Vehicle air conditioning duct structure

Abstract

To provide an air-conditioning duct structure for a vehicle, that has a simple structure and efficiently utilizes the internal side of a center console.SOLUTION: An air-conditioning duct structure 100 for a vehicle introduces air from an air-conditioning system body 102 mounted on a front side of a vehicle, to back row seats. The air-conditioning duct structure comprises: an aggregate duct 106 extending from the air-conditioning system body 102 toward the internal side of a center console 104 at an in-cabin center; a branch duct 110 which is arranged inside the center console 104 to split a flow of air from the aggregate duct 106 to two or more paths; and an opening / closing mechanism (a rear louver 118) which is provided on at least one path out of the two or more paths, to open / close the path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In a typical vehicle, an air conditioning system body is provided in front of the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle, and conditioned air is provided to the passengers through air outlets provided in various places in the vehicle cabin. For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a rear seat face air outlet 43 is provided on the rear side of the center console as an air outlet for providing conditioned air to the passengers in the rear seats, and a rear seat foot air outlet 45 is provided at the feet of the rear seats.

[0003] In the technology of Patent Document 1, a foot duct (0048) is arranged on the floor of the front seats toward the rear in order to deliver the conditioned air to the rear seat foot outlet 45. Also, in order to deliver the conditioned air to the rear seat face outlet 43, it is necessary to arrange a duct (not shown) on the inside of the center console. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-243932 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The foot duct of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 may be subjected to the weight of the passengers in the front seats, so measures such as increasing the plate thickness or providing a reinforcing shape are usually required. In addition, if the duct is installed on the floor, it is susceptible to vibrations while driving, so it is necessary to attach a cushioning material to prevent contact noise. Since these measures lead to increased costs and an increase in the weight of the vehicle, the inventors of the present application have come up with the idea of ​​installing the duct for the feet of the rear seats inside the center console, and are currently researching and developing it.

[0006] However, center consoles are particularly narrow in narrow vehicles such as minicars and compact cars, and in recent years, with the adoption of autonomous driving assistance systems, large display devices may be installed, making it not easy to secure space inside and limiting the space available for routing ducts.

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that is simple in structure and can efficiently utilize the inside of a center console. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of the vehicle air conditioning duct structure of the present invention is an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that introduces air from an air conditioning system main body mounted on the front side of the vehicle into a rear seat, and is characterized by having a collecting duct extending from the air conditioning system main body toward the inside of a center console in the center of the vehicle cabin, a branch duct that is positioned inside the center console and divides the air from the collecting duct into two or more paths, and an opening / closing mechanism that is provided in at least one of the two or more paths and opens and closes the path. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that has a simple structure and can efficiently utilize the inside of the center console. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1(b) is a diagram showing the branch duct in FIG. 1(b) viewed from various directions. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of control of the air conditioning airflow flowing through the branch duct in FIG. 2(b). [Figure 4] 1(b) is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the branch duct 110 of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of control of the air conditioning airflow flowing through the branch duct in FIG. 4(b). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that introduces air from an air conditioning system main body mounted on the front side of the vehicle into a rear row of seats, and is characterized by comprising a collecting duct extending from the air conditioning system main body toward the inside of a center console in the center of the vehicle interior, a branch duct disposed inside the center console for branching the air from the collecting duct into two or more paths, and an opening / closing mechanism provided in at least one of the two or more paths for opening and closing the path.

[0012] According to the above configuration, compared to a case where the duct for the upper body and the duct for the feet extend separately from the air conditioning system main body toward the rear seats, the path from the air conditioning system main body to the branch duct inside the center console is integrated to save space, and the space from the inside of the instrument panel to the inside of the center console can be used efficiently. Also, compared to a case where the duct is routed to the floor, it is possible to reduce the plate thickness and reinforcement shape, and to reduce the amount of cushioning material used, so that an increase in weight and cost can be avoided. In particular, since it is not necessary to take measures to increase the plate thickness of the duct, there is no restriction on the size of the inner diameter of the duct, and it is possible to maintain the air volume.

