Air conditioning unit

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner that supplies blowing air to a hot air passage to which blowing air is supplied after heating and a cold air passage to which blowing air is supplied after cooling, by a single blower, and is capable of suppressing influence of waste heat generated in the blower.SOLUTION: An air conditioner (1) has a blower (40), a hot air passage (27), a cold air passage (28), and a cooling air guiding part (30). The hot air passage has a heating part (12), and leads blowing air heated by the heating part to an air-conditioned space. The cold air passage has a heat exchanging part for cooling (14), and leads blowing air cooled down by the heat exchanging part for cooling to the air-conditioned space. The blower has a fan (41), and a motor (50) with an output shaft (52) to which the fan is attached, and sends blowing air simultaneously to the hot air passage and the cold air passage. The cooling air guiding part leads the blowing air to the motor of the blower, and guides the blowing air that cooled down the motor to the hot air passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner that supplies blown air by a single blower to a hot air passage that heats the blown air and supplies it, and to a cold air passage that cools the blown air and supplies it. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional air conditioning system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The automotive air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration including a hot air passage that heats and supplies blown air using a condenser, and a cold air passage that cools and supplies blown air using an evaporator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-228133 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology of Patent Document 1, the hot air passage and the cold air passage are arranged at an interval, and a blower is arranged in each passage. In recent years, there has been a demand for compact devices, so it is also possible to arrange the hot air passage and the cold air passage as close as possible to each other and use a single blower to blow air.

[0005] In this configuration, a blower is disposed near the hot air passage and the cold air passage. The blower drives a motor to blow air, so the motor and other components must be cooled. It is anticipated that the exhaust air that cools the motor will affect the air supplied through the hot air passage and the cold air passage. For example, if the exhaust air flows into the cold air passage, the temperature of the air to be cooled will rise, increasing the thermal load in the cold air passage. This may result in the air supplied from the cold air passage being unable to provide sufficient cooling performance.

[0006] In view of the above, the present disclosure relates to an air conditioning device that supplies blown air using a single blower to a hot air passage that heats the blown air and supplies it, and to a cold air passage that cools the blown air and supplies it, and aims to provide an air conditioning device that can suppress the effects of exhaust heat generated by the blower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An air conditioning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a blower (40), a hot air passage (27), a cold air passage (28), and a cooling air guide (30). The blower blows air to be supplied to a space to be air-conditioned. The hot air passage includes a heating section (12) that heats the air blown by the blower and guides the air heated by the heating section to the space to be air-conditioned. The cold air passage includes a cooling heat exchange section (14) that absorbs heat from the air blown by the blower to cool it, and guides the air cooled by the cooling heat exchange section to the space to be air-conditioned.

[0008] The blower has a fan (41) and a motor (50) with the fan attached to an output shaft (52), and blows air simultaneously to the hot air passage and the cold air passage. The cooling air guide guides the blown air to the motor of the blower and guides the blown air, having cooled the motor, to the hot air passage.

[0009] According to the air conditioner, the cooling air guide section can guide the blown air that has cooled the motor into the hot air passage, thereby reducing the effect of the exhaust heat of the motor on the blown air flowing through the cold air passage. Also, according to the air conditioner, by guiding the blown air that has absorbed the exhaust heat of the motor into the hot air passage, the thermal load when the blown air is heated by the heating section can be reduced.

[0010] The symbols in parentheses for each means described in this section and in the claims indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments to be described later. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a third embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, several embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment may be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other previously described embodiments may be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to combinations of parts that are specifically specified as being combinable in each embodiment, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments even if not specified, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0013] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In the first embodiment, an air conditioning device of the present disclosure is applied to a vehicle air conditioning device that is mounted on a vehicle and has the interior of the vehicle as a space to be air-conditioned.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment has a refrigeration cycle 10 and an interior air conditioning unit 20. The refrigeration cycle 10 is a vapor compression type refrigeration machine including a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 13, and an evaporator 14, and adjusts the temperature of the blown air that is blown into the vehicle interior in order to air-condition the interior of the vehicle.

[0015] The refrigeration cycle 10 of this embodiment uses a fluorocarbon refrigerant as the refrigerant and constitutes a subcritical refrigeration cycle in which the high-pressure side refrigerant pressure does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle 10 constitutes a refrigerant circulation circuit in which the refrigerant circulates by flowing through a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 13, an evaporator 14, and the compressor 11 in that order.

[0016] The compressor 11 is an electric compressor driven by power supplied from a battery (not shown), and draws in, compresses, and discharges the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10. The electric motor of the compressor 11 is controlled by a control device (not shown). The compressor 11 may be a fixed displacement compressor or a variable displacement compressor driven by a belt.

[0017] The condenser 12 is a heat dissipation unit that dissipates heat and condenses the high-pressure side refrigerant (i.e., the discharged refrigerant) discharged from the compressor 11. As shown in Fig. 1, the condenser 12 is disposed inside the warm air passage 27 that constitutes the indoor air-conditioning unit 20.

[0018] Therefore, the condenser 12 condenses the high-pressure side refrigerant by exchanging heat between the high-pressure side refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 and the air blown through the hot air passage 27. That is, the condenser 12 can use the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant as a heat source to heat the air flowing through the hot air passage 27. The condenser 12 corresponds to an example of a heating unit.

