Vehicle air conditioning device

Abstract

To provide a light irradiation unit which can be installed in a saved space and suppresses power consumption, and an air conditioner for a vehicle.SOLUTION: A light irradiation unit includes: a heat sink having a plate-like heat sink body, and a fin projecting from a first main surface of the heat sink body; an electronic substrate laminated on a second main surface on a side opposite to the first main surface of the heat sink body; and a light irradiation element mounted on a first surface that is a surface on a side where the heat sink of the electronic substrate is provided. The configuration can achieve space saving and power saving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to Vehicle a dual-purpose air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] A vehicle air conditioner mainly includes a fan, a duct, and an evaporator. By driving the fan, air is supplied to the evaporator through the duct. The evaporator performs heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant. Thereby, temperature-controlled air supply can be generated.

[0003] Conventionally, in order to provide a sterilizing effect for the purpose of preventing mold and the like on these fans, evaporators, and the air supply itself, an example of providing a sterilizing device in the duct has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a configuration in which a germicidal lamp is provided in the duct.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when a fluorescent tube as a germicidal lamp is provided in the duct as described above, there is a risk that the installation space will be enlarged and the pressure loss in the duct will increase. In addition, there is also a risk that the stable operation of other devices will be affected by the heat generation of the germicidal lamp.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a dual-purpose air conditioner that can be installed in a more space-saving manner and has reduced power consumption. Vehicle

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] ​In order to solve the above problems, the Vehicle air conditioner according to the present disclosure A fan that pumps air, a duct through which the air pumped from the fan flows, an evaporator provided on the downstream side of the duct in the air flow direction, and a light irradiation unit attached to the inner surface of the duct, wherein the light irradiation unit is is a heat sink having a plate-shaped heat sink body and fins protruding from a first main surface of the heat sink body, an electronic substrate laminated on a second main surface opposite to the first main surface of the heat sink body, and a light irradiation element mounted on a first surface which is a surface of the electronic substrate on the side where the heat sink is provided and capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays. The heat sink is thermally connected to the light irradiation element and components mounted on the electronic substrate. A pair of the light irradiation elements are provided so as to sandwich the fins from the direction in which the fins extend. Each of the light irradiation elements is configured to be able to irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the side opposite to the side where the fins are located.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a dual-purpose air conditioner that can be installed in a more space-saving manner and has reduced power consumption. Vehicle

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the vehicle air conditioner 100 and the light irradiation unit 90 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0011] (Configuration of Vehicle Air Conditioner) ​The vehicle air conditioner 100 is a device for performing temperature-controlled air blowing inside the vehicle (living compartment). As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner 100 includes a fan 1, a fan case 2, a duct 3, and an evaporator 4.

[0012] The fan 1 is an impeller for pumping air introduced from the outside. The fan 1 is covered from the outside by the fan case 2. When the fan 1 rotates inside the fan case 2, the air before temperature adjustment is sent into the duct 3 connected to the fan case 2. Note that the drive control including the on / off switching and rotation speed control of the fan 1 is performed by a power element 8 (fan controller) described later.

[0013] Inside the duct 3, a flow path through which the air pumped by the fan 1 flows is formed. A light irradiation unit 90 described later is attached to the inner wall 3A (inner surface) of the duct 3. An accommodation space 3S that is recessed outward from the inner wall 3A is formed at the end of the duct 3 on the side opposite to the fan 1 inside the duct 3 (that is, the downstream end of the duct 3 in the first direction F of the air). The evaporator 4 is accommodated in the accommodation space 3S.

[0014] The evaporator 4 is a part of a refrigerant circuit having a refrigeration cycle. The evaporator 4 performs heat exchange between the air flowing through the duct 3 and the refrigerant. As a result, the air that has passed through the evaporator 4 is temperature-adjusted to become cold air or warm air and is blown into the vehicle interior.

[0015] (Configuration of the light irradiation unit) The light irradiation unit 90 is provided for performing a sterilization process mainly for the purpose of preventing mold and corrosion on the air flow itself flowing through the duct 3, the fan 1, and the evaporator 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the light irradiation unit 90 includes a heat sink 6, an electronic substrate 5, light irradiation elements 7A and 7B, and a power element 8.

