Vehicle air conditioning unit mounting structure

Abstract

To improve habitability in a vehicle cabin without impairing comfort in a vehicle cabin environment.SOLUTION: An air conditioning unit 1 integrally includes a case 4 in which an air passage 3 is formed, a blower fan, an evaporator 6, an inner condenser 7, a PTC heater 8, and an air mix door 9 etc. as its components. In an attachment structure of the air conditioning unit 1, a dash panel 2 is provided with an opening 11 penetrating through the dash panel 2 in a vehicle body fore and aft direction. The air conditioning unit 1 for generating conditioned air is attached to the dash panel 2 in a state of penetrating through the opening 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting structure for an air conditioning unit for a vehicle, and more particularly to a mounting structure for an air conditioning unit that generates conditioned air for conditioning the interior of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] As a mounting structure for an air conditioning unit, there is a structure in which the air conditioning unit is installed inside the vehicle cabin from the dash panel. Patent Document 1 discloses a related technique. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5949483 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of the habitability of the vehicle interior, it is desirable to reduce the space occupied by the air conditioning unit in the space inside the vehicle interior relative to the dash panel. However, if the space occupied by the air conditioning unit is made too small, the ventilation resistance inside the air conditioning unit increases, the flow rate of the conditioned air decreases, and this leads to deterioration of the vehicle interior environment.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the habitability in a vehicle cabin without impairing the comfort of the vehicle cabin environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a mounting structure for an air conditioning unit for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention, the air conditioning unit that generates conditioned air passes through an opening provided in a dash panel. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above mounting structure, it is possible to improve the livability in the vehicle interior without impairing the comfort of the vehicle interior environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a mounting structure for a vehicle air conditioning unit; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a state in which a cover is attached to the dash panel. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the cover with the lid attached. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the cover with the lid removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the elongated member supporting the air conditioning unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the arrangement of the first reinforcing panel and the second reinforcing panel. [Figure 11] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the arrangement and function of a first reinforcing panel and a second reinforcing panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, FW and RR indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, respectively, LH and RH indicate the left and right in the width direction of the vehicle body, and UP and DN indicate the upper and lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, respectively. In the following description, the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body may be simply referred to as the "front" or "front of the vehicle body", and the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body may be simply referred to as the "rear" or "rear of the vehicle body". In addition, elements having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment A vehicle V according to the embodiment is, for example, an electric vehicle (EV) that runs using only an electric motor as a driving force source. As shown in Fig. 1, a motor chamber M is provided at the front of the vehicle body of the vehicle V, and a vehicle drive motor DM, a reduction gear R, a power delivery module PM, an inverter (not shown), and the like are mounted inside the motor chamber M. The power delivery module PM includes, for example, an on-board charger, a DC / DC converter, a junction box, and the like (not shown). A drive shaft (not shown) is provided beyond the reduction gear R, and driving wheels such as the front wheels are connected to the drive shaft.

[0011] The vehicle V is equipped with an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system includes an air conditioning unit 1 that generates conditioned air for conditioning the interior of the vehicle compartment C, as well as an exterior condenser, an electric compressor, an expansion valve, refrigerant piping, various switching valves, etc. (not shown) that are provided in a motor compartment M, and an interior duct CD, etc. that is provided in the vehicle compartment C. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the air conditioning unit 1 is attached to a dash panel 2 made of, for example, a steel plate, which is a partition that separates the motor compartment M from the vehicle compartment C. The mounting structure of the air conditioning unit 1 will be described later.

[0012] <Air conditioning unit> The air conditioning unit 1 is also called an HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) unit. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the air conditioning unit 1 includes, as its components, a case 4 having an air flow path 3 formed therein, a blower fan 5, an evaporator 6, an inner condenser 7, a PTC heater 8, an air mix door 9, etc. The blower fan 5, the evaporator 6, the inner condenser 7, the PTC heater 8, and the air mix door 9 are each housed in the case 4 and disposed in the air flow path 3.