[0019] The expansion valve 13 is a pressure reducing section that reduces the pressure and expands the refrigerant that has flowed out of the condenser 12. The expansion valve 13 is an electric expansion valve. The electric expansion valve is an electric variable throttle mechanism that includes a valve element configured to be able to change the throttle opening and an electric actuator that changes the opening of the valve element. The operation of the expansion valve 13 is controlled by a control signal output from a control device.

[0020] The pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 12 does not have to be an electric expansion valve. For example, a fixed throttle may be used as the pressure reducing unit. Specifically, an orifice, a capillary tube, or a refrigerant pipe having a smaller diameter than other refrigerant pipes may be used. Also, a temperature sensitive expansion valve may be used as the pressure reducing unit.

[0021] The evaporator 14 is an evaporation section that evaporates the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out from the expansion valve 13 and the blown air. As shown in FIG. 1, the evaporator 14 is disposed inside the cool air passage 28 that constitutes the indoor air-conditioning unit 20.

[0022] Therefore, the evaporator 14 can cool the air flowing through the cold air passage 28 by allowing the low-pressure refrigerant to absorb the heat of the air blown through the cold air passage 28. In other words, the evaporator 14 corresponds to an example of a cooling heat exchanger. The gas phase refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 14 is drawn into the compressor 11 and compressed.

[0023] The refrigeration cycle 10 of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration including a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 13, and an evaporator 14, but is not limited to this. Any device that can be used as a component of the refrigeration cycle 10 can be disposed in the refrigeration cycle 10, and for example, a receiver, a gas-liquid separator, etc. may be disposed. Furthermore, the refrigerant circulation circuit of the refrigeration cycle 10 may have a complex configuration including multiple refrigerant branching sections and refrigerant merging sections.

[0024] Next, the indoor air conditioning unit 20 constituting the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. The indoor air conditioning unit 20 has an air conditioning casing 21 constituting air passages such as a hot air ventilation duct 27 and a cold air ventilation duct 28. In other words, the indoor air conditioning unit 20 is configured by accommodating a condenser 12, an evaporator 14, and a blower 40 having a centrifugal multi-blade fan inside the air conditioning casing 21, which is an air passage forming member.

[0025] The air conditioning casing 21 has a motor case 22, a scroll casing 24, a hot air ventilation passage 27, and a cold air ventilation passage 28. The motor case 22 houses a motor 50 that constitutes the blower 40. The motor case 22 according to the first embodiment is disposed at a position separated from the scroll casing 24, the hot air ventilation passage 27, and the cold air ventilation passage 28, and is fixed integrally therewith via a plurality of support members 23a.

[0026] A scroll casing 24 is disposed above the motor case 22. The scroll casing 24 houses the fan 41 of the blower 40 therein, and guides the airflow generated by the rotation of the fan 41 in a predetermined direction (towards the hot air passage 27 and the cold air passage 28).

[0027] 1, a first suction port 25a is formed in the center of the lower side of the scroll casing 24. A second suction port 25b is formed in the center of the upper side of the scroll casing 24. Ends of the hot air passage 27 and the cold air passage 28 are connected to the scroll casing 24.

[0028] Therefore, in the first embodiment, when the fan 41 of the blower 40 rotates inside the scroll casing 24, the air sucked in through the first suction port 25a can be sent to the hot air ventilation passage 27. Similarly, when the fan 41 rotates inside the scroll casing 24, the air sucked in through the second suction port 25b can be sent to the cold air ventilation passage 28.

[0029] 1, a scroll-side partition 26 is formed inside the scroll casing 24 according to the first embodiment. The scroll-side partition 26 is formed on the inner surface of the scroll casing 24 so as to divide the space around the fan 41 into upper and lower sections.

[0030] The hot air passage 27 is one of the air passages through which air blown from the inside of the scroll casing 24 by the blower 40 flows, and has the condenser 12 of the refrigeration cycle 10 inside. Therefore, the air flowing through the hot air passage 27 is heated by the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant in the condenser 12, and becomes hot air Ww.

[0031] A hot air outlet 27a is formed at the other end of the hot air ventilation passage 27. The hot air outlet 27a is connected to the interior of the vehicle cabin via a duct or the like (not shown). Therefore, the air flowing inside the hot air ventilation passage 27 is heated by the condenser 12 and supplied as hot air Ww from the hot air outlet 27a into the vehicle cabin. Therefore, the hot air ventilation passage 27 corresponds to an example of a hot air passage.

[0032] A motor cooling passage 30a serving as a cooling air guide portion 30 is formed along the warm air ventilation passage 27. The specific configuration of the motor cooling passage 30a will be described in detail later.

[0033] The cold air passage 28 is one of the air passages through which air blown from the inside of the scroll casing 24 by the blower 40 flows, and contains the evaporator 14 of the refrigeration cycle 10. Therefore, the air flowing through the cold air passage 28 is cooled by heat exchange with the low-pressure refrigerant in the evaporator 14, and becomes cold air Wc.

[0034] The cold air passage 28 is partitioned by a passage partition 29 disposed so as to form the upper surface of the hot air passage 27, and is disposed above the hot air passage 27 and along the hot air passage 27. A cold air outlet 28a is formed at the other end of the cold air passage 28. The cold air outlet 28a is connected to the vehicle interior via a duct or the like (not shown). As a result, the air flowing inside the cold air passage 28 is cooled by the evaporator 14 and is supplied as cold air Wc from the cold air passage 28 into the vehicle interior. Therefore, the cold air passage 28 corresponds to an example of a cold air passage.

