes through the left and right sides of the rear seat air conditioning unit 90, is guided below the heating heat exchanger 63, and flows upward. At this time, the blown air is heated by the heating heat exchanger 63.

[0047] The rear seat air conditioning unit 90 has an in-housing duct 91 that extends downward from downstream of the heating heat exchanger 63 and is connected to the rear duct 16, and a rear seat air conditioning door 92 that is arranged to be able to open and close an opening in this in-housing duct 91 and adjusts the flow rate of cool air supplied to the in-housing duct 91.

[0048] As described above, by arranging the air conditioning unit 60 shown in Figure 4 downstream of the blower unit 30 shown in Figures 2 and 3, and arranging the air conditioning device 20 at the front of the passenger compartment VI along the left-right direction of the vehicle 10, the space under the feet of the occupants in the front seats 12, 12 can be increased, which is preferable.

[0049] <Example 2> Second Embodiment Next, a blower unit 30A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0050] Please refer to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional configuration of a blower unit 30A according to the second embodiment. The blower unit 30A is used in a vehicle air conditioner 20A, similar to the first embodiment. However, the blower unit 30A differs from the blower unit 30 according to the first embodiment (see Fig. 2) in the configurations of a blower housing 40A and an inside / outside air adjustment door 50A. The blower unit 30A also differs in that it has an introduction member 100 for introducing air to a lower portion of the fan 33.

[0051] Other basic configurations are the same as those of the blower unit 30 according to the first embodiment. The same reference numerals are used for the parts common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] The blower housing 40A has a dividing wall 48 that extends from the side surface portion 43 toward the fan 33 and divides the flow path R into an upper flow path R1 and a lower flow path R2. The upper part of the dividing wall 48 is called the upper flow path R1, and the lower part is called the lower flow path R2.

[0053] Please refer to Fig. 6A. The door body 55A of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50A is composed of two doors, a first door 55f and a second door 55s. The first door 55f is made of two plate members arranged to sandwich the second door 55s. The first door 55f and the second door 55s have a rack-shaped rack portion integrally formed on the back surface, and are engaged with pinion gears driven by different motors, so that they operate independently.

[0054] Also see Fig. 5. The first door 55f adjusts the ratio of inside air and outside air sent to the upper flow passage R1. The second door 55s adjusts the ratio of inside air and outside air sent to the lower flow passage R2. Here, inside air refers to air inside the vehicle compartment VI, and outside air refers to air outside the vehicle.

[0055] Please refer to Figures 5 and 6B. Blower unit 30A has an introduction member 100 for introducing air into the lower part of fan 33. The introduction member 100 has a head 101 that spreads out above blower housing 40A, and a neck 102 that extends downward from head 101 and has a lower end located inside fan 33 in a region surrounded by the blades.

[0056] The head 101 is supported by the blower housing 40, for example, with one part abutting against the upwardly expanding portion 45 and another part abutting against the upper surface portion 42. The upper end of the head 101 has a shape that follows the trajectory of the first door 55f.

[0057] The neck portion 102 has a shape that gradually expands in diameter toward the lower end on the downstream side.

[0058] Please refer to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows an air conditioning unit 60A in which air is sent from the air blowing unit 30A shown in Fig. 5 and the temperature and humidity of the air are adjusted inside. The basic configuration is the same as that of the air blowing unit 30 shown in Fig. 4, and the same reference numerals are used for the common parts and detailed description is omitted.

[0059] The air-conditioning side housing 61A, through which blown air flows, has air-conditioning side dividing walls 111, 112 that divide a flow path R into upper and lower parts. The air-conditioning side dividing walls 111, 112 divide the flow path R into an upper flow path R1 and a lower flow path R2.

[0060] A rotatable flow path switching door 113 is provided between the air conditioning side dividing walls 111, 112. In the state shown in the figure, the flow path switching door 113, together with the air conditioning side dividing walls 111, 112, divides the flow path R into an upper flow path R1 and a lower flow path R2. On the other hand, when the flow path switching door 113 is rotated, a part of the blown air flows from the lower flow path R2 to the upper flow path R1, or from the upper flow path R1 to the lower flow path R2.