[0013] The case 4 has, as inlets to the air flow path 3, an inside air inlet (not shown) for introducing inside air, which is air inside the vehicle compartment C, into the air flow path 3, and an outside air inlet (not shown) for introducing outside air, which is air outside the vehicle compartment C, into the air flow path 3. The blower fan 5 takes in air from either or both of the inside air inlet and the outside air inlet by rotating the fan with an electric motor (not shown), and blows the taken-in air to an evaporator 6, which is a cooling heat exchanger.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, the evaporator 6 is arranged adjacent to the blower fan 5 in the vehicle width direction on one side of the blower fan 5 in the vehicle width direction (the right side in this embodiment). Also, as shown in Fig. 1, the evaporator 6 is arranged on the rear side of the power delivery module PM at a position overlapping with the power delivery module PM as viewed in the vehicle body longitudinal direction. Note that in this embodiment, relatively robust structures such as the power delivery module PM are arranged near the blower fan 5, avoiding positions overlapping with the blower fan 5 as viewed in the vehicle body longitudinal direction.

[0015] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the evaporator 6 is disposed across the air flow path 3 so that all air flowing through the air flow path 3 passes through the evaporator 6. The evaporator 6 is disposed in the air flow path 3 with the ventilation surface 6a facing the vehicle body longitudinal direction so that air passes from the front side to the rear side. The evaporator 6 is formed, for example, by alternately stacking corrugated fins and tubes in multiple stages, and has a tank at the longitudinal end of the tube. The evaporator 6 is connected to an outdoor condenser, an electric compressor, an expansion valve, etc. through refrigerant piping to form a refrigeration cycle. For example, during cooling operation, the evaporator 6 cools the air by absorbing the heat of the air passing through it with the refrigerant that has been reduced in pressure by the expansion valve.

[0016] Downstream of the evaporator 6, the air flow path 3 branches into two flow paths, an upper one and an lower one, as shown in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, the lower one of the two flow paths will be referred to as the "heating flow path 3a" and the upper one as the "bypass flow path 3b." The heating flow path 3a and the bypass flow path 3b each extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and are separated from each other by a partition wall 4a.

[0017] 1 and 2, an inner condenser 7 and a PTC heater 8 as heating heat exchangers are provided in this order inside the heating flow path 3a along the air flow direction in the heating flow path 3a. The inner condenser 7 and the PTC heater 8 are arranged so as to cross the heating flow path 3a so that all air flowing in the heating flow path 3a passes through them. Similarly to the evaporator 6, the inner condenser 7 and the PTC heater 8 are arranged in the air flow path 3 with their ventilation surfaces 7a and 8a facing in the vehicle front-rear direction so that air passes from the front side to the rear side.

[0018] The inner condenser 7 is disposed rearward of the evaporator 6 and overlaps with the evaporator 6 when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The inner condenser 7 has a similar structure to the evaporator 6, and is connected to an outdoor condenser, an electric compressor, an expansion valve, etc. via refrigerant piping to form a heat pump system. During heating operation, for example, the inner condenser 7 heats the air by having the air passing through it absorb the heat of the refrigerant that has been made high temperature and high pressure by the electric compressor.

[0019] The PTC heater 8 is an electric heater that supplementarily heats air by passing the air through an electrically heated heater element. The PTC heater 8 is disposed rearward of the inner condenser 7 and overlaps with the evaporator 6 and the inner condenser 7 when viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. Instead of the PTC heater 8, a heater core through which hot water heated by the PTC heater 8 flows may be disposed in the heating flow path 3a.

[0020] The air mix door 9 is a slide door that is provided at the entrance of the heating flow path 3a and the bypass flow path 3b and moves up and down along a guide rail 9a. The air mix door 9 is driven by, for example, an electric motor, and adjusts the ratio between the flow rate of air flowing into the heating flow path 3a and the flow rate of air flowing into the bypass flow path 3b. The air mix door 9 is not limited to the slide door type shown in the figure, and may be, for example, a so-called rotary type, a cantilever door type, or a butterfly door type.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the case 4 forms an air mix chamber 10 that communicates with the downstream side of the heating flow path 3a and the bypass flow path 3b as a part of the air flow path 3. In the air mix chamber 10, the heating flow path 3a and the bypass flow path 3b join together, and the air that flows through these two flow paths can be mixed. A movable or fixed guide may be provided inside the air mix chamber 10 to control the flow direction of the air in the air mix chamber 10. Note that the air mix chamber is omitted in Fig. 2.