[0035] Next, we will explain the configuration of blower 40 in air conditioner 1. Blower 40 is configured as an electric blower in which fan 41, which is configured as a centrifugal multi-blade fan, is driven by motor 50. The rotation speed (i.e., blowing capacity) of blower 40 is controlled by a control signal output from a control device (not shown).

[0036] The blower 40 according to the first embodiment draws in air through the first suction port 25a and sends it toward the hot air passage 27, and at the same time draws in air through the second suction port 25b and sends it toward the cold air passage 28. That is, the blower 40 according to the first embodiment is configured as a two-layer fan with two-way suction.

[0037] The fan 41 of the blower 40 has a cylindrical shape and has a plurality of fan blades 42 on its circumferential surface. The fan blades 42 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical fan 41.

[0038] 1, fan 41 according to the first embodiment is provided with fan internal partition 43. Fan internal partition 43 is formed in a disk shape so as to divide the interior of cylindrical fan 41 into an upper region and a lower region.

[0039] Therefore, when the fan 41 is rotated, the part of the fan 41 below the fan internal partition 43 can suck air outside the air conditioning casing 21 through the first suction port 25a and send it as hot-air-side suction air Asw to the hot-air ventilation duct 27. In addition, the part of the fan 41 above the fan internal partition 43 can suck air outside the air conditioning casing 21 through the second suction port 25b and send it as cold-air-side suction air Asc to the cold-air ventilation duct 28.

[0040] The motor 50 that constitutes the blower 40 has a main body 51 and an output shaft 52. The main body 51 has a rotor, a stator, etc., and generates driving force when power is supplied. Therefore, in the air conditioner 1, when the blower 40 blows air during air conditioning operation, waste heat is generated in the main body 51 of the motor 50.

[0041] The output shaft 52 is an output shaft that outputs the driving force generated in the main body 51 of the motor 50. The above-mentioned fan 41 is attached to the output shaft 52, and is configured so that the fan 41 also rotates as the output shaft 52 rotates.

[0042] As described above, in the air conditioner 1, when blowing air during air conditioning operation, the blower 40 needs to be operated, and therefore the main body 51 of the motor 50 and the like need to be cooled.

[0043] The air conditioner 1 according to the present disclosure has a cooling air guide section 30 as a component for cooling the motor 50, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, in the first embodiment, a motor cooling passage 30a is formed as the cooling air guide section 30.

[0044] The motor cooling passage 30a guides a portion of the air blown by the blower 40 (hereinafter referred to as motor cooling air Ac) to the motor 50 housed in the motor case 22, and guides the air that has cooled the motor 50 to the warm air ventilation passage 27. The motor cooling passage 30a is formed inside the support member 23a in the indoor air-conditioning unit 20, which is formed so as to be connected to a lower portion of the warm air ventilation passage 27.

[0045] 1, one end of the motor cooling passage 30a according to the first embodiment is connected to a position in the warm air passage 27 that is upstream of the condenser 12 in the direction of the blown air flow. Meanwhile, the other end of the motor cooling passage 30a is connected to the periphery of the position in the motor case 22 where the motor 50 is disposed.

[0046] Therefore, of the air flowing through hot air passage 27, the air before being heated by condenser 12 flows from hot air passage 27 into motor cooling passage 30a and flows as motor cooling air Ac. Motor cooling air Ac that has passed through motor cooling passage 30a is guided to main body 51 of motor 50 via motor control circuit 55 housed in motor case 22, and flows so as to cool main body 51.

[0047] The motor control circuit 55 is a control circuit for controlling the rotation speed (i.e., the air blowing capacity) of the motor 50 based on a control signal from the control device. The motor control circuit 55 also needs to be cooled in accordance with the air blowing operation of the blower 40, and therefore is subject to cooling by the motor cooling air Ac.

[0048] The area around the output shaft 52 is open at the top of the motor case 22 and communicates with the outside. Therefore, inside the motor case 22, the motor cooling air Ac that has cooled the main body 51 flows out through the area around the output shaft 52 and into the first suction port 25a located above the motor case 22. The flowing-out motor cooling air Ac is thus sucked into the scroll casing 24 through the first suction port 25a and sent to the warm-air ventilation passage 27.

[0049] Thus, with the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, the motor 50 can be cooled by guiding the motor cooling air Ac to the main body 51 of the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. The air conditioner 1 can then cause the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, to flow into the warm air passage 27 as air to be heated in the condenser 12. In this way, the air conditioner 1 can effectively utilize the exhaust heat of the motor 50, thereby reducing the heating load when supplying warm air Ww.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the air conditioner 1, the blower 40 is configured as a two-way suction, two-layer fan, which can prevent the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, from flowing into the cool air ventilation duct 28. In other words, according to the air conditioner 1, it is possible to prevent the increase in the cooling load required to produce the cool air Wc due to the influence of the exhaust heat of the motor 50.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the motor control circuit 55, which is one of the objects to be cooled, is disposed inside the motor case 22 and is located on the path of the motor cooling air Ac that flows toward the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1, the motor control circuit 55 can be cooled by the motor cooling air Ac, and the effects of the heat emitted from the motor control circuit 55 can also be suppressed.