[0013] The branch duct has a central passage connected to the collecting duct, at least one branch passage branching off and extending from the central passage, and a rib provided at an upstream corner of the central passage and the branch passage on the inside of the branch duct, the rib extending obliquely from the corner towards the centre of the central passage, and the opening / closing mechanism may be provided downstream of the point in the central passage where the branch passage branches off.

[0014] According to the above-mentioned rib, the conditioned air flowing in from the collecting duct can be preferentially guided to the central passage.

[0015] The branch duct may have a central passage connected to the collecting duct and at least one branch passage branching off from the central passage, the branch passage being bent and branching off from the central passage upstream of the central passage, and the opening / closing mechanism may be provided downstream of the point in the central passage where the branch passage branches off.

[0016] With the above-described configuration, the conditioned air flowing in from the collecting duct can be preferentially guided to the central passage.

[0017] The branch passages may be provided in pairs on both the left and right sides as viewed from the central passage. With this configuration, a branch duct capable of dividing the conditioned air into a plurality of paths can be suitably realized.

[0018] The central passage and at least one branch passage may be integrally molded. This configuration allows for a branch duct with a simple structure, reduces the number of fitting parts between the ducts, and prevents a decrease in ventilation efficiency, while simplifying the structure to reduce material costs and the assembly process. EXAMPLES

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle air conditioning duct structure (hereinafter, duct structure 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view of a vehicle in which the duct structure 100 is implemented. Hereinafter, in Fig. 1 and all other drawings of the present application, the front-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

[0021] The air conditioning system main body 102 is a device that performs heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning, also known as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), and is provided in front of an instrument panel (not shown).

[0022] The duct structure 100 of this embodiment can introduce air from the air conditioning system main body 102 into the rear seats. In particular, the duct structure 100 utilizes the space inside the center console 104 to route the duct.

[0023] The center console 104 is a structure provided in the center in the vehicle width direction, and includes a shift device, a drink holder, a display device, etc. The center console 104 may be provided integrally with the instrument panel, or may be separated from the instrument panel.

[0024] The collecting duct 106 is a duct that extends from the air conditioning system main body 102 to the rear of the vehicle. The collecting duct 106 extends from the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle along a center tunnel 108 toward the inside of a center console 104 in the center of the passenger compartment. The collecting duct 106 is bifurcated in the middle to avoid structures such as a shift device provided in the center console 104.

[0025] The branch duct 110 is a duct that divides the air from the collecting duct 106 into two or more paths, and is disposed inside the center console 104. The branch duct 110 has a central central passage 112 and a pair of left and right branch passages 114, 116. The central passage 112 guides the conditioned air to a rear louver 118 provided on the rear wall of the center console 104. The branch passages 114, 116 guide the conditioned air to rear foot outlets (not shown) provided near the feet of passengers in the rear seats.

[0026] Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view showing only the branch duct 110 of Fig. 1(a). The branch duct 110 has a three-way structure on the downstream side, and has a central passage 112 in the middle and branch passages 114 and 116 branching off from the central passage 112.

[0027] The central passage 112 has an upstream portion 112a that bends upward, while a downstream portion 112b extends linearly. An opening 120 of the upstream portion 112a is connected to the collecting duct 106 (see FIG. 1). An opening 122 of the downstream portion 112b is directly connected to the rear louver 118 of the center console 104 (see FIG. 1) or indirectly connected using another duct.

[0028] The branch passages 114 and 116 are provided as a pair on both the left and right sides of the central passage 112. The branch passages 114 and 116 have symmetrical structures with the central passage 112 in between. Taking the branch passage 114 as an example, the upstream portion 114a of the branch passage 114 is directly connected to the central passage 112. Exchange The downstream portion 114b branches off and extends in the opposite direction, while the downstream portion 114b bends and extends in parallel to the central passage 112.