[0022] The case 4 has, as outlets of the air flow path 3, a defrost outlet 10a, a vent outlet 10b, a foot outlet 10c, etc., each of which is connected to the downstream side of the air mix chamber 10. The air that has passed through each of the outlets 10a, 10b, 10c is sent as conditioned air toward the windshield, the upper body of the occupant, the feet, etc., via an appropriately connected interior duct CD.

[0023] <Air conditioning unit mounting structure> 1, 2, and 8, in this embodiment, an opening 11 penetrating in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body is provided in dash panel 2, and air conditioning unit 1 that generates conditioned air is attached to dash panel 2 in a state where it penetrates opening 11. The inner peripheral edge of opening 11 in dash panel 2 defines a planar opening surface 11a that is substantially perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

[0024] 1 and 2, in the portion of the air conditioning unit 1 that penetrates the opening 11, the air flow path 3 downstream of the evaporator 6 is located within the opening 11. Specifically, the heating flow path 3a and the bypass flow path 3b intersect with the opening surface 11a. In addition, the air flow path 3 upstream of the blower fan 5 is also located within the opening 11. Specifically, the air flow path 3 from the inside air inlet or the outside air inlet to the blower fan 5 intersects with the opening surface 11a.

[0025] 1, 2, and 11, the dash panel 2 includes a vertical wall portion 2a extending flatly in the vehicle width direction and the vertical direction, and a curved wall portion 2b extending from the lower end of the vertical wall portion 2a. The curved wall portion 2b extends in a curved manner so as to be convex forward and downward, and its rear end portion is joined to the front end portion of the floor panel FP.

[0026] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the evaporator 6, the inner condenser 7, and the air mix door 9 are located forward of the vertical wall portion 2a of the dash panel 2. That is, the evaporator 6, the inner condenser 7, and the air mix door 9 are each located entirely forward of the opening surface 11a. The PTC heater 8, the air mix chamber 10, the outlets 10a, 10b, 10c, etc. are disposed in a space on the passenger compartment side of the dash panel 2 (hereinafter referred to as "compartment space CS"). Specifically, they are located between the dash panel 2 and the instrument panel IP located rearward of the dash panel 2.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a resin cover 12 is provided on the front side of the opening 11 of the dash panel 2 to cover the opening 11 from the front. The cover 12 is composed of a lid 13 that covers the upper part of the air conditioning unit 1 and a cover body 14 that covers the lower part of the air conditioning unit 1. The cover 12 has a bottomed container shape that opens to the rear when the lid 13 and the cover body 14 are integrated. The cover 12 is fixed to the dash panel 2 by fastening the peripheral part of the opening 12a of the cover 12 to the front surface 2f of the dash panel 2 with fasteners such as bolts. When the cover 12 is fixed to the dash panel 2, the cover 12 forms an accommodation space S therein that communicates with the interior of the vehicle compartment C through the opening 11 of the dash panel 2. The front part of the air conditioning unit 1 is accommodated in the accommodation space S. In the accommodation space S, the air conditioning unit 1 is fixed to and supported by the cover 12 via a bracket (not shown).

[0028] As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the lid 13 has a flat shape with a height smaller than that of the cover body 14 in the vertical direction, and covers the upper end opening 14a of the cover body 14. The lid 13 is fixed to the cover body 14 by fastening the peripheral portion of the lid 13 to the cover body 14 with fasteners such as bolts. Specifically, the lid 13 is fixed to the cover body 14 by fastening a plurality of bracket portions 13a provided on the peripheral portion of the lid 13 to a plurality of bracket portions 14b provided on the peripheral portion of the upper end opening 14a of the cover body 14 with fasteners. The lid 13 can be removed from the cover body 14 while the cover body 14 is fixed to the dash panel 2 by removing the fasteners and moving the lid 13 forward and obliquely upward. A seal material 15 (see Figs. 1 and 5) is provided between the peripheral portion of the lid 13 and the peripheral portion of the upper end opening 14a of the cover body 14. The sealing material 15 seals the gap between the lid 13 and the cover body 14 in a waterproof and soundproof manner, preventing, for example, rainwater from entering the storage space S of the cover 12 from the motor chamber M or the vehicle interior space CS, and preventing sound leakage, etc.

