Vehicle cooling system

Abstract

To solve the problem that it is difficult to efficiently cool an entire vehicle interior in a conventional vehicle cooling system.SOLUTION: A vehicle cooling system that discharges cool air from a cool air duct 4 to an air flow path 6C of a defroster 6 in a dashboard D or its outlet includes: a roof panel RP having a radiative cooling layer 1 on an outer surface of a vehicle; a roof trim RT arranged along an inside of the vehicle; a cooling space 3 that is formed between the roof panel RP and the roof trim RT and has an air inlet 2 on a rear end side of the vehicle; a cool air duct 4 that runs from the cooling space 3 through an inside of a front pillar P to the dashboard D; and an airflow generator 5 that generates an airflow from a rear side of the vehicle to a front side of the vehicle in the cooling space 3. The vehicle cooling system enables cooling of air inside a vehicle compartment 50 with little energy, and uses the defroster 6 to form an airflow that circulates throughout the vehicle compartment 50, thereby efficiently cooling the entire vehicle compartment 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle cooling system used to reduce the temperature of a vehicle cabin in various vehicles such as automobiles.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a cooling system as described above, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle air conditioner including an air conditioning unit disposed on the ceiling of the front seat in a vehicle and a duct extending from the air conditioning unit through the inside of the center pillar to the foot area of the front seat. This vehicle air conditioner is provided with air outlets at an intermediate portion of the duct passing through the center pillar and at an end portion of the duct disposed at the foot area, so as to enhance the comfort inside the vehicle cabin.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above-described conventional vehicle cooling system is mainly for the passengers in the front seats, and has a problem that it is difficult to efficiently cool the entire vehicle cabin. Solving such a problem has been an issue.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle cooling system that can cool the air inside the vehicle cabin with less energy, form an air flow circulating throughout the vehicle cabin by using a defroster, and efficiently cool the entire vehicle cabin.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle cooling system according to the present invention includes a roof panel having a radiation cooling layer that emits far-infrared rays on the outer surface of the vehicle, a roof trim disposed along the inner surface of the vehicle of the roof panel, and a cooling space formed between the roof panel and the roof trim and having an air inlet on the rear end side of the vehicle. Further, the vehicle cooling system includes a cold air duct that extends from the front end side of the vehicle in the cooling space, passes through the inside of the front pillar, and reaches the dashboard, and an air flow generator that generates an air flow in the direction from the rear side of the vehicle to the front side of the vehicle in the cooling space, and is characterized in that cold air is discharged from the cold air duct at the air flow path or the outlet of the air flow path of the defroster in the dashboard.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] In the vehicle cooling system according to the present invention, the air flow generator introduces the air in the vehicle interior into the cooling space, and the heat of the introduced air is radiated to the outside by the radiation cooling layer of the roof panel to cool the introduced air. Then, the vehicle cooling system cools the introduced air into cold air, guides the cold air to the dashboard by the cold air duct, and supplies the cold air to the air flow path or the outlet of the air flow path of the defroster for the front glass, so that the air containing the cold air is blown out from the upper part of the dashboard to the interior surface of the front glass. As a result, an air flow in the direction from the front side to the rear side is generated in the vehicle interior, and a part of the air flowing to the rear side of the vehicle interior is introduced into the cooling space from the air inlet.

[0008] The vehicle cooling system according to the present invention can cool the air in the vehicle interior with less energy, and can form an air flow circulating throughout the vehicle interior by using the defroster, and can efficiently cool the entire vehicle interior.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] <First Embodiment> Figures 1 to 3 are views showing a first embodiment of a vehicle cooling system according to the present invention. In the vehicle V shown in FIG. 1, the left direction in the figure is the front, and in the vehicle V shown in FIG. 2, the downward direction in the figure is the front. The vehicle V includes a roof R, a front pillar P, and a windshield G, and is a general one having a front seat FS, a rear seat RS, a dashboard D, a steering wheel H, etc. inside the passenger compartment 50. The roof R is composed of a roof panel RP which is an outer plate and a roof trim RT which is an interior material.

[0011] The vehicle cooling system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 basically includes a roof panel RP having a radiation cooling layer 1 that emits far-infrared rays on the outer surface of the vehicle, a roof trim RT disposed along the inner surface of the vehicle of the roof panel RP, and a cooling space 3 formed between the roof panel RP and the roof trim RT and having an air inlet 2 on the vehicle rear end side.

