Vehicle air-conditioning duct

Abstract

To provide a vehicle air-conditioning duct that can solve the issue in a conventional air-conditioning duct in which fragrances or the like are contained in the outermost coating layer of the duct and the odor does not last long.SOLUTION: In a vehicle air conditioning duct 10 of the present invention, slits 34 formed in an inner layer portion 33 perform an opening and closing operation in accordance with the temperature of air-conditioning air. Then, since an intermediate layer portion 32 is exposed to an air channel 23 through an opening 36 of the opened slit 34, odor components contained in the intermediate layer portion 32 are released into the air channel 23. With this structure, odors in a vehicle cabin 21 are automatically adjusted during operation of an air-conditioning device 11 of a vehicle, thereby improving comfort of occupants. Further, when the air-conditioning device 11 is stopped, the slit 34 closes, whereby the odor components contained in the intermediate layer portion 32 are retained in the intermediate layer portion 32 over a long period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning duct for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional insulating material for air conditioning ducts in railway vehicles, for example, the structure described in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] A laminated insulation material that is non-flammable in vehicle material combustion tests, emits little harmful gas in the event of a fire, and is lightweight has been developed as an insulation material for air conditioning ducts in railway vehicles. The laminated insulation material includes, for example, a foamed resin layer, a glass cloth layer bonded to the upper surface of the foamed resin layer, an aluminum foil layer bonded to the upper surface of the glass cloth layer, and a coating layer of a coat resin formed on the upper surface of the aluminum foil layer.

[0004] The coating layer may be formed by applying a mixture of a water repellent, a water absorbent, an antibacterial agent, an antifungal agent, a deodorant, an aromatic agent, etc., through a composite treatment, or the water repellent, etc. may be mixed with a resin and applied as an overcoat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-149713 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] By disposing the above-mentioned air conditioning duct insulation material in a duct, the outbreak of a fire in a railroad car can be prevented. Even if a fire does occur in the railroad car, the fire is prevented from spreading and the generation of toxic gases is prevented.

[0007] As described above, by mixing an aromatic agent into the coating layer of the heat insulating material for air conditioning ducts, it is possible to release odorous components into the interior of the railway vehicle. However, the coating layer is located on the outermost surface of the heat insulating material for air conditioning ducts, and is constantly exposed to the outside air, which causes a problem that the odorous components tend to disappear.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and relates to an air conditioning duct for a vehicle in which slits are formed in the inner layer of the duct and the slits open according to the temperature of the air conditioning air, making it possible to easily adjust odors inside the vehicle cabin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioning duct, which is used as an air passage for an air conditioning device that blows conditioned air into the passenger compartment of a vehicle, and which has an inner layer portion having slits formed therein and which expands and contracts in response to the temperature of the conditioned air, an outer layer portion having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the inner layer portion and which expands and contracts in response to the temperature of the conditioned air, and an intermediate layer portion disposed between the inner layer portion and the outer layer portion and which contains odorous components, and which is characterized in that the slits open in conjunction with the expansion and contraction movements of the inner layer portion and the outer layer portion, thereby releasing the odorous components in the intermediate layer portion into the air passage. Effect of the Invention

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the slits formed in the inner layer of the vehicle air conditioning duct open and close depending on the temperature of the conditioned air. The middle layer is exposed to the air passage through the open slits, and odorous components contained in the middle layer are released into the air passage. This structure automatically adjusts the odor in the vehicle cabin when the vehicle's air conditioning system is operating, improving the comfort of the occupants. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an air conditioning device using a vehicle air conditioning duct according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A]1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air conditioning duct for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air conditioning duct for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air conditioning duct for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air conditioning duct for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a vehicle air conditioning duct 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, the same reference numbers are used for the same members in principle, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an air conditioner 11 in which a vehicle air conditioning duct 10 according to the present embodiment is used. Figs. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views illustrating a hot air duct 10A of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 according to the present embodiment. Figs. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views illustrating a cold air duct 10B of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner 11 is disposed behind the dashboard of a vehicle. The air conditioner 11 is a device that adjusts the temperature of a vehicle interior 21, that is, heats, cools, and ventilates the vehicle interior. The air conditioner 11 is also called an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system. The air conditioner 11 mainly includes a switching damper 12, a blower 13, a cooler 14, and a heater 15. These various components are housed inside a housing 16. The air conditioner 11 is controlled by a vehicle control unit (not shown), and the blowing amount and temperature of the conditioned air are controlled by various sensors such as a room temperature sensor and by operation by the occupant.