[0029] A piping through hole 14d is provided in the front wall 14c of the cover body 14, and a refrigerant piping (not shown) that connects the evaporator 6 and the inner condenser 7 of the air conditioning unit 1 to an outdoor condenser and the like provided in the motor chamber M is inserted through the piping through hole 14d. A wiring through hole 14e is also provided in the wall 14c of the cover body 14, and an electric wiring (not shown) that connects the blower fan 5 and the PTC heater 8 of the air conditioning unit 1 to each power supply device and the like provided in the motor chamber M is inserted through the wiring through hole 14e. The piping through hole 14d and the wiring through hole 14e are sealed to be waterproof and soundproof.

[0030] 4 to 7, a flange portion 12f is formed on the rear edge of the cover 12, i.e., on the periphery of the opening 12a of the cover 12. When the cover 12 is fixed to the dash panel 2, a sealant 16 is sandwiched in a compressed state between the flange portion 12f and the periphery of the opening 11 on the front surface 2f of the dash panel 2, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The sealant 16 is formed in a frame shape when viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and seals the gap between the cover 12 and the dash panel 2 in a waterproof and soundproof manner, preventing, for example, rainwater from entering the motor chamber M into the accommodation space S of the cover 12 and the vehicle interior space CS, sound leakage, etc.

[0031] As the sealant 16, for example, EPTSEALER (registered trademark) may be disposed in two layers on the inner and outer periphery sides between the lid 13 and the dash panel 2 as shown in FIG. 6. Also, as for example, a weather strip made of ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPM) rubber may be disposed in two layers on the inner and outer periphery sides between the cover body 14 and the dash panel 2 as shown in FIG. 7. The material of the sealant 16 between the lid 13 and the dash panel 2 is not limited to the above, and may be urethane foam, polyethylene foam, etc. Also, the material of the sealant 16 between the cover body 14 and the dash panel 2 is not limited to the above, and may be polyvinyl chloride, chloroprene rubber, etc.

[0032] Of the front surface 2f at the periphery of the opening 11, an area 2A (hatched area in FIG. 8) that abuts against the sealant 16 is formed flat all around the opening 11. In the example shown, the area 2A is substantially parallel to the opening surface 11a all around the opening 11. Here, "flat" does not necessarily mean that the area is strictly flat. For example, even if the area is curved with a gentle curvature or has small steps or fine irregularities, this is included in the "flat" definition as long as the sealant 16 that abuts against the area can exhibit the required sealing properties.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a long member 17 is provided in front of the dash panel 2 and above the air conditioning unit 1 accommodated in the cover 12 and the accommodation space S, which connects the strut towers ST and extends substantially horizontally in the vehicle width direction. The long member 17 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy, and is fastened at both ends in the vehicle width direction to the upper ends of the left and right strut towers ST by fasteners such as bolts. Two bracket portions 17a protruding forward are provided at the center of the long member 17 in the vehicle width direction. The bracket portions 17a are fastened to two bracket portions 14f (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) formed on the front wall 14c of the cover main body 14 by fasteners such as bolts. The air conditioning unit 1 is supported by the long member 17 via the cover main body 14 and a bracket (not shown) provided inside the cover main body 14. The long member 17 is omitted in the drawings other than FIG. 9.

[0034] 10 and 11, a first reinforcing panel 18 (first member) made of, for example, a steel plate is joined to the rear surface 2r of the vertical wall portion 2a of the dash panel 2. The first reinforcing panel 18 is an annular plate-like member having an opening 18a of the same shape as the opening 11 of the dash panel 2 formed in the center when viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. When joined to the dash panel 2, the first reinforcing panel 18 extends along the periphery of the opening 11 so as to surround the entire periphery of the opening 11.