[0061] 7, for example, by blowing dry, warm air to the windshield from the defroster opening 66 while circulating air in the vehicle interior VI, the vehicle interior VI can be heated with less energy than when air from outside the vehicle is taken in. This will be described in detail below.

[0062] Please refer to Figures 5 and 6A. When the fan 33 is operated while the door body 55A is in the state shown in Figure 6A, air from outside the vehicle (outside air) is drawn into the upper flow passage R1, and air from inside the vehicle compartment VI (inside air) is drawn into the lower flow passage R2.

[0063] Please refer to Fig. 5. The air introduced into the upper flow path R1 is sucked into the inside of the blower housing 40A from between the introduction member 100 and the upper surface portion 42 so as to avoid the introduction member 100 from outside the vehicle. More specifically, the air introduced into the upper flow path R1 of the blower unit 30A is guided from outside the vehicle to the blower unit 30A by the outside air duct 19, passes through the areas adjacent to the right and left sides of the upper surface portion 42 of the introduction member 100, passes between the intake port 46 and the neck portion 102 of the introduction member 100, and is then sucked into the upper flow path R1. Then, after flowing through the upper flow path R1 of the blower unit 30A, the air is supplied to the upper flow path R1 of the air conditioning unit 60A.

[0064] The air introduced into the lower flow path R2 flows from the vehicle interior VI toward the introduction member 100, and is sucked from inside the introduction member 100 into the inside of the blower housing 40A. More specifically, the air introduced into the lower flow path R2 of the blower unit 30A passes from the upper surface portion 42 of the introduction member 100 through the inside of the neck portion 102, is sucked into the lower flow path R2, and is supplied to the lower flow path R2 of the air conditioning unit 60A.

[0065] Please refer to Fig. 7. The blown air drawn in from outside the vehicle passes through the upper flow path R1 and flows into the air conditioning side housing 61A. The blown air passing through the upper flow path R1 passes through a cooling heat exchanger 62 and a heating heat exchanger 63 to be heated to a predetermined temperature. The blown air conditioned to the predetermined temperature is blown out from a defroster opening 66 towards the windshield to prevent the windshield from fogging up.

[0066] In the state shown in the figure, the center vent opening 67 is closed by a vent opening and closing door 82.

[0067] Meanwhile, the blown air drawn in from the vehicle interior VI passes through the lower flow passage R2 and flows into the air conditioning side housing 61A. The blown air passing through the lower flow passage R2 passes through the cooling heat exchanger 62 and the heating heat exchanger 63 to be heated to a predetermined temperature. The blown air conditioned to the predetermined temperature is blown out from the foot openings 69 toward the feet of the occupants, warming the vehicle interior VI.

[0068] <Example 3> Third Embodiment Next, a blower unit 30B according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0069] Please refer to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional configuration of a blower unit 30B according to the third embodiment. The blower unit 30B is used in a vehicle air conditioner 20B, similar to the first embodiment. On the other hand, the blower unit 30B differs from the blower units 30, 30A (see Figs. 3 and 5) according to the first and / or second embodiment in the configurations of a blower housing 40B and a fan 33B. Another difference is that a second inside / outside air adjusting door 120 and a second filter 131 are provided below the blower housing 40B.

[0070] Further, in the vehicle 10, an outside air duct 19 is provided not only above the blower unit 30B but also below it.

[0071] Other basic configurations are common to the blower units 30, 30A according to embodiment 1 and / or embodiment 2. The same reference numerals are used for the parts common to embodiment 1 and / or embodiment 2, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] The blower unit 30B shown in FIG. 8 is also used by being connected to an air conditioning unit 60A (see FIG. 7) in which the flow path R is divided into upper and lower parts.

[0073] A second suction port 49 is formed in a bottom surface portion 41B of the blower housing 40B, through which air to be drawn inside passes.

