Vehicle air conditioning system

Abstract

Moving the electric heater to the side of the casing improves ease of installation and removal. [Solution] The heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 is housed in the air conditioning casing 20. The air conditioning casing 20 is formed such that an attachment / detachment opening 24 for the heating element 61 opens from one side wall 22 in the vehicle width direction to the lower wall 23 of the air conditioning casing 20. The control board 62 of the electric heater 60 is positioned below the portion formed in the lower wall 23 of the attachment / detachment opening 24 and has a guided portion 62b that extends in the vehicle width direction. A guide portion 71 is provided on the lower surface of the lower wall 23 of the air conditioning casing 20 to guide the guided portion 62b in the vehicle width direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle air conditioner installed, for example, in an automobile or the like. [Background Art]

[0002] A vehicle air conditioner includes a casing into which air for air conditioning is introduced, a cooling heat exchanger and a heating heat exchanger accommodated in the casing, and an electric heater that functions as a heating heat source. After the temperature of the air for air conditioning introduced into the casing is adjusted by the cooling heat exchanger, the heating heat exchanger, or the electric heater, the air is supplied to each part of the vehicle compartment.

[0003] In the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, an attachment / detachment opening for accommodating the electric heater inside the casing is formed in a side wall of the casing. This attachment / detachment opening has a vertically elongated shape corresponding to the shape of the electric heater. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6357321 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 6357322 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] By the way, in recent years, increasing the voltage of electric heaters has been progressing, and along with this, the base portion of electric heaters has been increased in size. Further, electric heaters are also required to have higher functionality to realize, for example, zone air conditioning that supplies conditioned air of different temperatures to respective regions in a vehicle compartment, and this also leads to an increase in size of the base portion of the electric heater.

[0006] The base of the electric heater is integrated with the heating element. When the electric heater is assembled into the casing, the heating element is housed inside the casing, but the enlarged base is located outside the casing.

[0007] However, the vehicle's interior, where the air conditioning system is installed, contains many other devices and components, making it difficult to place the enlarged base unit on the side of the casing. In such cases, one possible solution is to position the electric heater's base unit so that it protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the casing.

[0008] However, if a structure is applied in which the base of the electric heater is positioned to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the casing, it may become difficult to replace the electric heater if, for example, a malfunction occurs in the market.

[0009] In other words, the floor panel is located below the vehicle's air conditioning system, and the space between the floor panel and the air conditioning system is narrow. Therefore, it is necessary to move the electric heater to the side to attach and detach it, but electric heaters with large bases are heavy, unstable, and difficult to work with. In addition, a harness for supplying power is connected to the base of the electric heater, and the harness also worsens the workability during attachment and detachment.

[0010] This disclosure is made in view of the above, and its purpose is to improve workability when attaching or detaching an electric heater by moving it to the side of the casing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of this disclosure may be based on a vehicle air conditioning system mounted in a passenger compartment. The vehicle air conditioning system includes an electric heater having a heating element for heating air and a control board for controlling the heating element, and a casing that houses the heating element of the electric heater, places the housed heating element in an air conditioning air passage to heat the air in the passage, and leads the heated air to a desired location in the passenger compartment.

[0012] The casing is formed such that the opening for attaching and detaching the heating element extends from one side wall in the vehicle width direction to the lower wall, the control board is positioned below the portion of the lower wall at the attachment / detachment opening and has a guided portion extending in the vehicle width direction, and a guide portion is provided on the lower surface of the lower wall for guiding the guided portion in the vehicle width direction.

[0013] In other words, as electric heaters become more powerful and feature-rich, the control board becomes larger, making it difficult to place the control board on the side of the casing. In this embodiment, the control board can be placed below the bottom wall of the casing, thus accommodating even when the control board becomes larger.

[0014] If a malfunction occurs in the electric heater during the market, it will be necessary to replace it. When replacing the electric heater, the access port is located in the side wall of the casing, so the electric heater can be removed from the casing by moving it to the side. Therefore, even if the space between the floor panel and the vehicle's air conditioning unit is narrow and the electric heater cannot be removed downwards, the electric heater can be replaced without removing the casing from the vehicle body.

[0015] When installing a repaired or new electric heater into the casing after removing it from the casing, the guided portion of the control board is guided in the vehicle width direction by the guide portion of the casing, allowing the electric heater to be assembled into the casing in a stable state. Similarly, when removing the electric heater, the guided portion of the control board is guided in the vehicle width direction by the guide portion of the casing.