[0029] Openings 124, 126 of the branch passages 114, 116 are connected to another duct (not shown) and supply conditioned air toward a rear foot outlet (not shown) that is provided toward the feet of passengers in the rear seats.

[0030] The branch duct 110 is made of resin, and the entire duct including the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116 is integrally molded by blow molding or the like. This configuration realizes a branch duct 110 that can divide the conditioned air into multiple paths with a simple structure. For example, compared to a configuration in which the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116 are formed separately and then combined, an integrally molded configuration can reduce the number of parts that fit together and suppress a decrease in ventilation efficiency. In addition, the integrally molded branch duct 110 can reduce the number of parts, reduce material costs, simplify the assembly process, and also lead to weight reduction.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the branch duct 110 of FIG. 1(b) as viewed from various directions. 1 This is a view of the branch duct 110 as seen directly facing the downstream opening 122, etc. As can be seen by comparing the opening 122 of the central passage 112 with the openings 124, 126 of the branch passages 114, 116, the central passage 112 has a larger inner diameter than the branch passages 114, 116. However, there is no limit to the ratio of the inner diameters of the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, and it can be set according to the desired wind force.

[0032] Fig. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the branch duct 110 in Fig. 2(a). At the branch point between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, the branch passages 114, 116 branch off to the left and right at a right angle with respect to the central passage 112. However, the angle of the branch passages 114, 116 with respect to the central passage 112 does not need to be limited to a right angle, and a configuration in which they are inclined with respect to the central passage 112 may also be adopted.

[0033] Ribs 128 and 130 are provided upstream of the branch point between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114 and 116. The ribs 128 and 130 are portions for adjusting the air conditioning air. 、116 As described above, the branch duct 110 is integrally molded, and when the locations where the ribs 128 and 130 are provided are viewed from the outside of the branch duct 110 (see FIG. 1(b)), a recess is formed.

[0034] The rib 128 extends from a corner E1 between the central passage 112 and the branch passage 114 at an angle toward the center of the central passage 112. If the angle of the rib 128 is too large, it will cause a pressure loss of the conditioned air flowing through the branch duct 110. As an example, the ribs 128 and 130 are provided under the conditions that the angle α1 with respect to the center line C1 of the central passage 112 is 15° and the dimension is 17 mm.

[0035] The above-mentioned ribs 128, 130 separate part of the boundary between the central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, thereby guiding the conditioned air flowing in from the collecting duct 106 (see Figure 1 (a)) so that it flows preferentially toward the opening 122 of the central passage 112.

[0036] In addition, the inner diameter of the downstream portion 112b of the central passage 112 is configured to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the upstream portion 112a. This configuration makes it possible to prevent unintended air flow into the branch passages 114 and 116 when conditioned air flows from the upstream portion 112a to the downstream portion 112b.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of control of the conditioned air flowing through the branch duct 110 in Fig. 2(b). Fig. 3(a) is a diagram showing the rear louver 118 in an open state. The rear louver 118 is an opening / closing mechanism provided on the central passage 112 downstream of the point where the branch passage 114 branches off. By operating the rear louver 118, the duct structure 100 can select a face mode in which the conditioned air is supplied to the upper bodies of the passengers in the rear seats, a foot mode in which the conditioned air is supplied to the feet of the passengers in the rear seats, or a bi-level mode that combines both the face mode and the foot mode.

[0038] Fig. 3(a) shows the rear louvers 118 in an open state, in the face mode of the conditioned air. In this mode, the rear louvers 118 (see Fig. 1(a)) are fully opened, so that the conditioned air can be directed toward the upper bodies of the passengers in the rear seats. At this time, the ribs 128, 130 function properly, so that the conditioned air does not flow into the branch passages 114, 116.