[0074] The fan 33B is provided with a partition wall 33d which, together with the partition wall 48, divides the flow path R into an upper flow path R1 and a lower flow path R2.

[0075] A second inside / outside air adjusting door 120 that adjusts the ratio of inside air in the passenger compartment VI and outside air outside the vehicle is provided below the second suction port 49. The basic configuration of the second inside / outside air adjusting door 120 is the same as that of the inside / outside air adjusting door 50. The second inside / outside air adjusting door 120 has an actuator (not shown) that can be energized by a control unit, a second shaft 122 that rotates when the actuator is activated, a second pinion gear 123 provided on the second shaft 122, and a second door body 125 that can slide below the blower housing 40B when the second pinion gear 123 rotates.

[0076] The second door body 125 is actuated independently of the door body 55 .

[0077] A second filter 131 for suppressing dust from being sucked in through the second suction port 49 is provided below the second inside / outside air adjustment door 120 .

[0078] Nonwoven fabric or mesh can be used for second filter 131. By providing second filter 131 so as to cover second inside / outside air adjustment door 120, adhesion of dust to second pinion gear 123 can be suppressed.

[0079] The rotation axis CL may be inclined forward from bottom to top like the blower unit 30 shown in FIG.

[0080] According to the blower unit 30B, the air sucked in through the suction port 46 flows through the upper flow path R1, and the air sucked in through the second suction port 49 flows through the lower flow path R2.

[0081] <Example 4> Next, a blower unit 30C according to a fourth embodiment will be described.

[0082] The blower unit 30C according to the fourth embodiment is used in a vehicle air conditioner 20C, and unlike the inside / outside air adjustment doors 50 and 50A shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 8, the inside / outside air adjustment door 50C slides along a planar track. The other basic configuration is the same as the blower units 30, 30A and 30B according to any of the first to third embodiments. The same reference numerals are used for the parts common to any of the first to third embodiments, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0083] The components of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50C (not shown) are the same as those of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50 shown in Fig. 2. The inside / outside air adjustment door 50C has an actuator (not shown) that can be energized by a control unit, a shaft 52C that rotates when the actuator is activated, a pinion gear 53C provided on the shaft 52C, and a door body 55C that can slide above the blower housing 40 when the pinion gear 53C rotates.

[0084] When the actuator rotates and the shaft 52C rotates, the pinion gear 53C also rotates. When the pinion gear 53C rotates, the door body 55C slides flat. Depending on the position of the door body 55C, the ratio of the air inside the vehicle compartment VI (inside air) to the air taken in from outside the vehicle (outside air) is adjusted.

[0085] Such an inside / outside air adjustment door 50C that slides in a plane can also be used in place of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50A of the blower unit 30A shown in Fig. 5 or the inside / outside air adjustment door 50 of the blower unit 30B shown in Fig. 8. The trajectory of the second inside / outside air adjustment door 120 used in the blower unit 30B shown in Fig. 8 may be configured to draw a planar trajectory like the inside / outside air adjustment door 50C.

[0086] For example, when an inside / outside air adjustment door 50C that moves on a planar track is applied in place of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50A shown in Figure 5, the door body 55C of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50C can include a first door 55Cf for adjusting the ratio of inside air and outside air sent to the upper flow path R1, and a second door 55Cs for adjusting the ratio of inside air and outside air sent to the lower flow path R2.

[0087] The above-described blower units 30, 30A, 30B, and 30C will be summarized below.

[0088] Please refer to Fig. 1. First, the blower unit 30 is mounted in the passenger compartment VI of the vehicle 10. Please refer to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The blower unit 30 includes a blower housing 40 in which the blown air is drawn in through an inlet 46 formed on the top surface and blown out through an outlet 47 formed on the side, and in which the flow path area, which is the area of ​​a flow path R of the blown air, gradually increases, a blower motor 32 having a rotating shaft portion 32a, a fan 33 rotatably provided inside the blower housing 40 and rotates about a rotation axis CL of the rotating shaft portion 32a to draw the blown air into the blower housing 40 through the inlet 46 and send the blown air to the downstream side of the flow path R, and an inside / outside air adjustment door 50 provided above the inlet 46 and adjusting the ratio of the inside air in the passenger compartment VI drawn into the blower housing 40 and the outside air outside the vehicle.