[0016] The guided portion may include a rib that protrudes from the control board in one direction in the vehicle's longitudinal direction and extends in the vehicle's width direction. For example, the guided portion may include a front rib that protrudes from the front surface of the control board located on the vehicle's front side and extends in the vehicle's width direction. Alternatively, the guided portion may include a rear rib that protrudes from the rear surface of the control board located on the vehicle's rear side and extends in the vehicle's width direction. Providing such ribs enables smoother guidance.

[0017] The guide portion can contact the guided portion from below and support the guided portion from below. In this case, the rib may be further provided with a fastening member for fastening it to the casing. The electric heater can be fixed to the casing by this fastening member.

[0018] A fastening portion may be provided on the side of the heating element of the electric heater, which is fastened to the side wall of the casing. This allows the electric heater to be fastened to the side wall of the casing from the side, thus eliminating the need for fastening from below.

[0019] The dimensions of the control board in the vehicle's longitudinal direction can be made longer than the dimensions of the heating element in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. In this case, the control board may have the guided portion on both sides in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The guide portion can be configured to include a front guide portion that guides the guided portion on the front side of the vehicle below the lower wall portion, and a rear guide portion that guides the guided portion on the rear side of the vehicle below the lower wall portion. This allows the electric heater to be stabilized.

[0020] The attachment / detachment port opening in the lower wall portion can be positioned between the front guide portion and the rear guide portion. Further, the front guide portion and the rear guide portion can be caused to project downward from the lower wall portion, and can be integrally molded with the lower wall portion. This enables reinforcement of the area around the attachment / detachment port of the casing by utilizing the front guide portion and the rear guide portion. Effects of the Invention

[0021] As explained above, when attaching and detaching an electric heater by moving the same to the side of a casing, the guided portion of the electric heater can be guided in the vehicle width direction by the guide portion of the casing, so that workability when attaching and detaching the electric heater can be improved. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front portion inside a vehicle cabin in which a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an air conditioning unit as viewed from below. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a right side view of the air conditioning unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the air conditioning unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the air conditioning unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a state where the electric heater is taken out. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a fastening direction by a fastening member. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a fastening direction by a fastening member. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to a cross-section taken along line X-X in FIG. 13, showing a state in the middle of attaching the electric heater according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 11]Figure 11 is a diagram equivalent to Figure 10, showing the state after the electric heater has been installed. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of an air conditioning unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, viewed from below. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a right side view of an air conditioning unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a diagram equivalent to Figure 12, showing the state in which the electric heater of the air conditioning unit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention has been removed. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a perspective view illustrating the fastening direction by the fastening member according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following description of preferred embodiments is essentially illustrative and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses. For example, the relative sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the figures are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the front portion of the passenger compartment of an automobile equipped with a vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. An instrument panel IP is provided at the front end of the passenger compartment. Behind the instrument panel IP, a driver's seat is provided on the right side and a passenger seat (neither shown) is provided on the left side. Rear seats are provided behind the driver's seat and passenger seat. The front space of the passenger compartment of this automobile includes a driver's seat space (first area) Dr where the driver's seat is located and a passenger seat space (second area) Ps where the passenger seat is located. The driver's seat space Dr is also called the right-side space, and the passenger seat space Ps is also called the left-side space. The space behind the driver's seat space Dr and the passenger seat space Ps in the passenger compartment of this automobile is the rear seat space (not shown). Two or more rows of seats can be provided in the rear seats. The automobile is, for example, a passenger car, and may be, for example, a sedan type or a minivan type. Additionally, the driver's seat area Dr can be referred to as the driver's side zone or driver's side region, and the passenger seat area Ps can be referred to as the passenger's side zone or passenger's side region.

[0025] A right-side defroster opening 100A is formed on the right side of the front end of the instrument panel IP. A left-side defroster opening 100B is formed on the left side of the front end of the instrument panel IP. The right-side defroster opening 100A and the left-side defroster opening 100B are openings for supplying conditioned air toward the inner surface of the front windshield glass (not shown).

[0026] A right-side vent 101A is formed at the right end of the instrument panel IP. A left-side vent 101D is formed at the left end of the instrument panel IP. Between the right-side vent 101A and the left-side vent 101D of the instrument panel IP, a right-side center vent 101B and a left-side center vent 101C are formed. The right-side vent 101A, the left-side vent 101D, the right-side center vent 101B, and the left-side center vent 101C are openings primarily for supplying conditioned air to the upper body of the occupant.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 comprises an air conditioning unit 10, a blower unit 11, and a control unit (not shown) as a control section. The air conditioning unit 10 and the blower unit 11 are housed inside the instrument panel IP. The air conditioning unit 10 is located in the center in the vehicle width direction inside the instrument panel IP, and the blower unit 11 is located to the left (passenger side) of the center in the vehicle width direction inside the instrument panel IP. In this description of the embodiment, the front of the vehicle will be simply referred to as "front," the rear of the vehicle as simply "rear," the left side of the vehicle as simply "left," and the right side of the vehicle as simply "right."

