Vehicle air conditioning system

Abstract

To secure vibration resistance while reducing the number of components and assembling man-hours.SOLUTION: Provided is a vehicle air-conditioning device 1 that is installed in a vehicle, and supplies air blown from a blower and temperature controlled by a heat exchanger into a vehicle cabin. The vehicle air-conditioning device comprises: housings 21 and 31 in which a plurality of housing members 21a, 21b, 31a, and 31b are coupled to form an accommodation space for the blower and the heat exchanger, and form an air flow path F; and a control unit 50 that has a heat dissipating section 52 that exchanges heat with the air blown from the blower and passing through the air flow path. At least two of the housing members are joined by the control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, an air conditioning system for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A vehicle air conditioning system is known that is mounted on a vehicle and contains a blower, a heat exchanger, etc., in a housing made up of multiple housing members. The air taken in from inside or outside the vehicle by the blower is temperature-adjusted by the heat exchanger, and the temperature-adjusted air is supplied to the vehicle interior.

[0003] As an example of such a vehicle air conditioning device, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning unit in which a first case member and a second case member, which are divided into upper and lower parts in the ventilation direction, are joined together while accommodating a heat exchanger, etc., and the opening of a cooling air intake chamber for cooling the blower motor is closed with a plate equipped with a register. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-217745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is essential that a vehicle air conditioner be designed to have vibration resistance in consideration of the driving environment of the vehicle it is installed in. In particular, when a vehicle air conditioner is installed in a vehicle used in a special environment, such as a construction machine, a higher vibration resistance is required than when the vehicle air conditioner is installed in a general vehicle, such as a passenger car.

[0006] For this reason, in the case of vehicle air conditioning systems applied to vehicles such as construction machinery, simply joining two case members separated into upper and lower parts, as in the air conditioning unit of Patent Document 1, is not sufficient vibration resistance. On the other hand, if fixing parts are used to connect and fix the multiple case members together in order to improve vibration resistance, the number of parts and assembly steps increases, which increases the manufacturing cost of the vehicle air conditioner.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle air conditioning system that ensures vibration resistance while reducing the number of parts and assembly steps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle air conditioning system that is mounted on a vehicle and that adjusts the temperature of air blown from a blower using a heat exchanger and supplies it into the vehicle cabin, the vehicle air conditioning system comprising: a housing that connects multiple housing members to form an accommodation space for the blower and the heat exchanger and an air flow path; and a control unit that has a heat dissipation section that exchanges heat with air blown from the blower and passing through the air flow path, wherein at least two of the housing members are connected by the control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, in a vehicle air conditioner, it is possible to ensure vibration resistance while reducing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention when applied to a vehicle; [Figure 2] 1 is an overall perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is an overall perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of part A in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of part A in FIG. 2. [Figure 6]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an enlarged portion B of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part B in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the vehicle air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, with an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to portion B in FIG. 3. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals indicate parts with the same functions, and duplicated explanations in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate. In each drawing, the XYZ directions indicate the horizontal direction and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 is installed, for example, below a driver's seat 11 in the cabin of a vehicle such as a construction machine, between a seat bracket 12 supporting the driver's seat 11 and a floor 13, and adjusts the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle cabin.

[0013] 2 and 3 are overall perspective views showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In each figure, the Y direction indicates the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the X direction indicates the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle.

[0014] The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes a blower unit 2 and a heat exchanger unit 3 connected to the blower unit 2. The blower unit 2 and the heat exchanger unit 3 are connected to form an air flow path F (X direction in the drawing) that runs along the floor surface 13 inside the cabin and along the width direction of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle.

[0015] (About the blower unit) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the blower unit 2 is provided along the floor surface 13 of the vehicle and is detachably attached to the heat exchanger unit 3 in a direction intersecting the air flow path F (direction Y in the drawings). The blower unit 2 is an integral unit of a blower and intake parts, and takes in inside air of the vehicle (inside air mode) or outside air (outside air mode), and supplies the taken-in air to the heat exchanger unit 3.

[0016] That is, the blower unit 2 has a blower case 21 (third housing member), a fan driver 50 attached to the blower case 21 from the outside, a blower (air blower) housed within the blower case 21, a blower motor that drives the blower, an intake damper, an intake actuator that drives the intake damper, an inside air filter, and a switching mechanism such as a lever that switches between inside air mode and outside air mode (none of which are shown).

[0017] The blower case 21 includes an upper case 21a and a lower case 21b as housing members that are joined together and can be separated vertically into upper and lower halves. The upper case 21a and the lower case 21b are joined together to form a space for accommodating the blower and other components.

[0018] The blower case 21 is provided with an internal air intake 22 for taking in air from inside the vehicle into the blower unit 2, an external air intake 23 for taking in air from outside the vehicle into the blower unit 2, fan accommodating sections 24, 25 for accommodating fans, a blower motor accommodating section 26, an air blowing opening 27 for blowing the air taken into the blower unit 2 to the heat exchanger unit 3, and a handle 28 for pulling or pushing the blower unit 2 in a horizontal direction (Y direction in the figure) perpendicular to the air flow path F when attaching or detaching it from the heat exchanger unit 3.