[0089] The air outlet 47 is formed forward of the rotation axis CL. The blower housing 40 has a downwardly expanding portion 44 that gradually protrudes downward toward the downstream of the flow path R. The inside / outside air adjustment door 50 is slidable about a door rotation center line O located below the air inlet 46, so as to describe an upwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory.

[0090] By setting the door rotation center line O at a low position, the inside / outside air adjustment door 50 can be slid near the intake port 46, and the blower unit 30 can be made compact in the vertical direction. Also, by forming the air outlet 47 forward of the rotation axis CL, the vertical dimension of the blower unit 30 behind the rotation axis CL can be made compact. The same applies to the blower unit 30A shown in Fig. 4 and the blower unit 30B shown in Fig. 5.

[0091] Please refer to Fig. 1. Secondly, the blower unit 30C (not shown) is mounted in the passenger compartment VI of the vehicle 10. Please refer to Figs. 2 and 3. The blower unit 30C (not shown, corresponding to the blower unit 30 in FIG. 2) includes a blower housing 40 in which blown air is drawn in through an intake port 46 formed on the top surface and blown out through an exhaust port 47 formed on the side, and in which the flow path area, which is the area of ​​the flow path R of the blown air, gradually increases; a blower motor 32 having a rotating shaft portion 32a; a fan 33 rotatably mounted inside the blower housing 40 and rotating around the rotation axis CL of the rotating shaft portion 32a to draw in the blown air from the intake port 46 into the blower housing 40 and send the blown air to the downstream side of the flow path R; and an inside / outside air adjustment door 50C (not shown, corresponding to the inside / outside air adjustment door 50 in FIG. 2; the same applies below) mounted above the intake port 46 and adjusting the ratio of the inside air in the passenger compartment VI and the outside air outside the vehicle drawn into the blower housing 40.

[0092] The air outlet 47 is formed forward of the rotation axis CL. The blower housing 40 also has a downwardly expanding portion 44 that gradually protrudes downward toward the downstream of the flow path R. The inside / outside air adjustment door 50C is slidable so as to describe a planar trajectory.

[0093] By making the inside / outside air adjustment door 50C slidable along a planar track, the inside / outside air adjustment door 50C can be slid near the intake port 46, and the blower unit 30C can be made compact in the vertical direction. In addition, by forming the air outlet 47 forward of the rotation axis CL, the vertical dimension of the blower unit 30 behind the rotation axis CL can be made compact.

[0094] Thirdly, in the first or second blower unit 30, the blower housing 40 has an upwardly expanding portion 45 that gradually protrudes upward toward the downstream of the flow path R. By having the upwardly expanding portion 45, it is possible to obtain a sufficient amount of air while reducing the amount of protrusion of the downwardly expanding portion 44. It is possible to make the blower unit 30 compact in the vertical direction and to make the wind speed of the air blown out from the air outlet 47 uniform. The same is true for the blower unit 30A shown in FIG. 4, the blower unit 30B shown in FIG. 5, and the blower unit 30C (not shown).

[0095] Fourth, in any of the first to third blower units 30, the rotation axis CL is inclined forward from bottom to top. This makes it easier for the blown air to flow to the lower part of the downward expanded portion 44, and allows air to be more reliably blown to the entire downward expanded portion 44. In addition, the dead space generated between the lower surface of the blower housing 40 and the downward expanded portion 44 can be reduced. The same applies to the blower unit 30A shown in FIG. 4 and the blower unit 30C (not shown).