[0016] (Configuration of the heat sink) The heat sink 6 has a heat sink body 61 and a plurality of fins 62. The heat sink body 61 is in the shape of a thick plate that extends along the inner wall 3A of the duct 3. A part of the heat sink body 61 is exposed outside the duct 3 through an opening formed in the inner wall 3A of the duct 3. Of the two surfaces of the heat sink body 61 in the thickness direction, the surface facing the inside of the duct 3 is defined as the first main surface 6A. A plurality of fins 62 are provided on this first main surface 6A. The fins 62 protrude from the first main surface 6A in a direction perpendicular to the first main surface 6A and are in the shape of plates extending along the air flow direction (hereinafter referred to as the first direction F) in the duct 3. Further, these fins 62 are arranged at intervals in a direction perpendicular to the first direction F.

[0017] Of the two surfaces of the heat sink body 61 in the thickness direction, the surface facing the outside of the duct 3 (that is, the surface opposite to the first main surface 6A) is defined as the second main surface 6B. An electronic substrate 5 is laminated on the second main surface 6B. The electronic substrate 5 is a printed circuit board formed of, for example, glass epoxy resin or bakelite, and printed wiring is provided on at least one of its surfaces. Of the two surfaces of the electronic substrate 5 in the thickness direction, the surface in contact with the heat sink body 61 is defined as the first surface 5A. In this electronic substrate 5, the dimension in the first direction F is set to be larger than that of the heat sink body 61. That is, both ends of the first surface 5A in the first direction F protrude outward from the heat sink body 61.

[0018] (Configuration of the light irradiation element) Light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are respectively provided at both ends of the above-described first surface 5A. The light irradiation element 7A is located on the side of the fan 1 in the first direction F. The light irradiation element 7B is located on the side of the evaporator 4 in the first direction F. The light irradiation elements 7A and 7B each have a plate-shaped support plate 71 protruding from the first surface 5A and a plurality of element bodies 72 attached to the surface of the support plate 71. As shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the protruding height of the support plate 71 is set lower than the protruding height of the fins 62 of the heat sink 6. That is, when viewed from the first direction F, the tip of the fin 62 protrudes above the support plate 71. As a result, the area of the fin 62 blocked by the support 71 is reduced, so that heat dissipation can be performed more efficiently as the heat sink 6. Further, the support plate 71 is in contact with the heat sink body 61 from both sides in the first direction F. That is, the support plate 71 and the heat sink body 61 are thermally connected. Note that a slight gap may be formed between the support plate 71 and the heat sink body 61 as long as the two are thermally connected. In this case, the support plate 71 and the heat sink body 61 are thermally connected via the electronic substrate 5.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of element bodies 72 are arranged on the surface of the support plate 71 at intervals in a direction orthogonal to the first direction F. Specifically, an ultraviolet irradiation type LED is used as the element body 72. In particular, an LED capable of emitting ultraviolet light called UVC with a wavelength of 280 nm or less is preferably used as the element body 72. As shown in FIG. 2, the element body 72 of the light irradiation element 7A irradiates light with the direction toward the fan 1 as the optical axis center. Further, light is irradiated with a spread of about 60° with respect to this optical axis center. The element body 72 of the light irradiation element 7B irradiates light with the direction toward the evaporator 4 as the optical axis center. Further, light is irradiated with a spread of about 60° with respect to this optical axis center. That is, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are configured to be able to irradiate light in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the fins 62. More specifically, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are configured to be able to irradiate light respectively toward the side opposite to the side where the heat sink 6 is located in the first direction F. As shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, it is also possible to use an LED (that is, the spread angle from the optical axis is about 90°) that can irradiate light in a direction orthogonal to the first direction F as the element body 72.

[0020] Of the two surfaces in the thickness direction of the electronic substrate 5, the surface opposite to the first surface 5A is the second surface 5B. A power element 8, which is a part of the control circuit for driving the fan 1, is mounted on the second surface 5B. Specifically, examples of the power element 8 include a power transistor and a MOSFET. The power element 8 generates heat during driving. This heat is transmitted to the heat sink 6 through the electronic substrate 5. That is, the heat sink 6 is thermally connected to the power element 8 in addition to the above-described light irradiation elements 7A and 7B.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the power element 8, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B, and the power supply S are connected by a single harness 9. That is, when the conduction of this harness 9 is released, the power supply to the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B is configured to be stopped simultaneously.