[0012] Further, the vehicle cooling system includes a cold air duct 4 that extends from the front end side of the vehicle in the cooling space 3 through the inside of the front pillar P to the dashboard D, and an air flow generator 5 that generates an air flow in the direction from the rear side to the front side of the vehicle in the cooling space 3, and has a structure for discharging cold air from the cold air duct 4 at the air flow path or the outlet of the air flow path of the defroster 6 in the dashboard D. Note that, for the sake of convenience, the drawings schematically show each component, and the exact position, size, etc. of each component are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0013] The radiative cooling layer 1 has the property of emitting electromagnetic waves and lowering the temperature when exposed to light from the sun. The wavelength range of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radiative cooling layer is a wavelength range called the "atmospheric window" where the influence of the atmosphere is small and the light transmittance is high, for example, infrared rays from 7 μm to 13 μm and from 16 μm to 30 μm. Since the absorption rate of infrared rays in this wavelength range by the atmosphere is low, when irradiated from near the ground surface towards the sky, it can propagate to outer space. The radiative cooling layer 11 can receive sunlight with a wavelength of 0.3 μm to 3 μm and irradiate infrared rays in the atmospheric window, thereby releasing thermal energy into outer space. Examples of materials for forming such a radiative cooling layer include, for example, SPACECOOL (manufactured by SPACECOOL), films and paints manufactured by Radi-Cool, etc.

[0014] The cooling effect by such a radiative cooling layer 1 is represented by the following formula (1) called, for example, Stefan-Boltzmann's law. I = εσ(λ)(T 4 - T0 4 )…(1) In formula (1), I: radiative energy, ε: Stefan-Boltzmann constant, σ(λ): emissivity, T: object temperature, T0: environmental temperature

[0015] The object temperature T is, for example, the temperature of a vehicle directly irradiated by sunlight. The environmental temperature T0 is the temperature of the universe, for example, -264°C. As shown by formula (1), according to the radiative cooling layer, the radiative cooling effect increases in proportion to the fourth power of the temperature. The higher the object temperature T, that is, the higher the temperature of the vehicle, the greater the radiative cooling effect.

[0016] Typically, the radiative cooling layer 1 as described above has a reflective layer, a polymer layer laminated on this reflective layer facing the atmosphere, and a plurality of particles dispersed inside this polymer layer.

[0017] Examples of the reflective layer include metal thin films such as silver (Ag) or aluminum (Al). Light incident on the light-receiving surface (the surface facing the atmosphere) of the polymer layer passes through the polymer layer, is reflected by the reflective layer, and then passes through the polymer layer again. The thickness of the reflective layer is not particularly limited, but for example, it is 30 nm or more and 1000 nm or less. As an example of the reflective layer, a silver thin film with a thickness of 200 nm may be used.

[0018] Examples of the polymer layer include any one or more of polyolefin, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polymethylpentene (PMP, also known as 4-methylpentene-1 and poly(4-methyl-1-pentene)), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), combinations thereof, and copolymers thereof. Alternatively, the polymer layer 42 may be composed of PMDS. PMDS is a type of silicone called polydimethylsiloxane. The thickness of the polymer layer only needs to be greater than the diameter of the dispersed particles, and for example, it is 4 μm or more and 1000 μm or less. As an example of the polymer layer, polymethylpentene with a thickness of 50 μm may be used.

[0019] The dispersed particles are composed of, for example, any one or more of silicon dioxide (silica, SiO2), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), silicon carbide (SiC), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and alumina (Al2O3). These particles may be spherical or non-spherical. The diameter of these particles (when the particles are non-spherical, the effective diameter or characteristic dimension) only needs to be smaller than the thickness of the polymer layer, and for example, it is 1 μm or more and 30 μm or less. As an example of such particles, silica spheres with a diameter of 8 μm may be used. The volume concentration of the particles in the polymer layer is, for example, 1% or more and 25% or less. In the polymer layer, silica spheres with a diameter of 8 μm may be dispersed at a volume concentration of 6%.