[0028] The air conditioning unit 10 and the blower unit 11 are connected, and the conditioned air blown by the blower unit 11 is introduced into the air conditioning unit 10. The air conditioning unit 10 and the blower unit 11 may be integrated, or they may be separate and connected by a duct (not shown). The blower unit 11 is configured to be able to introduce either or both of the air inside the vehicle (inside air) and the air outside the vehicle (outside air).

[0029] The air conditioning unit 10 is a unit that adjusts the temperature of the air conditioning air introduced from the blower unit 11 and supplies the temperature-adjusted air (conditioned air) to various parts of the vehicle interior. In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 10 makes it possible to independently adjust the temperature of the driver's seat area Dr and the passenger seat area Ps.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the air conditioning unit 10 includes an air conditioning casing 20. The air conditioning casing 20 is a component that houses the cooling heat exchanger 40, the heating heat exchanger 41, and the electric heater 60 shown in Figure 6, and air-conditioned air is generated within the air conditioning casing 20.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, a right-side defroster outlet 30A is formed on the right side of the front of the air conditioning casing 20. The right-side defroster outlet 30A is connected to the right-side defroster outlet 100A of the instrument panel IP by a duct (not shown). A left-side defroster outlet 30B is formed on the left side of the front of the air conditioning casing 20. The left-side defroster outlet 30B is connected to the left-side defroster outlet 100B of the instrument panel IP by a duct (not shown).

[0032] A right-side vent outlet 31A is formed on the right rear side of the air conditioning casing 20. The right-side vent outlet 31A is connected to the right-side vent opening 101A of the instrument panel IP by a duct (not shown). A left-side vent outlet 31D is formed on the left rear side of the air conditioning casing 20. The left-side vent outlet 31D is connected to the left-side vent opening 101D of the instrument panel IP by a duct (not shown).

[0033] Between the right side vent outlet 31A and the left side vent outlet 31D at the rear of the air conditioning casing 20, a right center vent outlet 31B and a left center vent outlet 31C are formed side by side in the left-right direction. The right center vent outlet 31B is connected to the right center vent opening 101B of the instrument panel IP by a duct (not shown). The left center vent outlet 31C is connected to the left center vent opening 101C of the instrument panel IP by a duct (not shown).

[0034] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 6, foot outlets 32 are formed on both the left and right sides of the lower rear portion of the air conditioning casing 20. The foot outlets 32 are openings primarily for supplying conditioned air to the vicinity of the occupants' feet. By connecting a duct (not shown) to the foot outlets 32, conditioned air can be supplied not only to the front-seat occupants but also to the vicinity of the rear-seat occupants' feet.

[0035] An intermediate duct (not shown) connected to the blower unit 11 is provided on the front side of the left wall portion 21 of the air conditioning casing 20, protruding to the left. The conditioned air blown from the blower unit 11 is introduced to the front end inside the air conditioning casing 20 via the intermediate duct. A passage for the conditioned air to circulate is formed inside the air conditioning casing 20.

[0036] A cooling heat exchanger 40 is housed near the front of the air conditioning casing 20. The entire volume of conditioned air introduced from the downstream end of the intermediate duct passes through the cooling heat exchanger 40. The cooling heat exchanger 40 can be composed of, for example, a refrigerant evaporator in a refrigeration cycle.

[0037] Inside the air conditioning casing 20, a heating heat exchanger 41 is housed behind the cooling heat exchanger 40. The heating heat exchanger 41 can be composed of, for example, a heater core to which cooling water is supplied for an engine, motor, inverter, etc. (not shown) mounted in the engine compartment of a vehicle, but is not limited to this, and may be composed of a heater core to which cooling water absorbed from various heat sources is supplied. Alternatively, the heating heat exchanger 41 may be composed of a refrigerant radiator to which a refrigerant that has been heated by absorbing heat from various heat sources using a refrigeration cycle is supplied.