[0052] In the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment, the end of the motor cooling passage 30a is connected to the warm air passage 27 so as to be located upstream of the condenser 12 in terms of the flow of the blown air. This allows the motor cooling passage 30a to guide the blown air before it is heated by the condenser 12 into the inside of the motor case 22 as motor cooling air Ac, thereby ensuring the cooling capacity of the motor 50 and the like by the motor cooling air Ac.

[0053] As described above, according to the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment, the motor cooling air Ac that has cooled the motor 50 can be guided to the hot air passage 27 by the motor cooling passage 30a that serves as the cooling air guide section 30. This allows the air conditioner 1 to reduce the effect of the exhaust heat of the motor 50 on the blown air flowing through the cold air passage 28. Furthermore, according to the air conditioner 1, by guiding the motor cooling air Ac that has absorbed the exhaust heat of the motor 50 to the hot air passage 27 side, the thermal load when the blown air is heated by the condenser 12 can be reduced.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the motor control circuit 55 is disposed inside the motor case 22 so that it is exposed to the motor cooling air Ac flowing toward the motor 50. Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1, the motor control circuit 55 is cooled by the motor cooling air Ac, and the influence of the heat emitted from the motor control circuit 55 can also be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment employs a motor cooling passage 30a as the cooling air guide section 30. The motor cooling passage 30a is formed inside the support member 23a that is attached along the warm air passage 27, and connects the upstream side of the condenser 12 with the interior of the motor case 22 in terms of the flow of blown air in the warm air passage 27. This allows the air conditioner 1 to use the blown air before it is heated by the condenser 12 as motor cooling air Ac, thereby ensuring the cooling performance of the motor 50 and the like.

[0056] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In the first embodiment, a two-layer fan with two-way suction was used as the blower 40. In contrast, in the second embodiment, a two-layer fan with one-way suction is used as the blower 40. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0057] In the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, the air conditioning casing 21 of the indoor air conditioning unit 20 has a motor case 22, a scroll casing 24, a hot air ventilation passage 27, and a cold air ventilation passage 28, similar to the first embodiment.

[0058] The motor case 22 in the second embodiment is disposed so as to constitute the bottom of the scroll casing 24, and like the first embodiment, accommodates the motor 50 and the motor control circuit 55 of the blower 40. The main body 51 of the motor 50 is disposed in the motor accommodating portion 23 of the motor case 22.

[0059] 2, scroll casing 24 in the second embodiment is disposed above motor case 22 and houses fan 41 of blower 40 therein. An intake port 25 is formed in the center of the top surface of scroll casing 24 in the second embodiment.

[0060] Next, the configuration of the fan 40 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As described above, the fan 40 according to the second embodiment is configured as a two-layer fan with one-way suction. Therefore, the configuration of the fan 41 in the fan 40 according to the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment.

[0061] Similar to the first embodiment, the fan 41 according to the second embodiment is cylindrical and has a plurality of fan blades 42 spaced at predetermined intervals on its circumferential surface. As shown in Fig. 2, the fan 41 according to the second embodiment has a separation partition 43a instead of the fan internal partition 43.

[0062] The separation partition 43a is symmetrical about the rotation center of the fan 41 (i.e., the axis of the output shaft 52) ​​and is configured in a cylindrical shape that flares out downward so as to move away from the rotation center. The lower end of the separation partition 43a is located at the same position as the scroll-side partition 26 in the scroll casing 24 in the up-down direction.

[0063] The fan boss 44 constitutes the lower part of the fan 41 and is formed to cover the upper part of the motor 50. The fan boss 44 connects the fan 41 to the output shaft 52. The end of the fan boss 44 defines the boundary of the lower side of the fan 41 (i.e., the plurality of fan blades 42).

[0064] When the fan 41 of the second embodiment having such a configuration is rotated, a portion of the intake air sucked in through the intake port 25 is blown through the inside of the separation partition 43a, and the other portion of the intake air sucked in through the outer periphery of the separation partition 43a.

[0065] 2, air drawn into air inlet 25 through the inside of separation partition 43a passes between the inner surface of separation partition 43a and fan boss 44 and is sent to hot air passage 27. That is, the air drawn into air inlet 25 through the inside of separation partition 43a corresponds to hot air intake air Asw. The hot air intake air Asw that flows into hot air passage 27 flows in the same manner as in the first embodiment and is supplied into the vehicle cabin through hot air outlet 27a.

[0066] The air drawn through the air inlet 25 via the outer periphery of the separation partition 43a flows along the outer surface of the separation partition 43a and is sent to the cold air passage 28. That is, the air drawn through the outer periphery of the separation partition 43a corresponds to the cold air intake air Asc. The cold air intake air Asc that flows into the cold air passage 28 flows in the same manner as in the first embodiment and is supplied into the vehicle interior through the cold air outlet 28a.

[0067] In the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, a motor cooling passage 30a is employed as the cooling air guide section 30. The motor cooling passage 30a according to the second embodiment is formed along a lower portion of the warm air ventilation passage 27 in the indoor air conditioning unit 20, and is formed inside the motor case 22.

[0068] 2, one end of the motor cooling passage 30a according to the second embodiment is connected to the warm air passage 27 at a position upstream of the condenser 12 in the direction of the blown air flow. On the other hand, the other end of the motor cooling passage 30a is located near the motor housing portion 23.