[0022] (Function and Effect) Next, the operations of the vehicle air conditioner 100 and the light irradiation unit 90 according to the present embodiment will be described. When operating the vehicle air conditioner 100, first, the fan 1 is driven. Also, by driving a compressor (not shown), a refrigerant circuit including the evaporator 4 is operated. As a result, the outside air guided from the fan 1 through the duct 3 comes into contact with the evaporator 4 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant. As a result, the temperature-controlled air flow is supplied into the vehicle interior.

[0023] Here, in the duct 3, there is a risk that viruses that cause diseases and bacteria that cause mold may be generated and proliferated. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the light irradiation unit 90 is provided in the duct 3. The ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light irradiation unit 90 can perform sterilization treatment on the air flow itself flowing through the duct 3, the fan 1 arranged in the portion connected to the duct 3, the evaporator 4, and further the inner wall 3A of the duct 3. In particular, since ultraviolet irradiation type LEDs are used as the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B, sterilization treatment can be performed with lower power consumption than that of the conventionally used sterilization lamp (fluorescent tube).

[0024] The light irradiation elements 7A and 7B generate heat during operation. This heat is dissipated into the air flow passing through the duct 3 through the heat sink 6. Further, this heat sink 6 is also used to dissipate the heat generated by the power element 8. That is, in the present embodiment, the heat sink 6 is used to cool both the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B. Thereby, for example, compared with the case where dedicated heat sinks are provided for the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B respectively, the occupied space can be reduced. As a result, the dimensions and size of the vehicle air conditioner 100 and the light irradiation unit 90 can be kept small.

[0025] Thus, according to the above configuration, the heat generated by the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can be efficiently dissipated by the heat sink 6. Further, since the fins 62 of the heat sink 6 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are both provided on the first surface 5A side of the electronic substrate 5, for example, the dimensional size of the device can be kept smaller compared to the case where they extend in different directions from each other. In particular, when the fins 62 protrude outside the duct 3, there is a possibility of interference with other devices of the vehicle. According to the above configuration, such a possibility is reduced, and the degree of freedom in the device layout of the vehicle can be increased.

[0026] Also, according to the above configuration, it is possible to take heat away from the fins 62 by blowing air and cool the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B. Further, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can stably provide a sterilizing effect on the blowing air itself and other devices (the fan 1, the evaporator 4, and the inner wall 3A of the duct 3) exposed in the duct 3. In addition, since the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B and the heat sink 6 are both provided on the same side surface of the electronic substrate 5, it is also possible to cool the light irradiation unit 90 itself by using the fluid itself to be sterilized (irradiated with light).

[0027] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, power is supplied from a single harness 9 to the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B. Therefore, for example, during maintenance work, by removing (disconnecting the conduction of) this harness 9, the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can be simultaneously turned off. Thereby, the possibility that an operator is exposed to harmful light rays can be reduced. In particular, since ultraviolet rays are invisible light, there is a high possibility of being exposed without noticing the light emission during work. According to the above configuration, such a possibility is reduced, and the work can be carried out more safely.

[0028] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. Various changes and modifications can be made to the above configuration without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, an example in which LEDs emitting UVC are used as the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B has been described. However, it is also possible to use LEDs emitting ultraviolet rays of other wavelengths as the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B. Further, as another aspect of the heat sink 6, it is also possible to use a type having a plurality of pins instead of the fins 62.

[0029] <Appendix> The light irradiation unit 90 and the vehicle air conditioner 100 described in each embodiment are understood as follows, for example.

[0030] (1) The light irradiation unit 90 according to the first aspect includes a heat sink 6 having a plate-shaped heat sink body 61 and fins 62 protruding from the first main surface 6A of the heat sink body 61, and an electronic substrate 5 laminated on the second main surface 6B of the heat sink body 61 on the side opposite to the first main surface 6A. The light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are mounted on the first surface 5A of the electronic substrate 5 on the side where the heat sink 6 is provided.