[0038] Inside the air conditioning casing 20, there is a cold air passage R1 where a cooling heat exchanger 40 is installed, a hot air passage R2 where a heating heat exchanger 41 and an electric heater 60 are installed, a bypass passage R3 that bypasses the heating heat exchanger 41 and the electric heater 60, a defroster passage R4, a vent passage R5, and a heat passage R6. The driver's side air passage is formed by the cold air passage R1, the hot air passage R2, the bypass passage R3, the defroster passage R4, the vent passage R5, and the heat passage R6. The defroster passage R4 is connected to the right defroster outlet 30A. The vent passage R5 is connected to the right side vent outlet 31A and the right center vent outlet 31B. The heat passage R6 is connected to the foot outlet 32.

[0039] Although not shown in the diagram, similarly, the passenger-side air passage is also composed of a cold air passage, a warm air passage, a bypass passage, a defroster passage, a vent passage, and a heat passage. The defroster passage of the passenger-side air passage communicates with the left defroster outlet 30B. The vent passage R5 of the passenger-side air passage communicates with the left side vent outlet 31D and the left center vent outlet 31C. The heat passage of the passenger-side air passage communicates with the foot outlet 32. As a structure that can divide the inside of the air conditioning casing 20 into a driver's side and a passenger's side, one example is a structure in which an intermediate plate (not shown) is placed inside the air conditioning casing 20. The intermediate plate divides at least the warm air passage, bypass passage, defroster passage, and vent passage into those for the driver's side and those for the passenger's side.

[0040] Inside the air conditioning casing 20 are an air mix damper 43, a defroster damper 50, a vent damper 51, and a heat damper 52, which are also components of the air conditioning unit 10. In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 10 has at least an air mix damper 43 on the driver's side and an air mix damper 43 on the passenger's side. The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side is located in the driver's side air passage, and the air mix damper 43 on the passenger's side is located in the passenger's side air passage. The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side and the air mix damper 43 on the passenger's side are able to operate independently and are driven by separate air mix actuators.

[0041] The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side and the air mix damper 43 on the passenger's side can be configured similarly. The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side will be described in detail below. The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side is located between the cooling heat exchanger 40 and the heating heat exchanger 41, and opens and closes the upstream end of the hot air passage R2 and the upstream end of the bypass passage R3. The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side can be made of, for example, a plate-shaped member and is rotatably supported with respect to the air conditioning casing 20.

[0042] The air mix damper 43 on the driver's side is driven by an air mix actuator to a desired rotation angle. The air mix actuator is controlled by a control device. When the air mix damper 43 completely closes the upstream end of the warm air passage R2 and completely opens the upstream end of the bypass passage R3, the entire amount of cold air generated in the cold air passage R1 flows into the bypass passage R3. At this time, the opening of the air mix damper 43 is the full cold state. On the other hand, when the air mix damper 43 completely opens the upstream end of the warm air passage R2 and completely closes the upstream end of the bypass passage R3, the entire amount of cold air generated in the cold air passage R1 flows into the warm air passage R2 and is heated. At this time, the opening of the air mix damper 43 is the full hot state.

[0043] When the air mix damper 43 on the driver's side is rotated to open both the upstream end of the warm air passage R2 and the upstream end of the bypass passage R3, a mixture of cold and warm air flows downstream. The amount of cold and warm air flowing downstream is changed by the rotation position of the air mix damper 43 on the driver's side, generating conditioned air (air conditioning) at the desired temperature. The opening degree of the air mix damper 43 on the driver's side is determined by the control device, which outputs a signal to the air mix actuator to achieve the determined opening degree.

[0044] Furthermore, the air mix damper 43 is not limited to a plate-shaped damper; any configuration that allows for the adjustment of the cold air volume and the hot air volume is acceptable. For example, it may be a rotary damper, a film damper, a louver damper, or a combination thereof. Also, the temperature control configuration does not have to be one of those described above; any configuration that allows for the adjustment of the cold air volume and the hot air volume is acceptable.

[0045] By operating the driver's side air mix damper 43 and the passenger side air mix damper 43 independently, the temperature of the conditioned air flowing downstream of the driver's side air passage R and the temperature of the conditioned air flowing downstream of the passenger side air passage S can be changed. This allows for independent temperature control of the driver's side space Dr and the passenger side space Ps within the vehicle cabin.

[0046] The vent damper 51 is a component that opens and closes the right side vent outlet 31A, the right center vent outlet 31B, the left center vent outlet 31C, and the left side vent outlet 31D, and can stop the right side vent outlet 31A, the right center vent outlet 31B, the left center vent outlet 31C, and the left side vent outlet 31D at any position from fully open to fully closed. The vent damper 51 can also be separately installed in the driver's side air passage R and the passenger side air passage S and operated individually.