[0069] Therefore, of the air flowing through hot air passage 27, the air before being heated by condenser 12 flows from hot air passage 27 into motor cooling passage 30a and flows as motor cooling air Ac. Motor cooling air Ac that has passed through motor cooling passage 30a flows so as to cool main body 51 of motor 50 via motor control circuit 55 housed in motor case 22. Then, motor cooling air Ac that has been blown out from the periphery of motor housing 23 and cooled main body 51 is sent to hot air passage 27 via the periphery of main body 51.

[0070] Thus, with the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, the motor 50 can be cooled by guiding the motor cooling air Ac to the main body 51 of the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. The air conditioner 1 can then cause the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, to flow into the warm air passage 27 as air to be heated in the condenser 12. In this way, the air conditioner 1 can effectively utilize the exhaust heat of the motor 50, thereby reducing the heating load when supplying warm air Ww.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the air conditioner 1, the blower 40 is configured as a two-layer fan with one-way intake, which can prevent the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, from flowing into the cool air ventilation duct 28. In other words, according to the air conditioner 1, it is possible to prevent the cooling load required to produce the cool air Wc from increasing due to the influence of the exhaust heat of the motor 50.

[0072] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the motor control circuit 55, which is one of the objects to be cooled, is disposed inside the motor case 22 and is located on the path of the motor cooling air Ac that flows toward the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1, the motor control circuit 55 can be cooled by the motor cooling air Ac, and the effects of the heat emitted from the motor control circuit 55 can also be suppressed.

[0073] Also in the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment, the end of the motor cooling passage 30a is connected to the warm air passage 27 so as to be located upstream of the condenser 12 in terms of the flow of the blown air. This allows the motor cooling passage 30a to guide the blown air before it is heated by the condenser 12 into the inside of the motor case 22 as motor cooling air Ac, thereby ensuring the cooling capacity of the motor 50 and the like by the motor cooling air Ac.

[0074] As described above, according to the air conditioner 1 of the second embodiment, even when a two-layer fan with one-way suction is used as the blower 40, the same effects can be obtained from the configuration and operation common to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0075] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In the third embodiment, a blower 40 having a first fan 41a and a second fan 41b is employed as the blower 40 in the air conditioner 1. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

[0076] In the blower 40 of the air conditioner 1 according to the third embodiment, an output shaft 52 extends from above and below a main body 51 of a motor 50. A first fan 41a is attached to the output shaft 52 extending from the lower side of the main body 51. Meanwhile, a second fan 41b is attached to the output shaft 52 extending from the upper side of the main body 51.

[0077] The first fan 41a and the second fan 41b are each cylindrical and have a plurality of fan blades 42 arranged at predetermined intervals on their circumferential surfaces. Therefore, the first fan 41a and the second fan 41b can draw air along the axial direction of the output shaft 52 and blow the air in a direction away from the output shaft 52.

[0078] A first suction port 25a is formed in the lower surface of the scroll casing 24 that houses the first fan 41a. Therefore, by rotating the first fan 41a, air can be sucked in through the first suction port 25a and sent to the hot-air ventilation passage 27 as hot-air-side suction air Asw.

[0079] Meanwhile, a second suction port 25b is formed on the top surface of the scroll casing 24 that houses the second fan 41b. Therefore, by rotating the second fan 41b, air can be sucked in through the second suction port 25b and sent to the cold air ventilation passage 28 as cold air-side intake air Asc.

[0080] The motor case 22 according to the third embodiment is disposed between the scroll casing 24 that houses the first fan 41a and the scroll casing 24 that houses the second fan 41b.

[0081] The air conditioner 1 according to the third embodiment also employs a motor cooling passage 30a as the cooling air guide section 30. The motor cooling passage 30a according to the third embodiment is formed along the upper portion of the warm air ventilation passage 27 in the indoor air conditioning unit 20, and is formed inside the motor case 22.

[0082] 3, one end of the motor cooling passage 30a according to the third embodiment is connected to the warm air passage 27 at a position upstream of the condenser 12 in the direction of the blown air flow. On the other hand, the other end of the motor cooling passage 30a is located near the motor housing portion 23.

[0083] Therefore, of the air flowing through hot air passage 27, the air before being heated by condenser 12 flows from hot air passage 27 into motor cooling passage 30a and flows as motor cooling air Ac. Motor cooling air Ac that has passed through motor cooling passage 30a flows so as to cool main body 51 of motor 50 via motor control circuit 55 housed in motor case 22. Then, motor cooling air Ac that has been blown out from the periphery of motor housing 23 and cooled main body 51 is sent to hot air passage 27 via the periphery of main body 51.

[0084] Thus, with the air conditioner 1 according to the third embodiment, the motor 50 can be cooled by guiding the motor cooling air Ac to the main body 51 of the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. The air conditioner 1 can then cause the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, to flow into the warm air passage 27 as air to be heated in the condenser 12. In this way, the air conditioner 1 can effectively utilize the exhaust heat of the motor 50, thereby reducing the heating load when supplying warm air Ww.

[0085] Furthermore, according to the air conditioner 1, the blower 40 is configured as a double fan having a first fan 41a and a second fan 41b, and therefore it is possible to prevent the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, from flowing into the cool air ventilation duct 28. In other words, according to the air conditioner 1, it is possible to prevent the cooling load for producing the cool air Wc from increasing due to the influence of the exhaust heat of the motor 50.