[0039] Fig. 3(b) shows the bi-level mode of conditioned airflow with rear louvers 118 half-open. In this mode, by half-opening rear louvers 118, conditioned airflow can be provided from rear louvers 118 while increasing the pressure in central passage 112 to allow conditioned airflow to flow toward branch passages 114, 116, which have a relatively low internal pressure. Thus, conditioned air can be provided to the upper bodies of passengers in the rear seats from rear louvers 118 (see Fig. 1(a)), while conditioned air can also be provided to the feet of the passengers from rear foot outlets (not shown).

[0040] 3(c) shows the foot mode of the conditioned air with the rear louvers 118 in a closed state. In this mode, the rear louvers 118 are closed to increase the internal pressure of the central passage 112, and the conditioned air that has nowhere to go can be diverted to the branch passages 114, 116, which have a lower internal pressure. As a result, the conditioned air can be provided to the feet of passengers in the rear seats from the rear foot outlet (not shown).

[0041] As described above, in the duct structure 100, by utilizing the ribs 128, 130, it is possible to efficiently control the flow of air conditioning air in the three-way central passage 112 and the branch passages 114, 116, even with a simple configuration in which the rear louvers 118 are provided only in the central passage 112 as an opening and closing mechanism.

[0042] According to the duct structure 100 of this embodiment, compared to the case in which an upper body duct and a foot duct extend separately from the air conditioning system main body 102 toward the rear seats in FIG. 1(a), the path from the air conditioning system main body 102 to the branch duct 110 inside the center console 104 is integrated for the upper body and foot ducts to save space, thereby making it possible to efficiently utilize the space from the inside of the instrument panel to the inside of the center console 104.

[0043] Furthermore, with the duct structure 100, it is possible to reduce the plate thickness and reinforcing shape of the duct and to reduce the amount of cushioning material used, compared to when the duct is installed in a floor part that is easily subjected to load, and therefore it is possible to avoid increases in weight and costs. In particular, by eliminating the need to take measures to increase the plate thickness of the duct, there is no longer any restriction on the size of the inner diameter of the duct, making it possible to maintain the air volume.

[0044] In this embodiment, the branch duct 110 has a configuration in which two branch paths 114 and 116 branch off from one central path 112, but is not limited to this. The branch duct 110 can also have a configuration in which one branch path branches off from one central path, or a configuration in which three or more branch paths branch off from one central path.

[0045] (Modification) Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a modified example (branch duct 140) of the branch duct 110 of Fig. 1(b). Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of the branch duct 140 corresponding to Fig. 1(b). In Fig. 4 and subsequent figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those already explained in the above embodiment, and thus the explanation of the already mentioned components will be omitted. In the following explanation, components with the same names as those already explained will have the same functions unless otherwise specified, even if they are given different reference numerals.

[0046] The branch duct 140 also has one central passage 112 and two branch passages 142, 144. Taking the branch passage 142 as an example, an upstream portion 142a is configured to be bent at an acute angle toward the upstream side of the central passage 112 with respect to the central passage 112. A downstream portion 142b of the branch passage 142 is bent and extends in parallel with the central passage 112. Openings 146, 148 of the branch passages 142, 144 are connected to the rear foot air outlet via another duct (not shown).

[0047] Fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the branch duct 140 corresponding to Fig. 2(b). Taking the branch passage 142 as an example, the wall portion of the upstream portion 142a on the upstream side of the central passage 112 is bent with respect to the center line C1 of the central passage 112 so that an angle α2 is an acute angle of about 60° (α2<90°) on the upstream side of the central passage 112. In addition, the wall portion of the upstream portion 142a on the downstream side of the central passage 112 is set to be at an obtuse angle (α3>90°) with respect to the central passage 112.

[0048] With the above configuration, like the branch duct 110 having ribs 128, 130 in Figure 2(b), the branch duct 140 makes it difficult for the conditioned air from the collecting duct 106 (see Figure 1(a)) to flow into the branch passages 142, 144, and is able to guide the air to flow preferentially toward the opening 122 of the central passage 112.