[0015] The air conditioner 11 may be installed in a vehicle such as an engine vehicle, an EV (Electric Vehicle), an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

[0016] The housing 16 is made of a synthetic resin plate or the like formed into a substantially box shape. The housing 16 is connected to the vehicle air conditioning duct 10. The vehicle air conditioning duct 10 is connected to various air outlets 17, such as a dashboard air outlet and a rear seat air outlet (not shown). The conditioned air heated or cooled by the air conditioner 11 is blown into the passenger compartment 21 of the vehicle through the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 as an air passage.

[0017] The vehicle air conditioning duct 10 is configured by connecting a plurality of hot air ducts 10A (see FIG. 2A) and cold air ducts 10B (see FIG. 3A). The hot air duct 10A and the cold air duct 10B are formed as a multi-layer structure of a synthetic resin plate or the like by extrusion molding, for example, as described in detail below. The hot air duct 10A is a duct in which the slits 34 (see FIG. 2A) of the inner layer portion 33 (see FIG. 2A) are appropriately opened by being heated by the heated air conditioning air. On the other hand, the cold air duct 10B is a duct in which the slits 44 (see FIG. 3A) of the inner layer portion 43 (see FIG. 3A) are appropriately opened by being cooled by the cooled air conditioning air. Although not shown, the vehicle space duct 10 may include a duct that does not have a slit in the inner layer portion in addition to the hot air duct 10A and the cold air duct 10B.

[0018] The switching damper 12 is configured to take in air from the vehicle interior 21 in the internal air recirculation mode, and to take in air from outside the vehicle 22 in the external air introduction mode. The switching damper 12 is switched by a motor (not shown). This structure is the same for the other dampers.

[0019] Specifically, as shown by the solid line, closing the opening connected to the vehicle interior 21 with the switching damper 12 results in an outside air introduction mode in which air is taken in from outside the vehicle 22. On the other hand, as shown by the dotted line, closing the opening connected to the vehicle exterior 22 with the switching damper 12 results in an inside air circulation mode in which air is taken in from the vehicle interior 21.

[0020] The blower 13 is disposed inside the housing 16 near the switching damper 12, and blows the air introduced by the switching damper 12 toward the cooler 14, etc. The blower 13 is also referred to as a blower.

[0021] The cooler 14 is disposed behind the blower 13, and cools the air blown by the blower 13. As the cooler 14, for example, an evaporator of a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle can be used.

[0022] The heater 15 is disposed behind the internal switching damper 18, and heats the air blown by the blower 13. As the heater 15, for example, a heat core can be used that is supplied with hot water heated by the exhaust heat of the engine and heats the air by the hot water.

[0023] The internal switching damper 18 is disposed in front of the heater 15 inside the housing 16. When the internal switching damper 18 is disposed on the lower side inside the housing 16 as shown by the solid line, the air blown by the blower 13 passes through a first air passage 19 in the upper part of the housing 16. That is, when the air conditioner 11 is in heating operation, the air blown by the blower 13 passes through the first air passage 19, is heated by the heater 15, and is then blown into the vehicle air conditioning duct 10.

[0024] On the other hand, when the internal switching damper 18 is disposed on the upper side inside the housing 16 as indicated by the dotted line, the air blown by the blower 13 passes through the second air passage 20 at the bottom of the housing 16. In other words, when the air conditioner 11 is in cooling operation, the air blown by the blower 13 passes through the second air passage 20, is cooled by the cooler 14, and then is blown into the vehicle air conditioning duct 10.

[0025] Next, Fig. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of the hot air duct 10A of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, for example, when the air conditioner 11 is stopped while the vehicle is running. Meanwhile, Fig. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the hot air duct 10A of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, for example, when the air conditioner 11 is operating in heating mode while the vehicle is running. For convenience of explanation, Fig. 2B shows a schematic image of the state of the hot air duct 10A.

[0026] 2A, the hot air duct 10A is formed, for example, by extrusion molding. The hot air duct 10A is formed as a three-layered duct made of resin, with an outer layer 31, an intermediate layer 32, and an inner layer 33 arranged in this order from the surface side. The outer layer 31, the intermediate layer 32, and the inner layer 33 are integrally formed, and the air passage 23 of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 is formed inside the inner layer 33.