[0086] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the motor control circuit 55, which is one of the objects to be cooled, is disposed inside the motor case 22 and is located on the path of the motor cooling air Ac that flows toward the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1, the motor control circuit 55 can be cooled by the motor cooling air Ac, and the effects of the heat emitted from the motor control circuit 55 can also be suppressed.

[0087] Also in the air conditioner 1 according to the third embodiment, the end of the motor cooling passage 30a is connected to the warm air passage 27 so as to be located upstream of the condenser 12 in terms of the flow of the blown air. This allows the motor cooling passage 30a to guide the blown air before it is heated by the condenser 12 into the inside of the motor case 22 as motor cooling air Ac, thereby ensuring the cooling capacity of the motor 50 and the like by the motor cooling air Ac.

[0088] As described above, according to the air conditioner 1 of the third embodiment, even when a double fan having a first fan 41a and a second fan 41b is adopted as the blower 40, the same effects can be obtained as those achieved by the configuration and operation common to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0089] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the fourth embodiment, a one-way suction sirocco fan is used as the blower 40. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

[0090] The indoor air conditioning unit 20 according to the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as that of the above-described second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the indoor air conditioning unit 20 according to the fourth embodiment has a motor case 22, a scroll casing 24, a hot air passage 27, and a cold air passage 28, and a scroll-side partition 26 is formed inside the scroll casing 24.

[0091] The air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment also employs a motor cooling passage 30a as the cooling air guide section 30. The motor cooling passage 30a according to the fourth embodiment is formed along the lower portion of the warm air ventilation passage 27 in the indoor air conditioning unit 20, and is formed inside the motor case 22, as in the second embodiment.

[0092] In blower 40 according to the fourth embodiment, fan 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a plurality of fan blades 42 spaced at predetermined intervals on its circumferential surface. As shown in Fig. 4, fan 41 according to the fourth embodiment does not have either an internal fan partition 43 or a separation partition 43a.

[0093] In the air conditioner 1 of the fourth embodiment having such a configuration, when the blower 40 is operated and the fan 41 is rotated, air outside the indoor air conditioning unit 20 is sucked into the scroll casing 24 through the intake port 25.

[0094] A portion of the intake air As sucked into the scroll casing 24 is blown toward the hot air passage 27 by the lower part of the fan 41. The blown air flowing through the hot air passage 27 is heated by the condenser 12 and supplied into the vehicle interior as hot air Ww.

[0095] Another portion of the intake air As drawn into the scroll casing 24 is blown toward the cold air passage 28 by the upper portion of the fan 41. The blown air flowing through the cold air passage 28 is cooled by the evaporator 14 and supplied into the vehicle interior as cold air Wc.

[0096] Here, as in the second embodiment, one end of the motor cooling passage 30a according to the fourth embodiment is connected to the warm air passage 27 at a position upstream of the condenser 12 in the direction of the blown air flow. On the other hand, the other end of the motor cooling passage 30a is located near the motor accommodating portion 23.

[0097] Therefore, of the air flowing through hot air passage 27, the air before being heated by condenser 12 flows from hot air passage 27 into motor cooling passage 30a and flows as motor cooling air Ac. Motor cooling air Ac that has passed through motor cooling passage 30a flows so as to cool main body 51 of motor 50 via motor control circuit 55 housed in motor case 22. Then, motor cooling air Ac that has been blown out from the periphery of motor housing 23 and cooled main body 51 is sent to hot air passage 27 via the periphery of main body 51.

[0098] Thus, with the air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the motor 50 can be cooled by guiding the motor cooling air Ac to the main body 51 of the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. The air conditioner 1 can then cause the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, to flow into the warm air passage 27 as air to be heated in the condenser 12. In this way, the air conditioner 1 can effectively utilize the exhaust heat of the motor 50, thereby reducing the heating load when supplying warm air Ww.

[0099] Furthermore, the air conditioner 1 can prevent the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, from flowing into the cool air ventilation duct 28. In other words, the air conditioner 1 can prevent the increase in the cooling load required to produce the cool air Wc due to the influence of the exhaust heat of the motor 50.

[0100] Also in the fourth embodiment, the motor control circuit 55, which is one of the objects to be cooled, is disposed inside the motor case 22 and is located on the path of the motor cooling air Ac that flows toward the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. Therefore, with the air conditioner 1, the motor control circuit 55 can be cooled by the motor cooling air Ac, and the effects of the heat emitted from the motor control circuit 55 can also be suppressed.

[0101] Also in the air conditioner 1 according to the fourth embodiment, the end of the motor cooling passage 30a is connected to the warm air passage 27 so as to be located upstream of the condenser 12 in terms of the flow of the blown air. This allows the motor cooling passage 30a to guide the blown air before it is heated by the condenser 12 into the inside of the motor case 22 as motor cooling air Ac, thereby ensuring the cooling capacity of the motor 50 and the like by the motor cooling air Ac.

[0102] As described above, according to the air conditioning device 1 of the fourth embodiment, even when a one-way suction sirocco fan is used as the blower 40, the same effects can be obtained as with the above-mentioned embodiments from the same configuration and operation.