[0035] The first reinforcing panel 18 is formed with beads 18b having a hat-shaped cross section. Each bead 18b has a hat-shaped cross section that is convex toward the inside of the vehicle compartment, and extends linearly in the vertical direction along the peripheral edges of the opening 11 on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear edge of the cover 12, i.e., the peripheral edge of the opening 12a of the cover 12, is disposed at a position overlapping with the beads 18b when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. The rear edge of the cover 12 (for example, the flange portion 12f) may be fastened to the beads 18b using a fastener such as a bolt.

[0036] Also, a second reinforcing panel 19 (second member) made of, for example, a steel plate is provided from the dash panel 2 to the floor panel FP. Specifically, the second reinforcing panel 19 is joined to the interior surface of the dash panel 2 from the lower end of the vertical wall portion 2a of the dash panel 2 to the rear end of the curved wall portion 2b. A front end portion 19a of the second reinforcing panel 19 is joined to the rear surface of the lower portion 18c of the first reinforcing panel 18, and a rear end portion 19b is joined to the upper surface of the front end portion of the floor panel FP.

[0037] 1 and 11, the second reinforcing panel 19 extends linearly from a front end 19a to a rear end 19b when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and is inclined downward toward the rear. The front end 19a of the second reinforcing panel 19 is located at approximately the same height in the up-down direction as an attachment point P of the lower end of the cover 12 to the dash panel 2, as shown in FIG.

[0038] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a pair of beads 19c extending linearly along the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcing panel 19 is formed at both outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the second reinforcing panel 19 in order to increase the rigidity of the second reinforcing panel 19. Each bead 19c has a hat-shaped cross section that is convex toward the inside of the vehicle compartment, and connects the front end 19a and the rear end 19b. The outer end edges of the second reinforcing panel 19 in the vehicle width direction may be joined to the dash panel 2 to form a reinforcing structure with a closed cross section.

[0039] During a frontal collision of the vehicle V, the collision load input from the front of the vehicle body is input to the cover 12 and the air conditioning unit 1 via, for example, a power delivery module PM located in front of the air conditioning unit 1. As shown by the arrows in Fig. 11, the input load is input from the rear edge portion (including the flange portion 12f) of the cover 12 and the attachment points (including the attachment point P) of the cover 12 and the air conditioning unit 1 to the dash panel 2 to the peripheral portion of the opening 11 of the dash panel 2. The load input to the peripheral portion is dispersed and transmitted from the first reinforcing panel 18 to the surrounding dash panel 2, etc., or from the first reinforcing panel 18 via the second reinforcing panel 19 to the floor panel FP, etc.

[0040] The effects of this embodiment will be described below.

[0041] (1) In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 1 for conditioning the interior of the vehicle compartment C penetrates through an opening 11 provided in the dash panel 2. As a result, the space occupied by the air conditioning unit 1 in the vehicle compartment space CS is smaller than when the entire air conditioning unit 1 is installed on the vehicle compartment inner side of the dash panel 2, improving the habitability of the vehicle compartment C. On the other hand, the space occupied by the air conditioning unit 1 itself can be maintained at the same level as when the entire air conditioning unit 1 is installed on the vehicle compartment inner side of the dash panel 2, so that the comfort of the environment in the vehicle compartment C can be maintained at a high level while minimizing the impact on the air conditioning capacity (flow rate of conditioned air).

[0042] (2) In this embodiment, in the portion of the air conditioning unit 1 that penetrates the opening 11, at least the air flow path 3 downstream of the evaporator 6 is located within the opening 11. Therefore, although the opening dimension is larger than in a structure in which only the refrigerant piping and electrical wiring are inserted through the hole in the dash panel, it is possible to arrange the main components of the air conditioning unit 1 further forward in the vehicle body than the dash panel 2, and therefore the vehicle interior space CS can be made larger. In particular, in this embodiment, the air flow path 3 upstream of the blower fan 5 is also located within the opening 11, so this effect can be obtained more significantly.

[0043] (3) In this embodiment, at least the evaporator 6 is located further forward in the vehicle body than the dash panel 2. As a result, the components of the air conditioning unit 1 that occupy a larger space are located further forward in the vehicle body than the dash panel 2, making it possible to make the vehicle interior space CS larger. In particular, in this embodiment, the blower fan 5, the inner condenser 7, and the air mix door 9 are also located further forward in the vehicle body than the dash panel 2, making this effect more noticeable.