[0047] The defroster damper 50 is a component that opens and closes the right defroster outlet 30A and the left defroster outlet 30B, and can stop the right defroster outlet 30A and the left defroster outlet 30B at any position from fully open to fully closed. The defroster damper 50 can also be installed separately in the driver's side air passage R and the passenger side air passage S and operated individually.

[0048] The heat damper 52 is a component that opens and closes the foot outlet 32, and can be stopped at any position from the fully open state to the fully closed state. The heat damper 52 can also be separately installed in the driver's side air passage R and the passenger side air passage S and operated independently.

[0049] The defroster damper 50, vent damper 51, and heat damper 52 are driven to open and close by an airflow direction switching actuator (not shown). The airflow direction switching actuator is controlled by a control device. The defroster damper 50, vent damper 51, and heat damper 52 are linked together via a link (not shown). For example, the system can be switched to any of several blowing modes, such as a defroster mode in which the defroster damper 50 is open and the vent damper 51 and heat damper 52 are closed; a vent mode in which the defroster damper 50 and heat damper 52 are closed and the vent damper 51 is open; a heat mode in which the defroster damper 50 and vent damper 51 are closed and the heat damper 52 is open; a def-heat mode in which the defroster damper 50 and heat damper 52 are open and the vent damper 51 is closed; and a bi-level mode in which the vent damper 51 and heat damper 52 are open and the defroster damper 50 is closed. The defroster damper 50, vent damper 51 and heat damper 52 may be operated individually by multiple blowing direction switching actuators (not shown) without being linked together via a link, thereby switching the blowing mode.

[0050] When automatic air conditioning control is selected by an auto switch (not shown), the system determines the target outlet temperature of the conditioned air supplied to the passenger compartment based on the temperature outside the passenger compartment, the temperature inside the passenger compartment, solar radiation, engine coolant temperature, the surface temperature of the cooling heat exchanger 40, the set temperature, etc. It also calculates the opening degree of the air mix damper 43 to achieve this target outlet temperature, and controls the air mix actuator to rotate the air mix damper 43 so that it opens to this degree. As a result, the temperature of the conditioned air becomes the target outlet temperature. This is done individually on the driver's side and the passenger's side.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit controls the airflow direction switching actuator so that the airflow mode is primarily vent mode during cooling, and so that the airflow mode is primarily defroster mode or heat mode during heating. In addition, even during cooling or heating, if the fan speed is low, the control unit controls the airflow direction switching actuator to switch to bilevel mode. If an occupant selects an airflow mode, the control unit controls the airflow direction switching actuator to switch to the selected airflow mode.

[0052] Thus, the air conditioning casing 20 is a component that cools or heats the introduced air and leads the cooled or heated air to a desired location in the vehicle compartment.

[0053] (Structure of an electric heater) The electric heater 60 has a heating element 61 for heating the air flowing through the hot air passage R2, and a control board 62 for controlling the heating element 61. The heating element 61 includes a plurality of heating elements that generate heat when power is supplied, such as PTC elements, and a plurality of fins through which the air flowing through the hot air passage R2 passes. The plurality of heating elements and the plurality of fins are integrated in an alternating stacked state. The heating element 61 is the part of the electric heater 60 that is housed in the air conditioning casing 20, and is plate-shaped, extending in the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction. Almost the entire amount of air flowing through the hot air passage R2 passes through the fins of the heating element 61, and at this time, heat from the heating elements is transferred to the air, and the air can be heated. The electric heater 60 can be turned OFF when heating is not required.

[0054] The control board 62 changes the amount of heat generated by the heating elements by controlling the power supplied to them. For example, it individually changes the power supplied to the heating element located on the driver's side and the power supplied to the heating element located on the passenger's side. This makes it possible to change the temperature of the air conditioning supplied to the driver's side and the air conditioning supplied to the passenger's side. In addition, the electric heater 60 is a high-voltage type and has a high heat output.

[0055] As described above, in the case of a high-voltage, high-performance electric heater 60, the control board 62 becomes larger. This control board 62 houses a circuit board on which electrical circuits are mounted, and as this circuit board becomes larger, the case portion that houses the circuit board also becomes larger. The case portion of the control board 62 is the part that is visible from the outside and, for example, has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the vehicle width direction. The front-to-rear dimension of this control board 62 is longer than the front-to-rear dimension of the heating element 61. Also, the vertical dimension of the control board 62 is set to be shorter than the vertical dimension of the heating element 61.