[0020] The layer containing the polymer layer and the dispersed particles as described above has one or more absorption bands in the wavelength range of the atmospheric window, is transparent or substantially transparent to sunlight from 0.3 μm to 3 μm, and has a high infrared emissivity in the atmospheric window.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the film-like radiative cooling layer 1 as described above is wrapped around the outer surface of the vehicle V, and is wrapped around, for example, the roof panel RP where direct sunlight is strong. Among the above-described reflective layers, the surface on the opposite side of the bonding surface with the polymer layer is attached to the vehicle V via an adhesive (not shown) or the like. By film wrapping, it is easy to attach the radiative cooling layer 1 to the vehicle V. Note that the radiative cooling layer 1 may be a coating film applied to the outer surface of the vehicle V (for example, the roof panel RP, etc.) instead of being in the form of a film. In the case of a coating film, the radiative cooling layer 1 is composed of a polymer and a large number of dispersed particles as described above. The surface to be coated (for example, the outer surface of the roof panel RP) functions as the above-described reflective layer. Also in the case of coating, it is easy to attach the radiative cooling layer 1 to the vehicle V. This radiative cooling layer 1 may be provided over the entire outer surface of the roof panel RP, or may be arranged in an appropriate area.

[0022] The air inlet 2 communicates the cooling space 3 with the interior of the passenger compartment 50, and panels having blade plates or ventilation holes can be provided at the opening portion thereof, and it can be arranged at a plurality of positions in the vehicle left-right direction according to the size of the cooling space 3 and the like. The cooling space 3 only needs to be continuous in the vehicle front-rear direction, and can be provided over the entire area between the roof panel RP and the roof trim RT, or in an appropriate area.

[0023] The cold air duct 4 is formed by piping that extends from both sides at the front end of the vehicle of the cooling space 3, passes through the inside of the left and right front pillars P, and reaches the inside of the dashboard D. As a more preferred embodiment, the cold air duct 4 can be provided with a heat insulating material 7 that covers its outer side. In the illustrated example of the cold air duct 4, the heat insulating material 7 is provided in the portion passing through the front pillar P, but the heat insulating material may also be provided in the portion arranged inside the dashboard D. Further, as a configuration for preventing the temperature rise of the cold air flowing through the cold air duct 4, it is also possible to provide the above-described radiation cooling layer 1 on the outer surface of the vehicle of the front pillar P.

[0024] The air flow generator 5 is, for example, a fan, and as long as it generates an air flow in the direction from the rear side to the front side of the vehicle in the cooling space 3, the number and arrangement can be appropriately selected. As a more preferred embodiment, it is arranged on the front end side of the vehicle of the cooling space 3. Since the air flow generator 5 in the illustrated example has the cold air ducts 4 on the left and right of the vehicle V, correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 2, it is arranged on both sides at the front end of the vehicle of the cooling space 3.

[0025] Further, the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment includes an air flow controller 8 that controls the air flow generator 5. This air flow controller 8 may be a part of the in-vehicle computer, and has a function of operating, stopping, and adjusting the air flow rate of the air flow generator 5 by operating the operation unit 8A arranged on the dashboard D. When the air flow generator 5 is a fan, the air flow rate can be changed by adjusting the rotation speed.

[0026] The defroster 6 is for the front glass G and includes an air supply source 6A containing a fan or the like. As an air flow path, it includes an air outlet 6B that is open into the passenger compartment 50 on the upper surface of the dashboard D, and an air duct 6C that leads from the air supply source 6A to the air outlet 6B. In the illustrated example, the above-mentioned cold air duct 4 is connected to the air duct 6C, which is the air flow path of the defroster 6, inside the dashboard D, and discharges cold air into the air duct 6C. Further, the cold air duct 4 may be integrally arranged on the upper surface or the wall surface of the dashboard D so as to discharge cold air into the air blown out from the outlet of the air flow path, that is, the air outlet 6B. Note that the defroster 6 may form part of the vehicle-mounted air conditioner.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the above-mentioned defroster 6 includes air outlets 6B arranged at a plurality of positions in the vehicle left-right direction, and the air outlets 6B are provided with an angle adjustment mechanism for changing the blowing direction of the air at least around the axis in the vehicle left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 3(A) to 3(C), the air outlet 6B includes a plurality of blade plates 12 parallel to its long side inside a case 11 having a rectangular frame shape in plan view, and has a structure in which each blade plate 12 is rotatably held around a shaft portion 13 in the vehicle left-right direction.

[0028] Further, the blade plates 12 are connected to each other by a link (not shown), and by reciprocating this link with a manually operated operation knob or a driving body such as a motor, they can rotate simultaneously, and as shown in FIG. 3(B), the blowing direction of the air can be changed in the vehicle front-rear direction. That is, the angle adjustment mechanism of this embodiment is composed of the blade plates 12, the rotating shaft 13, the operation knob or the driving body.