[0103] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The fifth embodiment is a modification of the fourth embodiment, in which the scroll-side partition 26 inside the scroll casing 24 is omitted. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

[0104] According to the air conditioner 1 of the fifth embodiment, even if the scroll-side partition 26 is omitted, the intake air As can be sent to each of the hot air passage 27 and the cold air passage 28, as in the fourth embodiment. That is, a portion of the intake air As sucked into the scroll casing 24 through the suction port 25 is sent by the lower portion of the fan 41 to the hot air passage 27, and another portion of the intake air As is sent by the upper portion of the fan 41 to the cold air passage 28.

[0105] In the fifth embodiment, a motor cooling passage 30a is also adopted as the cooling air guide section 30, and is formed along the lower part of the warm air ventilation passage 27 in the indoor air conditioning unit 20 and inside the motor case 22.

[0106] Therefore, in the air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment, the flows of intake air As, warm air Ww, cool air Wc, and motor cooling air Ac can be realized in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment. In other words, according to the air conditioner 1 according to the fifth embodiment, by utilizing the cooling air guide section 30, it is possible to achieve the same effects as in the fourth embodiment.

[0107] As described above, according to the air conditioner 1 of the fifth embodiment, even if a one-way suction sirocco fan is used as the blower 40 and the scroll-side partition 26 is omitted, the same effects can be obtained from the configuration and operation common to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0108] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a sixth embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the sixth embodiment, a fan boss opening 30b is used as the cooling air guide portion 30. Other basic configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

[0109] The indoor air conditioning unit 20 according to the sixth embodiment has the same configuration as that of the above-described second embodiment, etc. As shown in Fig. 6, the indoor air conditioning unit 20 according to the sixth embodiment has a motor case 22, a scroll casing 24, a hot air passage 27, and a cold air passage 28.

[0110] In the blower 40 according to the sixth embodiment, the fan 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a plurality of fan blades 42 spaced at predetermined intervals on its circumferential surface. As shown in Fig. 6, the fan 41 according to the sixth embodiment does not have either an internal fan partition 43 or a separation partition 43a, but does have a fan boss 44.

[0111] As described above, the fan boss 44 is disposed below the fan 41 and is formed to cover the upper portion of the motor 50. The end of the fan boss 44 defines the lower boundary of the fan 41 (i.e., the plurality of fan blades 42).

[0112] In the air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, fan boss openings 30b are formed as the cooling air guide portions 30. The fan boss openings 30b are formed in the fan boss 44 at a plurality of locations around the rotation center of the fan 41. Each fan boss opening 30b connects the space on the main body 51 side of the motor 50 (i.e., the position where the main body 51 is disposed in the motor 50) with the space above the fan boss 44 inside the fan 41.

[0113] In the air conditioner 1 of the sixth embodiment having such a configuration, when the blower 40 is operated and the fan 41 is rotated, air outside the indoor air conditioning unit 20 is sucked into the scroll casing 24 through the intake port 25.

[0114] A portion of the intake air As sucked into the scroll casing 24 is blown toward the hot air passage 27 by the lower part of the fan 41. The blown air flowing through the hot air passage 27 is heated by the condenser 12 and supplied into the vehicle interior as hot air Ww.

[0115] In the air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, a fan boss opening 30b is formed in the fan boss 44. As a result, a portion of the intake air As drawn into the scroll casing 24 hits the main body 51 of the motor 50 through the fan boss opening 30b as motor cooling air Ac. This allows the main body 51 of the motor 50 to be cooled by the motor cooling air Ac that flows in through the fan boss opening 30b.

[0116] Furthermore, the motor cooling air Ac that has cooled the main body 51 is sent by the lower portion of the fan 41 toward the warm air passage 27. In the fourth embodiment, the motor control circuit 55 is disposed on the upper surface side of the motor case 22 so as to be exposed to the motor cooling air Ac that has cooled the main body 51. Therefore, in the sixth embodiment as well, it is possible to cool the motor control circuit 55.

[0117] Meanwhile, another portion of the intake air As drawn into the scroll casing 24 is blown toward the cold air passage 28 by the upper portion of the fan 41. The blown air flowing through the cold air passage 28 is cooled by the evaporator 14 and supplied into the vehicle interior as cold air Wc.

[0118] Thus, with the air conditioner 1 according to the sixth embodiment, the motor 50 can be cooled by guiding the motor cooling air Ac to the main body 51 of the motor 50 through the fan boss opening 30b. The air conditioner 1 can then cause the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, to flow into the warm air passage 27 as air to be heated in the condenser 12. In this way, the air conditioner 1 can effectively utilize the exhaust heat of the motor 50, thereby reducing the heating load when supplying warm air Ww.

[0119] Furthermore, the air conditioner 1 can prevent the motor cooling air Ac, which has been warmed by the exhaust heat of the motor 50, from flowing into the cool air ventilation duct 28. In other words, the air conditioner 1 can prevent the increase in the cooling load required to produce the cool air Wc due to the influence of the exhaust heat of the motor 50.

[0120] Also in the sixth embodiment, the motor control circuit 55, which is one of the objects to be cooled, is disposed in the motor case 22 and is located on the path of the motor cooling air Ac that flows toward the motor 50 through the motor cooling passage 30a. Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1, the motor control circuit 55 can be cooled by the motor cooling air Ac, and the effects of the heat emitted from the motor control circuit 55 can also be suppressed.