[0056] Because the control board unit 62 is larger, it is not housed inside the air conditioning casing 20, but is mounted protruding downward from the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20.

[0057] Furthermore, a harness (not shown) extending from the vehicle body is connected to the control board unit 62. The harness includes wiring that supplies power to the control board unit 62 and wiring that transmits control signals from the control device to the control board unit 62.

[0058] The control board section 62 has a front rib 62a and a rear rib 62b. The front rib 62a protrudes forward from the front surface (the surface located on the front side of the vehicle) of the control board section 62 and extends in the vehicle width direction. The rear rib 62b protrudes rearward from the rear surface (the surface located on the rear side of the vehicle) of the control board section 62 and extends in the vehicle width direction. The front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b are guided parts that are guided in the vehicle width direction by the air conditioning casing 20 when the electric heater 60 is attached to the air conditioning casing 20. Also, when the electric heater 60 is removed from the air conditioning casing 20, the guided parts are guided in the vehicle width direction by the air conditioning casing 20.

[0059] Thus, in this embodiment, the guided portion includes a front rib 62a and a rear rib 62b. For this reason, the control base unit 62 has guided portions on both sides in the front-rear direction, but it is not limited to this, and may have only one of the front rib 62a or the rear rib 62b. In other words, the guided portion only needs to include a rib that protrudes from the control base unit 62 in one direction in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction. The lengths of the front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b are not particularly limited and can be set to any length. Also, the height positions of the front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b are not particularly limited, and the front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b can be set at any height. In this embodiment, the heights of the front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b are the same.

[0060] (Mounting structure for electric heaters) As shown in Figure 7, the air conditioning casing 20 has an attachment / detachment opening 24 for attaching and detaching the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60, which opens from the right side wall 22 (one side wall in the vehicle width direction) to the lower wall 23 of the air conditioning casing 20. In other words, the attachment / detachment opening 24 is an opening for housing the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 inside the air conditioning casing 20 and an opening for removing the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 from inside the air conditioning casing 20. When removing the heating element 61 housed inside the air conditioning casing 20, it can be removed through the attachment / detachment opening 24, and when housing the heating element 61 inside the air conditioning casing 20, it can be housed through the attachment / detachment opening 24.

[0061] Of the attachment / detachment openings 24, the lateral portion 24a formed on the right side wall portion 22 of the air conditioning casing 20 is vertically elongated. The heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 can be inserted into and removed from the lateral portion 24a; in other words, the shape and size of the lateral portion 24a are set so that the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 can be inserted into and removed.

[0062] Of the attachment / detachment openings 24, the lower portion 24b formed in the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20 has a horizontally elongated shape that is long in the vehicle width direction. This lower portion 24b and the lateral portion 24a are continuous to form one attachment / detachment opening 24. The control board portion 62 of the electric heater 60 is positioned below the lower portion 24b of the attachment / detachment opening 24. In other words, only the control board portion 62 of the electric heater 60 attached to the air conditioning casing 20 protrudes downward from the lower wall portion 23.

[0063] The lower surface of the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20 is provided with a front guide portion 70 that guides the front rib 62a in the vehicle width direction and a rear guide portion 71 that guides the rear rib 62b in the vehicle width direction. The front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71 protrude downward from the lower wall portion 23 and are integrally molded with the lower wall portion 23. By integrally molding the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71 with the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20, the area around the attachment / detachment opening 24 can be reinforced. Note that the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71 may be made of a separate material from the lower wall portion 23.

[0064] The front guide portion 70 is the part that abuts against the front rib 62a from below and supports the front rib 62a from below, and is rail-shaped and extends in the vehicle width direction. The rear guide portion 71 is the part that abuts against the rear rib 62b from below and supports the rear rib 62b from below, and is rail-shaped and extends in the vehicle width direction. The front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71 are parallel to each other. Thus, in this embodiment, since the front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b are provided, the guide portion includes the front guide portion 70 which guides the front rib 62a, which is the front guided part, below the lower wall portion 23, and the rear guide portion 71 which guides the rear rib 62b, which is the rear guided part, below the lower wall portion 23.

[0065] Of the attachment / detachment opening 24, the lower portion 24b formed in the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20 is located between the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71. That is, the lower portion 24b of the attachment / detachment opening 24 opens downward in the portion of the lower wall portion 23 between the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71. The longitudinal direction of the lower portion 24b of the attachment / detachment opening 24 coincides with the longitudinal directions of the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71.