[0044] (4) In this embodiment, the evaporator 6, the inner condenser 7, and the air mix door 9 are disposed at a position behind the power delivery module PM that overlaps with the power delivery module PM in the vehicle front-rear direction view. Therefore, in the event of a front collision of the vehicle V, the power delivery module PM, which moves rearward relative to the dash panel 2, inputs a load to components such as the evaporator 6 that are located forward of the dash panel 2, causing them to be crushed and deformed. That is, the air conditioning unit 1 located behind the power delivery module PM can be effectively used as a collision energy absorbing member in the event of a front collision. In addition, in this embodiment, a relatively robust structure such as the power delivery module PM is disposed near the blower fan 5, avoiding a position that overlaps with the blower fan 5 in the vehicle front-rear direction view. Therefore, in the event of a front collision, the collision load is prevented from being preferentially transmitted to the blower fan 5, and components other than the blower fan 5 can be effectively used as a load path for the collision load.

[0045] (5) In this embodiment, long members 17 are provided to connect the strut towers ST to each other, and the air conditioning unit 1 is supported by the long members 17. This makes it possible to position the air conditioning unit 1 further forward in the vehicle body while improving the support rigidity of the air conditioning unit 1.

[0046] (6) In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 1 is housed inside the cover 12 that covers the opening 11 from the front of the vehicle body, and the sealant 16 is sandwiched between the rear edge of the cover 12 and the periphery of the opening 11. Therefore, the shape of the sealant can be simplified compared to when the periphery of the air conditioning unit 1 is directly sealed without providing the cover 12. In particular, in this embodiment, the area 2A of the periphery of the opening 11 of the dash panel 2 that abuts against the sealant 16 is formed flat, so that the sealant 16 can be compressed at an appropriate and uniform compression rate. This improves the waterproofing and soundproofing performance of the mounting structure of the air conditioning unit 1.

[0047] (7) In this embodiment, the first reinforcing panel 18 is joined to the surface 2r of the dash panel 2 on the rear side of the vehicle body, and surrounds the opening 11 along the periphery of the opening 11. The front end 19a of the second reinforcing panel 19 on the front side of the vehicle body is joined to the first reinforcing panel 18, and the rear end 19b on the rear side of the vehicle body is joined to the floor panel FP. Therefore, the first reinforcing panel 18 reinforces the periphery of the opening 11. In addition, the relative strength of the vehicle body structure on the rear side of the vehicle body to the vehicle body structure on the front side of the dash panel 2 is relatively improved compared to the case where the first reinforcing panel 18 and the second reinforcing panel 19 are not provided. Therefore, the load during a front collision is more likely to be input to the cover 12 and the air conditioning unit 1 located on the front side of the vehicle body than the dash panel 2, and these are more likely to be crushed and deformed. In other words, the air conditioning unit 1 can be effectively used as a collision energy absorbing member during a front collision.

[0048] (8) In this embodiment, the first reinforcing panel 18 is formed with a bead 18b extending along the outer peripheral edge of the opening 11 in the vehicle width direction. This improves the strength and rigidity of the peripheral edge of the opening 11, and improves the mounting rigidity of the cover 12 and the air conditioning unit 1 to the dash panel 2. Particularly in this embodiment, the bead 18b is disposed at a position overlapping the edge of the cover 12 on the rear side of the vehicle body when viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. This allows the load during a front collision to be more reliably input to the cover 12 and the air conditioning unit 1.

[0049] (9) In the present embodiment, the evaporator 6 and the inner condenser 7 are disposed to overlap each other when viewed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, at a position forward of the dash panel 2. This makes it possible to more reliably cause both the evaporator 6 and the inner condenser 7 to be crushed and deformed by a load input during a frontal collision.

[0050] <Other embodiments> In the first embodiment, in the portion of the air conditioning unit 1 that penetrates the opening 11, the heating passage 3a and the bypass passage 3b downstream of the evaporator 6 and the air passage 3 upstream of the blower fan 5 are located within the opening 11. However, the positional relationship between the components of the air conditioning unit 1 and the opening 11 is not limited to this. In another embodiment, only one of the air passage 3 downstream of the evaporator 6 and the air passage 3 upstream of the blower fan 5 may be located within the opening 11. In another embodiment, any one or more of the blower fan 5, the evaporator 6, the air mix door 9, the inner condenser 7, the PTC heater 8, the air mix chamber 10, and the air passage 3 between the blower fan 5 and the evaporator 6 may be located within the opening 11. Even in these cases, the same effects as those of (1) and (2) above can be obtained.