[0121] As described above, according to the air conditioning device 1 of the sixth embodiment, even when the fan boss opening 30b is adopted as the cooling air guide section 30, the same effects can be obtained as those of the above-mentioned embodiments due to the configuration and operation in common.

[0122] (Seventh embodiment) Next, a seventh embodiment, which is different from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In the seventh embodiment, a case where the positional relationship of the motor control circuit 55 is changed will be described based on the configuration of the second embodiment.

[0123] The seventh embodiment has the same configuration as the second embodiment described above, except for the positional relationship of the motor control circuit 55. That is, the basic configurations of the refrigeration cycle 10, the indoor air conditioning unit 20, and the blower 40 according to the seventh embodiment are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, and therefore will not be described again.

[0124] In the air conditioner 1 according to the seventh embodiment, the motor control circuit 55 is arranged inside the warm air passage 27. With respect to the flow of blown air in the warm air passage 27, the motor control circuit 55 is arranged downstream of the outer periphery of the multiple fan blades 42 of the fan 41 and upstream of the condenser 12.

[0125] 7, one end of the motor cooling passage 30a according to the seventh embodiment is connected to the warm air passage 27 at a position upstream of the condenser 12 in the direction of the blown air flow. Meanwhile, the other end of the motor cooling passage 30a is located near the motor housing 23.

[0126] Therefore, the blown air flowing through the hot air passage 27, before being heated by the condenser 12, flows from the hot air passage 27 into the motor cooling passage 30a and flows as motor cooling air Ac. The motor cooling air Ac that has passed through the motor cooling passage 30a flows inside the motor case 22 and cools the main body 51 of the motor 50. The motor cooling air Ac that has been blown out from the periphery of the motor housing 23 and cooled the main body 51 is then blown into the hot air passage 27 via the periphery of the main body 51. The motor cooling air Ac flowing through the hot air passage 27 is heated by the condenser 12 and supplied into the vehicle cabin as hot air Ww. The motor control circuit 55 is cooled by the air sent from the fan 41 and flowing through the hot air passage 27.

[0127] Thus, according to the air conditioning device 1 of the seventh embodiment, even if a configuration in which the motor control circuit 55 is placed inside the motor cooling passage 30a is not adopted, the motor control circuit 55 can be cooled in the same way as the motor 50.

[0128] As described above, according to the air conditioning device 1 of the seventh embodiment, even if the motor control circuit 55 is not arranged in the motor cooling passage 30a, the same effects can be obtained as those of the above-mentioned embodiments, which are achieved by the same configuration and operation.

[0129] (Other embodiments) The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as follows within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0130] (a) In the above-described embodiment, the condenser 12 of the refrigeration cycle 10 is used as an example of the heating section, but the present invention is not limited to this. Various devices can be used as the heating section as long as they are configured to heat the blown air flowing through the warm air passage 27. For example, an electric heater that generates heat when supplied with power, or a heater core that heats the blown air using the heat of a heat medium as a heat source, can also be used as the heating section.

[0131] (b) In the above-described embodiment, the evaporator 14 of the refrigeration cycle 10 is used as an example of a cooling heat exchanger, but the present invention is not limited to this. As the cooling heat exchanger, various devices can be used as long as they are configured to cool by absorbing heat from the blown air flowing through the cool air ventilation duct 28. For example, a cooler core that cools the blown air by absorbing heat from the heat medium can also be used as the cooling heat exchanger.

[0132] (c) In the above-described embodiments, the up-down direction is described as shown in each figure, but the up-down direction is not limited to the positional relationship between the fan and the motor or heat exchanger, etc., or the suction direction, and may be the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1 Air conditioner 12 Condenser 14 Evaporator 20 Indoor air conditioning unit 27 Warm air ventilation duct 28 Cold air ventilation duct 30 Cooling air guide 40 Blower 41 Fan 50 motor

Claims

1. a blower (40) that blows air to be supplied to a space to be air-conditioned; a warm air passage (27) having a heating section (12) for heating the air blown by the blower and for guiding the air heated by the heating section to the space to be air-conditioned; a cool air passage (28) having a cooling heat exchanger (14) that absorbs heat from the blown air blown by the blower and cools it, and that guides the blown air cooled by the cooling heat exchanger to the space to be air-conditioned; The blower includes a fan (41) and a motor (50) having an output shaft (52) to which the fan is attached, and simultaneously blows air into the hot air passage and the cold air passage; An air conditioner having a cooling air guide section (30) that guides blown air to the motor of the blower and guides the blown air that has cooled the motor into the warm air passage.

2. a motor control circuit (55) for controlling the operation of the motor of the blower; 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the motor control circuit is disposed at a position where the motor control circuit is exposed to the blown air guided by the cooling air guide portion through the motor to the hot air passage.

3. 3. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling air guide portion is arranged along the hot air passage and has a motor cooling passage (30a) formed to connect the upstream side of the heating portion with the position where the motor is disposed in relation to the flow of blown air in the hot air passage.

4. The cooling air guide portion is configured by a fan boss opening (30b) formed in a fan boss (44) that connects the cylindrical fan and the output shaft, 3. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the fan boss opening is formed in the fan boss, the fan boss being disposed to cover the motor so as to connect an area inside the fan to a location where the motor is disposed.

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