[0029] Note that the angle adjustment mechanism can also be configured to change the blowing direction around the axis in the vehicle front-rear direction. However, since a plurality of air outlets 6B are arranged in the vehicle left-right direction of the front glass G, a configuration that changes the blowing direction at least around the axis in the vehicle left-right direction can exhibit sufficient functions.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3(D), the air outlet 6B may be configured such that an appropriate number of the plurality of blade plates 12 are fixed at an angle along the blowing direction (arrow A11) along the windshield G, and the remaining blade plates 12 are fixed at an angle along the blowing direction (arrow A12) closer to the passenger compartment 50 side. Further, as shown in Fig. 3(E), the air outlet 6B may be configured such that the cross-sectional shape of the case 11 is shaped such that its internal space expands from the lower side to the upper side to diffuse the air over a wide range.

[0031] In the vehicle cooling system having the above configuration, as shown by arrows A1 and A2 in Fig. 1, the air flow generator 5 sucks and introduces the air in the passenger compartment 50 into the cooling space 3, and radiates the heat of the introduced air to the outside by the radiation cooling layer 1 of the roof panel RP to cool the introduced air. Then, as shown by arrows A3 and A4 in Fig. 1, the vehicle cooling system sends the cold air in the cooling space 3 into the cold air duct 4 by the air flow generator 5, guides it into the dashboard D, and supplies the cold air to the air duct 6C of the defroster 6.

[0032] The above vehicle cooling system blows out the air containing cold air from the upper part of the dashboard D to the inner surface of the windshield G by the defroster 6 as shown by arrow A5 in Fig. 1. At this time, the air outlet 6B of the defroster 6 blows out the air containing cold air not only in the direction along the inner surface of the windshield G, but also diffuses between the windshield G and the dashboard D as shown by arrows A6 and A7 in Fig. 1.

[0033] As a result, in the passenger compartment 50, an air flow is generated in the direction from the front side to the rear side as shown by arrows A8 and A9 in Fig. 1, and a part of the air flowing to the rear side of the passenger compartment as shown by arrow A1 in Fig. 1 is introduced from the air inlet 2 into the cooling space 3. That is, the vehicle cooling system generates an air flow that circulates throughout the passenger compartment 50 while cooling the air, as shown by arrows A1 to A9 in Fig. 1.

[0034] In this way, the above-described vehicle cooling system can cool the air in the passenger compartment 50 with less energy, and at the same time, form an air flow circulating throughout the passenger compartment 50 by using the defroster 6, and can efficiently cool the entire passenger compartment 50.

[0035] Here, when the vehicle V is exposed to direct sunlight (arrow L in FIG. 1) while parked, the upper surfaces of the dashboard D and the instrument panel become the hottest, so the temperature in the front region of the passenger compartment 50 tends to rise, and the heat radiation from the upper surfaces of the dashboard D and the instrument panel may give discomfort to the passengers. On the other hand, since the above-described air flow generation system uses the defroster - 6, in addition to the cooling effect of the entire passenger compartment 50, it is possible to easily cool the upper surface of the dashboard D that tends to become hot, and it can contribute to the improvement of the comfort for the passengers.

[0036] Further, the above-described vehicle cooling system adopts a heat insulating material 7 that covers the outside of the cold air duct 4, thereby suppressing the heat loss when sending the cold air generated in the cooling space 3 into the dashboard D that tends to become hot, and can further enhance the cooling function of the passenger compartment 50.

[0037] Furthermore, in the defroster 6 including the air supply source 6A, the air outlet 6B, and the air duct 6C of the above-described vehicle cooling system, by adopting the air outlet 6B provided with an angle adjustment mechanism, it becomes possible to adjust the angle such as directly hitting the cold air riding on the air flow of the defroster 6 on the passengers, and it is possible to further improve the comfort of the passengers.

[0038] Furthermore, the above-described vehicle cooling system has a structure in which the cold air duct 4 is connected to the air duct 6C of the defroster 6, so that the piping is arranged in the dashboard D, and the appearance of the dashboard D and the passenger compartment 50 can be maintained well.

[0039] Furthermore, since the above-described vehicle cooling system arranges the airflow generator 5 on the vehicle front end side of the cooling space 3, cold air can be efficiently circulated, realizing an improvement in cooling capacity. Note that the airflow generator 5 can also be arranged, for example, on the vehicle rear end side of the cooling space 3. However, in this case, while sucking and introducing the air in the passenger compartment 50 into the cooling space 3, the air in the cooling space 3 will be agitated, which may slightly interfere with the cooling by the radiation cooling layer 1 and the cooling space 3.