[0051] In addition, in the first embodiment, the blower fan 5, evaporator 6, inner condenser 7, and air mix door 9 are located further forward in the vehicle body than the dash panel 2, but the positional relationship between the components of the air conditioning unit 1 and the dash panel 2 is not limited to this. In other embodiments, any one or more of the blower fan 5, evaporator 6, inner condenser 7, air mix door 9, PTC heater 8, and air mix chamber 10 (excluding the combination in the first embodiment) may be located further forward in the vehicle body than the dash panel 2. Even in these cases, the same effects as those of (3) and (4) above can be obtained.

[0052] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the portion of the air conditioning unit 1 on the front side of the vehicle body is accommodated in the accommodation space S inside the cover 12, but the size of the portion of the air conditioning unit 1 accommodated in the accommodation space S is not limited to this. For example, the entire air conditioning unit 1 may be accommodated in the accommodation space S. In this case, the vehicle interior space CS can be made even larger.

[0053] In the first embodiment, the beads 18b of the first reinforcing panel 18 are formed to extend in the vertical direction along the peripheral edge of the opening 11 on both outer sides in the vehicle width direction, but the beads 18b may extend in the vehicle width direction along the peripheral edge of the opening 11 on both outer sides in the vertical direction. The beads 18b may be formed continuously along the peripheral edge of the opening 11 so as to surround the entire periphery of the opening 11, or may be formed to extend along only a part of the peripheral edge of the opening 11. Even when these beads 18b are arranged at positions overlapping with the edge of the cover 12 on the rear side of the vehicle body when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction, the same effect as the effect of (8) above can be obtained.

[0054] The above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples described to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments, but also includes various modifications, changes, and alternative techniques that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0055] In the above embodiment, an electric vehicle (EV) has been described as an example, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to hybrid vehicles (HV), fuel cell vehicles (FCV), and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] V Vehicle C Cabin 1 Air Conditioning Unit 2 Dash Panel 11 Dash panel opening 3 Air Flow Path 5 Blower Fan 6 Evaporator 17 Long members ST Strut Tower 12 Cover 16 Sealing material 2A: The area of ​​the periphery of the opening that comes into contact with the sealing material 18 First reinforcing panel (first member) 18b bead 19 Second reinforcement panel (second member) 19a Front end (front end of vehicle body) 19b Rear end (rear end of the vehicle body)

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit that generates air conditioning air for conditioning the interior of the vehicle passes through an opening provided in the dash panel, The air conditioning unit includes at least an air flow path through which air flows, and a blower fan and an evaporator provided in the air flow path, The blower fan and the evaporator are arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction, a portion of the air flow path upstream of the blower fan and a portion of the air flow path downstream of the evaporator are disposed within the opening so as to intersect with a planar opening surface defined by an inner periphery of the opening, At least a portion of the air conditioning unit is accommodated inside a cover that covers the opening from the front of the vehicle body, a sealant is sandwiched between an end edge of the cover on the vehicle body rear side and a peripheral edge of the opening, a region of the peripheral portion that contacts the sealing material is flat and is formed parallel to the opening surface;

2. A long member is provided to connect the strut towers together, 2. The vehicle air conditioning unit mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning unit is supported by the elongated member.

3. a first member joined to a surface of the dash panel on the vehicle body rear side and extending along a peripheral portion of the opening so as to surround the opening; 3. The mounting structure for a vehicle air conditioning unit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a second member having an end portion on a front side of the vehicle body joined to the first member and an end portion on a rear side of the vehicle body joined to a floor panel.

4. 4. The mounting structure for a vehicle air conditioning unit as described in claim 3, wherein a bead is formed on the first member extending along at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the opening, and the bead is positioned at a position overlapping with an end edge portion of the cover on the rear side of the vehicle body when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

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