[0096] Refer to FIG. 4A and FIG. 5. Fifth, in any one of the first to fourth blower units 30A, the blower housing 40A is provided with a partition wall 48 that divides the flow path R into upper and lower parts around the radial outer periphery of the fan 33. An introduction member 100 for guiding the blown air to each of the upper flow path R1 formed at the upper part of the partition wall 48 and the lower flow path R2 formed at the lower part of the partition wall 48 is provided from the downstream side of the inside / outside air adjustment door 50 to the partition wall 48. The inside / outside air adjustment door 50 includes a first door 55f for adjusting the ratio of the inside air and the outside air sent to the upper flow path R1, and a second door 55s for adjusting the ratio of the inside air and the outside air sent to the lower flow path R2. It is possible to provide a compact blower unit 30A that can blow air to two layers, the upper flow path R1 and the lower flow path R2. The same applies to the blower unit 30C (not shown).

[0097] See Fig. 8. Sixth, in any of the first to fourth blower units 30B, the blower housing 40B is provided with a dividing wall 48 that divides the flow path R into upper and lower parts around the radially outer periphery of the fan 33B, and a second suction port 49 that is formed in the lower surface opposite the suction port 46 to take in the blown air into the lower flow path R2 formed in the lower part of this dividing wall 48.

[0098] The fan 33 is provided with a partition wall 33d that separates an upper flow path R1 and a lower flow path R2 formed on an upper portion of the dividing wall 48. A second inside / outside air adjustment door 120 that adjusts the ratio of the inside air in the vehicle compartment VI and the outside air outside the vehicle that are sucked into the blower housing 40B is provided below the second suction port 49. The second inside / outside air adjustment door 120 is slidable so as to describe a downwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory around a second door rotation center line O2 located above the second suction port 49.

[0099] It is possible to provide a compact blower unit 30B even though it is provided with upper and lower inside / outside air adjustment doors 50, 120. The same is true for the blower unit 30C (not shown).

[0100] Incidentally, the inside / outside air adjustment door of the blower unit according to the present invention has been described as being electronically controlled by the control unit, but it may also be one in which the door bodies 55, 55A, 55C are linked together by the occupant operating a manual knob to adjust the ratio of inside and outside air.

[0101] The inside / outside air adjustment doors 50, 50A are slidable along an upwardly convex arc-shaped track, and the door rotation center line O may be located below the air inlet 46. With this configuration, the arc-shaped track of the inside / outside air adjustment doors 50, 50A is prevented from expanding in the vertical direction, so that the blower units 30, 30A, 30B can be made compact in the vertical direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the door rotation center line O is located below the bottom surface portion 41. The arc-shaped track of the inside / outside air adjustment doors 50, 50A is prevented from expanding in the vertical direction, so that the blower units 30, 30A, 30B can be made more compact in the vertical direction.

[0102] Also, the second door rotation center line O2 has been described as being located above the second air inlet 49, but it is preferable that it is located above the upper surface portion 42. Since the bulge in the vertical direction of the arc-shaped path of the second inside / outside air adjustment door 120 is further suppressed, the blower unit 30B can be made even more compact in the vertical direction.

[0103] As long as the functions and effects of the present invention are achieved, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. For example, the partition wall 33d provided in the fan 33B described in the third embodiment may be provided in the fan 33 described in the second embodiment. The separation between the outside air that has passed through the outside of the neck portion 102 of the introduction member 100 and the inside air that has passed through the inside of the neck portion 102 can be improved. [Industrial Applicability]

[0104] The blower unit of the present invention is suitable for installation in a passenger vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10. Vehicle 30, 30A, 30B, 30C...Vehicle air conditioning blower unit 32...blower motor, 32a...rotating shaft portion 33, 33B…fan, 33d…compartment wall 40, 40A, 40B...Blower housing 44…Downward expansion 45…Upper expansion 46…Suction port 47…Air outlet 48…dividing wall 49…Second suction port 50, 50A, 50C...Indoor / outdoor air adjustment door 55f…1st door, 55s…2nd door 100...Introduction material 120…Second air adjustment door VI…Car interior CL: Rotation axis O: Door rotation center line O2: 2nd door rotation centerline R...flow path, R1...upper flow path, R2...lower flow path