[0027] The outer layer portion 31 is formed as a hollow box-shaped body by the above-mentioned extrusion molding, using, for example, polypropylene, which is a thermoplastic resin, as a main material. The outer layer portion 31 is designed to have a larger linear expansion coefficient than the inner layer portion 33 by, for example, reducing the glass fiber content of the outer layer portion 31 compared to the inner layer portion 33.

[0028] The intermediate layer 32 is formed, for example, mainly from urethane, which is a foamed resin, and is formed in a state where it is sandwiched between the outer layer 31 and the inner layer 33. The urethane of the intermediate layer 32 contains odorous components derived from plants, such as coffee, maple, and pineapple. As will be described in detail later, the slits 34 formed in the inner layer 33 are opened, and an opening 36 (see FIG. 2B) is formed in the inner layer 33. By exposing the intermediate layer 32 to the air passage 23 through the opening 36, the odorous components in the intermediate layer 32 are released into the conditioned air in the air passage 23.

[0029] The inner layer portion 33 is formed as a hollow box-shaped body by the above-mentioned extrusion molding, using, for example, polypropylene, which is a thermoplastic resin, as a main material. The inner layer portion 33 is designed to have a smaller linear expansion coefficient than the outer layer portion 31, for example, by increasing the glass fiber content of the inner layer portion 33 more than that of the outer layer portion 31.

[0030] As shown in the figure, a plurality of slits 34 are formed in the inner layer portion 33 along the extension direction of the hot air duct 10A. The slits 34 are formed in the thickness direction of the inner layer portion 33. When the hot air duct 10A is heated by the air conditioning wind and expands, the formation area of ​​the slits 34 opens, and openings 36 are formed in the inner layer portion 33. On the other hand, when the air conditioning wind stops and the hot air duct 10A returns to normal temperature, the slits 34 close and the openings 36 disappear.

[0031] Here, as the air conditioner 11 performs heating operation while the vehicle is running, the conditioned air heated by the heater 15 flows through the air passage 23 in the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 and is sent to the vehicle compartment 21. Then, as the heated conditioned air flows through the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the temperature of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 itself also rises.

[0032] 2B, the hot air duct 10A of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 expands as a result of being heated by the heated air. As described above, the linear expansion coefficient of the outer layer portion 31 becomes greater than the linear expansion coefficient of the inner layer portion 33, causing the outer layer portion 31 to expand more than the inner layer portion 33. Then, as shown by arrow 35, the outer layer portion 31 of the hot air duct 10A expands so as to spread outward, but the inner layer portion 33 cannot keep up with the amount of expansion of the outer layer portion 31, so slits 34 open and an opening 36 is formed in the inner layer portion 33.

[0033] As a result, the intermediate layer 32 is exposed to the air passage 23 through the opening 36 of the inner layer 33. Then, the intermediate layer 32 exposed to the air passage 23 is directly exposed to the heated conditioned air, and the odorous components contained in the intermediate layer 32 are released into the heated conditioned air. Then, the conditioned air containing the odorous components is released into the vehicle interior 21, filling the vehicle interior 21 with an odor corresponding to the odorous components.

[0034] Thereafter, the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 21 is adjusted to the temperature set by the occupant, and the vehicle control unit stops the air conditioner 11 via the room temperature sensor, thereby stopping the supply of the heated conditioned air to the vehicle air conditioning duct 10. Then, as the temperature of the hot air duct 10A drops to room temperature, the outer layer 31 and the inner layer 33 return to their original states, the slits 34 close, and the openings 36 disappear. As a result, the intermediate layer 32 is again covered by the inner layer 33, and the release of odorous components in the intermediate layer 32 into the air passage 23 also stops.

[0035] 3A and 3B, in the cold air duct 10B of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the linear expansion coefficient of the inner layer portion 43 is greater than that of the outer layer portion 41, so that the inner layer portion 43 expands more than the outer layer portion 41. When the cold air duct 10B is heated by the heating operation of the air conditioner 11, the inner layer portion 43 and the outer layer portion 41 expand, but the expansion of the inner layer portion 43 is suppressed by the outer layer portion 41. As a result, the slits 44 of the inner layer portion 43 are kept closed, so that the odorous components in the intermediate layer portion 42 are prevented from being released into the air passage 23.