[0049] Incidentally, the angle α2 (α2<90°) of the return angle of the branch passage 142 is set to 60° as an example, but is not limited to this angle. It should be noted that if the angle α2 of the branch passage 142 is too small, the pressure loss in the duct increases, and if it is too large, an unexpected flow of the conditioned air into the branch passage 142 is formed.

[0050] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of control of the conditioned air flowing through the branch duct 140 in Fig. 4(b). Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing the rear louvers 118 in an open state. Fig. 5(a) shows the rear louvers 118 in an open state, and shows a face mode for the conditioned air. In this mode, by fully opening the rear louvers (see Fig. 1(a)), the conditioned air can be directed toward the upper bodies of the passengers in the rear seats.

[0051] At this time, since the branch passages 142, 144 are bent at an acute angle upstream relative to the central passage 112, a suitable pressure is required to make the conditioned air flow through the branch passages 142, 144. As a result, when the opening 122 of the central passage 112 is fully open, the conditioned air does not flow through the branch passages 142, 144.

[0052] Fig. 5(b) shows the bi-level mode of conditioned airflow with rear louvers 118 half-open. In this mode, by half-opening rear louvers 118, conditioned airflow can be provided from rear louvers 118 while increasing the pressure in central passage 112 to allow conditioned airflow to flow toward branch passages 142, 144, which have a relatively low internal pressure. Thus, conditioned air can be provided to the upper bodies of passengers in the rear seats from rear louvers 118 (see Fig. 1(a)), while conditioned air can also be provided to the feet of the passengers from rear foot outlets (not shown).

[0053] 5(c) shows the foot mode of the conditioned air with the rear louvers 118 in a closed state. In this mode, the rear louvers 118 are closed to increase the internal pressure of the central passage 112, and the conditioned air that has nowhere to go can be diverted to the branch passages 142, 144, which have a lower internal pressure. As a result, the conditioned air can be provided to the feet of the passengers in the rear seats from the rear foot outlet (not shown).

[0054] As described above, in the branch duct 140, the branch passages 142, 144 of By folding back the central passage 112 on the upstream side, it is possible to efficiently control the flow of air conditioning air in the three-way central passage 112 and the branch passages 142, 144, even with a simple configuration in which a rear louver 118 is provided only in the central passage 112 as an opening / closing mechanism.

[0055] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The present invention can be used in an air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 100...duct structure, 102...air conditioning system main body, 104...center console, 106...collecting duct, 108...center tunnel, 110...branch duct, 112...center passage, 112a...upstream portion, 112b...downstream portion, 114, 116...branch passage, 114a...upstream portion, 114b...downstream portion, 118...rear louver (opening / closing mechanism), 120...opening, 122...opening, 124...opening, 128, 130...rib, E1...corner portion, C1...center line, 140...branch duct, 142...branch passage, 142a...upstream portion, 142b...downstream portion, 146、148 …opening

Claims

1. An air conditioning duct structure for a vehicle that introduces air from an air conditioning system main body mounted on the front side of a vehicle into a rear seat, a collecting duct extending from the air conditioning system main body toward the inside of a center console in the center of the vehicle interior; a branch duct arranged inside the center console and configured to divide air from the collecting duct into two or more paths; an opening / closing mechanism provided in at least one of the two or more paths for opening and closing the path; The branch duct is A central passage connected to the collecting duct; At least one branch path extending from the central path; a rib provided at an upstream corner between the central passage and the branch passage on the inside of the branch duct, The rib extends from the corner toward the center of the central passage at an angle, The vehicle air conditioning duct structure, wherein the opening and closing mechanism is provided downstream of a point in the central passage where the branch passage branches off.

2. 2. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 1, wherein the branch passages are provided in pairs on both the left and right sides as viewed from the central passage.

3. 3. The vehicle air conditioning duct structure according to claim 1, wherein the central passage and the branch passages are integrally formed.

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