[0040] In contrast, in the above-described vehicle cooling system, by arranging the airflow generator 5 on the vehicle front end side of the cooling space 3, the air in the passenger compartment 50 is gently introduced into the cooling space 3 and reliably cooled, and the cold air is introduced into the cold air duct 4 so as to suck the cold air, so that the cold air can be efficiently circulated.

[0041] Furthermore, the above-described vehicle cooling system employs an airflow controller 8 having a function of operating, stopping, and adjusting the air flow rate of the airflow generator 5, so that it is possible to adjust to a preferred air flow and also adjust the cooling effect.

[0042] FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the second and third embodiments of the vehicle cooling system according to the present invention. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0043] <Second Embodiment> The vehicle cooling system shown in FIG. 4 has a basic configuration equivalent to that of the first embodiment, and has an opening portion (indicated by a black circle) 9 for allowing the air flowing inside to flow out to the outside in the middle of at least one of the ducts of the cold air duct 4 and the air duct 6C of the defroster 6.

[0044] In the vehicle cooling system of the illustrated example, two openings 9 are provided in the middle of the cold air duct 4 through the inside of the left and right front pillars P, and left and right openings 9 are provided in the middle of the cold air duct 4 inside the dashboard D. Left and right openings 9 are provided in the air duct 6C of the defroster 6 inside the dashboard D. At this time, the opening 9 arranged in the passenger compartment 50 is configured to be opened and closed manually or automatically, and the opening 9 arranged in the dashboard D is configured to be opened and closed automatically.

[0045] As shown by the black arrows in FIG. 4, the above vehicle cooling system can adjust to a preferred air flow and adjust the cooling effect by discharging cold air from the opening 9 arranged in the front pillar P. Similarly, as shown by the black arrows, by discharging cold air from the opening 9 arranged in the dashboard D, in addition to the upper surface of the dashboard D that tends to become hot, its inside can be cooled.

[0046] <Third Embodiment> The vehicle cooling system shown in FIG. 5 has a basic configuration equivalent to that of the first embodiment, and the cooling space 3 has a configuration having a second air inlet 10 in the middle from the front end side to the rear end side of the vehicle. In the vehicle cooling system of the illustrated example, in the roof trim RT, the second air inlet 10 is arranged slightly behind the front seat FS. This second air inlet 10 can be configured to be opened and closed manually or automatically.

[0047] The above vehicle cooling system will introduce the air in the passenger compartment 50 into the cooling space 3 from the second air inlet 10, and can accelerate the air flow circulation in the vehicle 50 to enhance the cooling effect. In particular, it is more effective when the passengers are only in the front seat FS.

[0048] The detailed configuration of the vehicle cooling system according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is of course possible to combine the configurations described in each embodiment.

Explanation of Signs

[0049] 1 Radiation cooling layer 2 Air inlet 3 Cooling space 4 Cold air duct 5 Airflow generator 6 Defroster 6A Air supply source 6B Air outlet 6C Air duct 7 Heat insulator 8 Airflow controller 9 Opening 10 Second air inlet 12 Blade plate (angle adjustment mechanism) 13 Rotation shaft (angle adjustment mechanism) D Dashboard P Front pillar RP Roof panel RT Roof trim

Claims

1. A roof panel having a radiation cooling layer that emits far-infrared rays on the outer surface of a vehicle, a roof trim disposed along the inner surface of the vehicle of the roof panel, a cooling space formed between the roof panel and the roof trim and having an air inlet on the rear end side of the vehicle, a cold air duct extending from the front end side of the vehicle of the cooling space through the inside of a front pillar to a dashboard, an air flow generator for generating an air flow in a direction from the rear side to the front side of the vehicle in the cooling space, and a vehicle cooling system characterized by discharging cold air from the cold air duct to an air flow path of a defroster or an outlet of the air flow path in the dashboard.

2. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulating material that covers the outside of the cold air duct.

3. The defroster includes an air supply source, and as the air flow path, an air outlet opened to the vehicle interior and an air duct extending from the air supply source to the air outlet, The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet includes an angle adjustment mechanism for changing an air blowing direction at least around an axis in the vehicle left-right direction.

4. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the cold air duct is connected to the air duct.

5. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the air flow generator is disposed on the front end side of the vehicle of the cooling space.

6. An air flow controller for controlling the air flow generator, The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the air flow controller has functions of operating, stopping, and adjusting an air flow rate of the air flow generator.

7. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the cold air duct and the air duct has an opening portion for allowing air flowing inside to flow out to the outside.

8. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling space has a second air inlet in the middle from the front end side to the rear end side of the vehicle.

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