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning blower unit mounted in a passenger compartment (VI) of a vehicle (10), comprising: a blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) in which the blown air is sucked in through an inlet (46) formed on the top surface and blown out through an outlet (47) formed on the side, and in which the flow path area, which is the area of ​​a flow path (R) of the blown air, gradually increases; A blower motor (32) having a rotating shaft portion (32a); a fan (33; 33B) rotatably provided inside the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and configured to rotate about a rotation axis (CL) of the rotating shaft portion (32a) to draw in ventilation air from the suction port (46) into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and blow out the ventilation air in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis (CL); an inside / outside air adjusting door (50; 50A) provided above the suction port (46) for adjusting the ratio of inside air in the vehicle cabin (VI) and outside air outside the vehicle that are sucked into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B); The air outlet (47) is formed forward of the rotation axis (CL), The blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) has a downwardly expanding portion (44) that gradually protrudes downward toward the downstream of the flow path (R), The inside / outside air adjustment door (50; 50A) is slidable so as to describe an upwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory centered on a door rotation center line (O) located below the suction port (46).

2. A vehicle air conditioning blower unit mounted in a passenger compartment (VI) of a vehicle (10), comprising: a blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) in which the blown air is sucked in through an inlet (46) formed on the top surface and blown out through an outlet (47) formed on the side, and in which the flow path area, which is the area of ​​a flow path (R) of the blown air, gradually increases; A blower motor (32) having a rotating shaft portion (32a); a fan (33; 33B) rotatably provided inside the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and configured to rotate about a rotation axis (CL) of the rotating shaft portion (32a) to draw in ventilation air from the suction port (46) into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) and blow out the ventilation air in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis (CL); an inside / outside air adjusting door (50C) provided above the suction port (46) for adjusting the ratio of inside air in the vehicle cabin (VI) and outside air outside the vehicle sucked into the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B); The air outlet (47) is formed forward of the rotation axis (CL), The blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) has a downwardly expanding portion (44) that gradually protrudes downward toward the downstream of the flow path (R), The inside / outside air adjusting door (50C) is slidable so as to draw a planar track, and is a blower unit for vehicle air conditioning.

3. 3. The blower unit for vehicle air conditioning according to claim 1, wherein the blower housing (40; 40A; 40B) has an upwardly expanding portion (45) that gradually projects upward toward a downstream of the flow path (R).

4. 3. The blower unit for vehicle air conditioning according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis (CL) is inclined forward from bottom to top.

5. The blower housing (40A) is provided with a dividing wall (48) around the radially outer periphery of the fan (33) to divide the flow path (R) into upper and lower parts, an introduction member (100) for guiding the blown air to an upper flow passage (R1) formed in an upper portion of the partition wall (48) and a lower flow passage (R2) formed in a lower portion of the partition wall (48) is provided from the downstream side of the inside / outside air adjustment door (50A; 50C) to the partition wall (48); The air conditioning unit for vehicles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inside / outside air adjustment door (50A; 50C) includes a first door (55f; 50Cf) for adjusting the ratio of inside air and outside air sent to the upper flow path (R1), and a second door (55s; 50Cs) for adjusting the ratio of inside air and outside air sent to the lower flow path (R2).

6. The blower housing (40B) is provided with a partition wall (48) that divides the flow path (R) into upper and lower parts around the radially outer periphery of the fan (33), and a second suction port (49) that is formed on a lower surface opposite to the suction port (46) for taking in blown air into a lower flow path (R2) formed in a lower part of the partition wall (48), The fan (33B) is provided with a partition wall (33d) that partitions an upper flow path (R1) formed on an upper portion of the partition wall (48) from the lower flow path (R2), a second inside / outside air adjusting door (120) for adjusting the ratio of the inside air in the vehicle cabin (VI) and the outside air outside the vehicle sucked into the blower housing (40B) is provided below the second suction port (49); 3. The vehicle air conditioning blower unit according to claim 1, wherein the second inside / outside air adjustment door (120) is slidable so as to describe a downwardly convex arc-shaped trajectory around a second door rotation center line (O2) located above the second intake port (49).

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