[0031] According to the above configuration, the heat generated by the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can be efficiently dissipated by the heat sink 6. Further, since the fins 62 of the heat sink 6 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are both provided on the first surface 5A side of the electronic substrate 5, for example, the dimensional size of the device can be suppressed to be smaller than when they extend in different directions from each other.

[0032] (2) In the light irradiation unit 90 according to the second aspect, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are configured to be able to irradiate light in the extending direction of the fins 62.

[0033] For example, when the light irradiation unit 90 is provided in the duct 3 of the vehicle air conditioner 100, the air flow circulates around the fins 62. According to the above configuration, heat can be taken from the fins 62 by the air flow, and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can be cooled. Further, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can stably provide a sterilizing effect on the air flow itself and other devices exposed in the duct 3. In particular, by irradiating light in the extending direction of the fins 62, a long time for the light to hit the air flow can be ensured, and the sterilization process can be performed more effectively.

[0034] (3) In the light irradiation unit 90 according to the third aspect, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are configured to be able to irradiate light toward the side opposite to the side where the heat sink 6 is located.

[0035] According to the above configuration, for example, when the light irradiation unit 90 is provided in the duct 3 of the vehicle air conditioner 100, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can stably provide a sterilizing effect on the air flow itself and other devices exposed in the duct 3.

[0036] (4) The vehicle air conditioner 100 according to the fourth aspect includes a fan 1 that pumps air, a duct 3 through which the air pumped from the fan 1 circulates and on the inner surface (inner wall 3A) of which the light irradiation unit 90 is attached, and an evaporator 4 provided on the downstream side of the duct 3 in the first direction F of the air.

[0037] According to the above configuration, the light irradiation element can stably provide a sterilizing effect on the air flow itself, the fan 1, and the evaporator 4.

[0038] (5) In the vehicle air conditioner 100 according to the fifth aspect, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B are configured to be able to irradiate light in the direction facing the fan 1 side and in the direction facing the evaporator 4 side.

[0039] According to the above configuration, the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can stably provide a sterilizing effect on the blowing itself and the fan 1 and the evaporator 4 exposed in the duct 3.

[0040] (6) The vehicle air conditioner 100 according to the sixth aspect further includes a power element 8 disposed on the electronic substrate 5 for controlling the drive of the fan 1, and a harness 9 for supplying power to the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B.

[0041] According to the above configuration, power is supplied to the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B from a single harness 9. Therefore, for example, during maintenance work, by removing this harness 9, the power element 8 and the light irradiation elements 7A and 7B can be simultaneously turned off. This can reduce the possibility that the operator is exposed to harmful light rays.

Explanation of Signs

[0042] 100 Vehicle air conditioner 90 Light irradiation unit 1 Fan 2 Fan case 3 Duct 3A Inner wall 4 Evaporator 5 Electronic substrate 5A First surface 5B Second surface 6 Heat sink 6A First main surface 6B Second main surface 61 Heat sink body 62 Fin 7A,7B Light irradiation element 71 Support plate 72 Element body 8 Power element 9 Harness S Power supply

Claims

1. A fan for pumping air, a duct through which the air pumped from the fan flows, an evaporator provided on the downstream side of the duct in the air flow direction, a light irradiation unit attached to the inner surface of the duct, and comprising: The light irradiation unit includes a heat sink body having a plate shape and a heat sink having fins protruding from a first main surface of the heat sink body, an electronic substrate laminated on a second main surface of the heat sink body opposite to the first main surface, a light irradiation element mounted on a first surface which is the surface of the electronic substrate on the side where the heat sink is provided and capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays, and comprising: The heat sink is thermally connected to the light irradiation element and components mounted on the electronic substrate, a pair of the light irradiation elements are provided so as to sandwich the fins from the direction in which the fins extend, and each of the light irradiation elements is configured to be able to irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the side opposite to the side where the fins are located, for a vehicle air conditioner.

2. One of the pair of light irradiation elements is configured to be able to irradiate ultraviolet rays in a direction facing the fan side, and the other of the pair of light irradiation elements is configured to be able to irradiate ultraviolet rays in a direction facing the evaporator side, for the vehicle air conditioner according to Claim 1.

3. a power element disposed on the electronic substrate and controlling the drive of the fan, and a harness for supplying power to the power element and the light irradiation element, and further comprising the vehicle air conditioner according to Claim 1 or 2.

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