[0036] Next, Fig. 3A shows a cross-sectional view of the cold air duct 10B of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, for example, when the air conditioner 11 is stopped while the vehicle is running. Meanwhile, Fig. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the cold air duct 10B of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, for example, when the air conditioner 11 is operating in cooling mode while the vehicle is running. For convenience of explanation, Fig. 3B shows a schematic image of the state of the cold air duct 10B.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 3A, the cold air duct 10B is formed, for example, by extrusion molding. The cold air duct 10B is formed as a three-layered duct made of resin, with an outer layer 41, an intermediate layer 42, and an inner layer 43 arranged in this order from the surface side. The outer layer 41, the intermediate layer 42, and the inner layer 43 are integrally formed, and the air passage 23 of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 is formed inside the inner layer 43.

[0038] The outer layer portion 41 is formed as a hollow box-shaped body by the above-mentioned extrusion molding, using, for example, polypropylene, which is a thermoplastic resin, as a main material. The outer layer portion 41 is designed to have a smaller linear expansion coefficient than the inner layer portion 43, for example, by increasing the glass fiber content of the outer layer portion 41 more than that of the inner layer portion 33.

[0039] The intermediate layer 42 is formed, for example, mainly from urethane, which is a foamed resin, and is formed in a state where it is sandwiched between the outer layer 41 and the inner layer 43. The urethane of the intermediate layer 42 contains odorous components derived from plants, such as coffee, maple, and pineapple. As will be described in detail later, the slits 44 formed in the inner layer 43 are opened, and an opening 46 (see FIG. 3B) is formed in the inner layer 43. By exposing the intermediate layer 42 to the air passage 23 through the opening 46, the odorous components in the intermediate layer 42 are released into the conditioned air in the air passage 23.

[0040] The inner layer portion 43 is formed as a hollow box-shaped body by the above-mentioned extrusion molding, using, for example, polypropylene, which is a thermoplastic resin, as a main material. The inner layer portion 43 is designed to have a larger linear expansion coefficient than the outer layer portion 41 by, for example, reducing the glass fiber content of the inner layer portion 43 compared to the outer layer portion 41.

[0041] As shown in the figure, a plurality of slits 44 are formed in the inner layer portion 43 along the extension direction of the cold air duct 10B. The slits 44 are formed across the thickness direction of the inner layer portion 43. When the cold air duct 10B is cooled by the conditioned air and contracts, the formation area of ​​the slits 44 in the inner layer portion 43 opens, and an opening 46 is formed. On the other hand, when the conditioned air stops and the cold air duct 10B returns to normal temperature, the slits 44 close and the opening 46 disappears.

[0042] Here, when the air conditioner 11 is in cooling operation while the vehicle is running, the conditioned air cooled by the cooler 14 flows through the air passage 23 in the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 and is sent to the vehicle compartment 21. Then, in the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the flow of the cooled conditioned air causes the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 itself to be cooled.

[0043] 3B, the cold air duct 10B of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 is cooled by the cooled air and contracts. As described above, the linear expansion coefficient of the inner layer portion 43 becomes larger than the linear expansion coefficient of the outer layer portion 41, so that the inner layer portion 43 contracts more than the outer layer portion 41. Then, as shown by arrow 45, the inner layer portion 43 of the cold air duct 10B contracts inward, but the outer layer portion 41 cannot keep up with the amount of contraction of the inner layer portion 43, and the contraction of a portion of the inner layer portion 43 is restricted, so that a slit 44 opens and an opening 46 is formed in the inner layer portion 43.

[0044] As a result, the intermediate layer 42 is exposed to the air passage 23 through the opening 46 of the inner layer 43. Then, the intermediate layer 42 exposed to the air passage 23 is directly exposed to the cooled conditioned air, and the odorous components contained in the intermediate layer 42 are released into the cooled conditioned air. Then, the conditioned air containing the odorous components is released into the vehicle interior 21, and the interior of the vehicle interior 21 is filled with an odor corresponding to the odorous components.

[0045] Thereafter, the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 21 is adjusted to the temperature set by the occupant, and the vehicle control unit stops the air conditioner 11 via the room temperature sensor, thereby stopping the supply of cooled conditioned air to the vehicle air conditioning duct 10. Then, as the temperature of the cool air duct 10B rises to room temperature, the inner layer 43 and the outer layer 41 return to their original states, the slits 44 close, and the openings 46 disappear. As a result, the intermediate layer 42 is again covered by the inner layer 43, and the release of odorous components in the intermediate layer 42 into the air passage 23 also stops.