[0066] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 includes a front fastening member 72 that fastens the front rib 62a to the air conditioning casing 20, and a rear fastening member 73 that fastens the rear rib 62b to the air conditioning casing 20. The front fastening member 72 and the rear fastening member 73 are, for example, screws, bolts, etc., and are fastening members that can be tightened and loosened with a tool. Only one of the front fastening member 72 or the rear fastening member 73 may be provided.

[0067] The front fastening member 72 is screwed into the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20 by passing through the front rib 62a from below and upward. This allows the front rib 62a to be fastened to the lower wall portion 23.

[0068] The rear fastening member 73 is screwed into the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20 by passing through the rear rib 62b from below and upward. This allows the rear rib 62b to be fastened to the lower wall portion 23.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, the front and rear edges of the lower portion 24b of the attachment / detachment opening 24 have protruding ridges 24c that extend downward in the vehicle width direction. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, grooves 62c are formed on the upper surface of the control base portion 62 of the electric heater 60, into which the front and rear protruding ridges 24c are fitted. When the front rib 62a and rear rib 62b are fastened to the lower wall portion 23, the protruding ridges 24c are fitted into the grooves 62c. This suppresses air leakage from the lower portion 24b of the attachment / detachment opening 24.

[0070] The air conditioning casing 20 is provided with a cover 25 that covers the side portion 24a of the access port 24. The cover 25 has a vertically elongated shape that corresponds to the shape of the side portion 24a of the access port 24. By attaching the cover 25 to the air conditioning casing 20 with the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 completely housed inside the air conditioning casing 20, air leakage from the side portion 24a of the access port 24 is suppressed.

[0071] If the electric heater 60 malfunctions in a market where automobiles are used, the cover 25 is removed from the air conditioning casing 20, and the front fastening member 72 and the rear fastening member 73 are loosened to leave the electric heater 60 unfixed. When the electric heater 60 is left unfixed, it lowers, and the front rib 62a is supported from below by the front guide 70, and the rear rib 62b is supported from below by the rear guide 71.

[0072] Subsequently, the electric heater 60 is moved to the right and removed from the air conditioning casing 20. At this time, the front rib 62a is supported from below by the front guide portion 70, and the rear rib 62b is supported from below by the rear guide portion 71, so the electric heater 60 is guided to the right by the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71. This ensures that the electric heater 60 is stable when removed from the air conditioning casing 20.

[0073] After removing the electric heater 60 from the air conditioning casing 20, the repaired or new electric heater 60 is inserted into the air conditioning casing 20. At this time, the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60 is inserted into the air conditioning casing 20 through the side portion 24a of the attachment / detachment opening 24, and the front rib 62a is positioned to be guided by the front guide portion 70, and the rear rib 62b is positioned to be guided by the rear guide portion 71.

[0074] Next, the electric heater 60 is moved to the left and inserted into the air conditioning casing 20. At this time, the front rib 62a is supported from below by the front guide portion 70, and the rear rib 62b is supported from below by the rear guide portion 71, so the electric heater 60 is guided to the left by the front guide portion 70 and the rear guide portion 71. This stabilizes the electric heater 60 when it is attached to the air conditioning casing 20. Thus, according to this embodiment, the workability can be improved when attaching and detaching the electric heater 60 by moving it to the side of the air conditioning casing 20.

[0075] After fully inserting the electric heater 60 into the air conditioning casing 20, the electric heater 60 is fixed to the air conditioning casing 20 by tightening the front fastening member 72 and the rear fastening member 73.

[0076] Although not shown in the diagram, the electric heater 60 may be inserted into the air conditioning casing 20 from the left side. In this case, the opening for insertion and removal is formed to extend from the left side wall 21 to the bottom wall 23 of the air conditioning casing 20.

[0077] (Embodiment 2) Figures 10 to 15 show the air conditioning unit 10 of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the electric heater 60 is fastened to the right side wall portion 22 of the air conditioning casing 20. Hereinafter, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as in Embodiment 1 and their descriptions are omitted, while the different parts will be described in detail.

[0078] Figure 10 is a diagram corresponding to line XX in Figure 13, showing the electric heater 60 in the process of being installed. Two projections 61a protruding to the left are provided on the left side of the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60, spaced apart in the vertical direction. On the other hand, two fitting holes 21a into which the projections 61a each fit are provided on the left side wall 21 of the air conditioning casing 20, spaced apart in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 11, when the electric heater 60 is installed, the projections 61a of the electric heater 60 fit into the fitting holes 21a of the air conditioning casing 20. This makes it possible to hold the left side of the electric heater 60 at a predetermined height.