[0046] As described above with reference to Figs. 2A and 2B, in the hot air duct 10A of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the linear expansion coefficient of the outer layer 31 is greater than that of the inner layer 33, so that the outer layer 31 contracts more than the inner layer 33. When the hot air duct 10A is cooled by the cooling operation of the air conditioner 11, the outer layer 31 contracts more than the inner layer 33. As a result, the inner layer 33 is pushed inward by the outer layer 31, so that the slits 34 of the inner layer 33 remain closed. This prevents odorous components in the intermediate layer 32 from being released into the air passage 23.

[0047] As described above, in the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 of this embodiment, the slits 34 of the hot air duct 10A or the slits 44 of the cold air duct 10B open in response to the temperature of the conditioned air flowing through the air passage 23, and the odorous components in the intermediate layers 32, 42 are automatically released into the air passage 23. This structure eliminates the need for the vehicle occupant to place a perfume bottle or the like in the passenger compartment 21 or to spray perfume into the passenger compartment 21 by themselves.

[0048] In the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the slits 34, 44 are opened appropriately according to the temperature of the air conditioning air, thereby preventing the intermediate layers 32, 42 from being constantly exposed to the air passage 23. This structure prevents the odorous components contained in the intermediate layers 32, 42 from disappearing early.

[0049] In the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the intermediate layer portions 32, 42 made of foamed resin are disposed between the outer layer portions 31, 41 and the inner layer portions 33, 43. With this structure, the outer layer portions 31, 41 and the inner layer portions 33, 43 repeatedly expand and contract in response to the temperature of the air conditioning air, but the distortion caused by the expansion and contraction is absorbed by the intermediate layer portions 32, 42. As a result, deformation such as warping of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 as a whole is prevented.

[0050] Furthermore, in the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, the desired strength is maintained by the outer layer portions 31, 41 and the inner layer portions 33, 43. This structure makes it possible to use a foamed resin for the intermediate layer portions 32, 42, and the desired odorous components can be contained in the intermediate layer portions 32, 42. Furthermore, by using a foamed resin for the intermediate layer portions 32, 42, the heat retention and insulation effect of the conditioned air is obtained, and the efficiency of the air conditioning inside the vehicle is improved.

[0051] In this embodiment, the vehicle air conditioning duct 10 is described as being composed of the hot air duct 10A, the cold air duct 10B, and a normal duct with no slits (not shown), and in particular, the hot air duct 10A and the cold air duct 10B are not located in specific positions within the vehicle air conditioning duct 10, but this is not limited to this. For example, although this differs depending on the vehicle model, the hot air duct 10A and the cold air duct 10B may be located in positions that facilitate replacement of the vehicle air conditioning duct 10. In addition, various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10. Air conditioning ducts for vehicles 10A Hot air duct 10B Cold air duct 11 Air conditioner 14 Cooler 15 Heater 19 1st wind path 20 2nd wind path 21 Cabin 22 Outside the vehicle 23 Wind path 31 Outer layer 32 Middle Class 33 Inner Layer 34 Slit 36 Opening 41 Outer layer 42 Middle Class 43 Inner Layer 44 Slit 46 Opening

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning duct used as an air passage for an air conditioner that blows conditioned air into a vehicle cabin, An inner layer portion having slits formed therein and expanding and contracting in response to the temperature of the conditioned air; an outer layer portion having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the inner layer portion and expanding and contracting in response to the temperature of the air conditioning air; An intermediate layer portion is disposed between the inner layer portion and the outer layer portion and contains an odorous component, An air conditioning duct for a vehicle, characterized in that the slits open in conjunction with the expansion and contraction movements of the inner layer and the outer layer, thereby releasing the odorous components from the middle layer into the air passage.

2. The air passage is formed by connecting a plurality of ducts, The duct is A hot air duct in which the slit is opened by the air conditioning air heated by a heater of the air conditioning device; 2. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 1, further comprising: a cold air duct in which the slits are opened by the air conditioning air cooled by a cooler of the air conditioning device.

3. In the hot air duct, the linear expansion coefficient of the outer layer portion is greater than the linear expansion coefficient of the inner layer portion, 3. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 2, wherein in the cold air duct, the linear expansion coefficient of the outer layer portion is smaller than the linear expansion coefficient of the inner layer portion.

4. 4. The vehicle air conditioning duct according to claim 1, wherein the slit is in a closed state at least when the air conditioning device is stopped.

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