[0079] As shown in Figures 12 to 15, in Embodiment 2, a fastening portion 66 is provided to the right of the heating element 61 of the electric heater 60, and is fastened to the right side wall portion 22 of the air conditioning casing 20. The fastening portion 66 is formed to cover the right side of the heating element 61 and has a vertically elongated shape. The upper and lower portions of the fastening portion 66 are provided with a front extension plate portion 66a extending to the front and a rear extension plate portion 66b extending to the rear. The front extension plate portion 66a and the rear extension plate portion 66b are fastened to the right side wall portion 22 of the air conditioning casing 20 by a lateral fastening member 75. The fastening portion by the lateral fastening member 75 may be only one location, and is not limited to four locations.

[0080] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the front rib 62a and the rear rib 62b are inclined so that they are positioned lower towards the left. As a result, when inserting the electric heater 60 into the air conditioning casing 20, the electric heater 60 will be in a tilted position as shown in Figure 10. The electric heater 60 will be inserted into the air conditioning casing 20 while in this tilted position, and once it is fully inserted, the electric heater 60 will be in a horizontal position as shown in Figure 11. After that, the fastened portion 66 will be fastened to the right side wall portion 22 of the air conditioning casing 20 by the lateral fastening member 75, thereby fixing the electric heater 60 to the air conditioning casing 20.

[0081] According to Embodiment 2, similar to Embodiment 1, the workability when attaching or detaching the electric heater 60 can be improved by moving it to the side of the air conditioning casing 20.

[0082] Although not shown in the figures, in Embodiment 2, the electric heater 60 may also be inserted into the air conditioning casing 20 from the left side. In this case, the attachment / detachment opening is formed to extend from the left side wall portion 21 to the lower wall portion 23 of the air conditioning casing 20.

[0083] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted restrictively. Furthermore, any modifications or changes that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention. For example, a sealing material made of foam or the like may be provided between the electric heater 60 and the air conditioning casing 20. [Industrial applicability]

[0084] As explained above, the vehicle air conditioning system described herein can be used, for example, as an air conditioning system for a passenger car. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1. Vehicle air conditioning system 20 Air conditioning casing 22 Right side wall 23 Lower wall part 24 Detachment port 60 Electric Heaters 61 Heat-generating part 62 Control Board Section 62a Front rib (guided portion) 62b Rear rib (guided part) 70 Front guide section 71 Rear guide section

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning system installed in the passenger compartment, An electric heater having a heating element that heats the air and a control board that controls the heating element, The electric heater comprises a casing that houses the heating element, places the housed heating element in an air conditioning air passage to heat the air in the passage, and guides the heated air to a desired location in the vehicle compartment. The casing is formed such that the opening for attaching and detaching the heating element extends from one side wall in the vehicle width direction to the bottom wall. The control board is positioned below the portion formed in the lower wall of the attachment / detachment opening and has a guided portion that extends in the vehicle width direction. A vehicle air conditioning system, wherein a guide portion is provided on the lower surface of the lower wall portion for guiding the guided portion in the vehicle width direction.

2. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, The guided portion includes a rib that protrudes from the control board portion in one direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and extends in the width direction of the vehicle, in a vehicle air conditioning device.

3. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 2, The guided portion includes a front rib that protrudes forward from the front surface located on the front side of the vehicle in the control board portion and extends in the vehicle width direction, and is a vehicle air conditioning device.

4. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 2, The guided portion includes a rear rib that protrudes from the rear surface located on the rear side of the vehicle in the control board portion and extends in the vehicle width direction.

5. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 2, The guide portion abuts against the guided portion from below and supports the guided portion from below, in a vehicle air conditioning device.

6. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 5, A vehicle air conditioning system further comprising fastening members for fastening the ribs to the casing.

7. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, A vehicle air conditioning system wherein a fastening portion is provided on the side of the heating element of the electric heater, which is fastened to the side wall of the casing.

8. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, The dimensions of the control board in the vehicle's longitudinal direction are longer than the dimensions of the heat-generating section in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The control board unit has the guided portions on both sides in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, The guide portion includes a front guide portion that guides the guided portion on the front side of the vehicle below the lower wall portion, and a rear guide portion that guides the guided portion on the rear side of the vehicle below the lower wall portion, in a vehicle air conditioning system.

9. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 8, The detachable opening that opens into the lower wall is located between the front guide portion and the rear guide portion of the vehicle air conditioning system.

10. In the vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 9, A vehicle air conditioning device in which the front guide portion and the rear guide portion protrude downward from the lower wall portion and are integrally molded with the lower wall portion.

Images