[0019] An inside air filter (not shown) is provided at the inside air intake 22. By providing the inside air filter, intrusion of dust and the like into the blower unit 2 when air inside the vehicle is taken in through the inside air intake 22 is suppressed.

[0020] An intake damper and an outside air filter (neither shown) are provided at the outside air intake 23. The intake damper is driven by an intake actuator, and can selectively switch between outside air and inside air being taken into the blower case 21. The provision of the outside air filter prevents dust and other particles contained in the outside air from entering the blower unit 2 when the outside air is taken in through the outside air intake 23. Instead of providing a filter at each of the inside air intake 22 and the outside air intake 23, a filter may be provided at the air blowing opening serving as the outlet of the blower case 21.

[0021] A fan having a plurality of blades arranged in the circumferential direction is housed in each of the fan housings 24 and 25. The two fans housed in the fan housings 24 and 25 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (Y direction in the drawing) perpendicular to the air flow path F within the blower unit 2 so that their rotation axes are positioned in a substantially straight line.

[0022] The blower motor housing 26 is provided between the two fan housings 24, 25. The blower motor housed in the blower motor housing 26 rotates the fans in the fan housings 24, 25, and blows the air taken into the blower unit 2 to the heat exchanger unit 3 through the air blowing opening 27.

[0023] The air blowing opening 27 has a generally rectangular shape large enough to encompass the side surfaces of the fan housing sections 24 and 25, and fits into an intake opening (not shown) provided on the connecting surface of the heat exchanger unit 3 with the blower unit 2. This allows the blower unit 2 and the heat exchanger unit 3 to be integrated.

[0024] The blower unit 2 and the heat exchanger unit 3 are connected to form an air flow path F from the blower unit 2 to the heat exchanger unit 3. When the vehicle air conditioner 1 is installed in a vehicle, the air flow path F is configured to extend along the floor surface of the vehicle and along the width direction of the vehicle.

[0025] A slide rail or slide groove extending in a direction intersecting the air flow path F is provided on the peripheral portion of the air blowing opening 27 or the peripheral portion of the intake opening of the heat exchanger unit 3, and the blower unit 2 can be attached and detached by sliding it relative to the heat exchanger unit 3.

[0026] A restricting portion 29 is provided at an end of the air blowing opening 27, which is located on the opposite side of the blower unit 2 from the outside air intake 23 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, to restrict movement of the blower unit 2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction relative to the heat exchanger unit 3. The restricting portion 29 is formed along the vertical direction at the end of the air blowing opening 27, and protrudes toward the heat exchanger unit 3 so as to cover the boundary between the blower unit 2 and the heat exchanger unit 3 when the blower unit 2 is attached to the heat exchanger unit 3.

[0027] The restricting portion 29 also has a fastening piece 29A that is provided so as to be inserted between a support plate 55 of the fan driver 50 (described later) and the side surface of the heat exchanger unit 3 when the fan driver 50 (described later) is attached to the heat exchanger unit 3. Furthermore, the fastening piece 29A is provided with a notch 29B that corresponds to a first fastening hole 41 of the heat exchanger case 31 and a third fastening hole 54 of the fan driver 50 (both described later).

[0028] Handle 28 is provided on the opposite side of blower unit 2 from outside air intake port 23 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. By pulling out handle 28, blower unit 2 can be slid in a direction perpendicular to air flow path F (toward the front of the vehicle) and removed from heat exchanger unit 3, and by pushing in handle 28, blower unit 2 can be slid in a direction perpendicular to air flow path F and attached to heat exchanger unit 3.

[0029] On the side surface of blower case 21, between handle 28 and inside air intake 22, fastening portion 210 is provided on upper case 21a and fastening portion 220 is provided on lower case 21b. Fastening portion 210 and fastening portion 220 engage with each other and are fastened integrally to the vehicle, whereby upper case 21a and lower case 21b are joined and fixed, and blower unit 2 is fixed to floor surface 13 of the vehicle. That is, in this embodiment, the vertical direction is the fastening direction of upper case 21a and lower case 21b relative to the vehicle.

[0030] Fixing portions 28A for connecting and fixing upper case 21a and lower case 21b are provided at multiple locations on the side surface of blower case 21. Each fixing portion 28A includes a hole and a claw provided in upper case 21a and a pin and a fitting portion provided in lower case 21b, and by inserting the pin into the hole and fitting the claw into the fitting portion, upper case 21a and lower case 21b are aligned, connected, and fixed.

[0031] (About the heat exchanger unit) The heat exchanger unit 3 has multiple heat exchangers (e.g., a cooling heat exchanger that cools the air, and a heating heat exchanger that heats the air) arranged in a heat exchanger case 31, and supplies temperature-controlled air into the vehicle cabin by passing the air taken in by the heat exchanger unit 3 through the heat exchangers. That is, the heat exchanger unit 3 has a heat exchanger case 31, a cooling heat exchanger and a heating heat exchanger housed in the heat exchanger case 31, and an air mix damper (none of which are shown) that adjusts the mixing ratio of the air passing through the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger.

[0032] The heat exchanger case 31 is composed of an upper case 31a (first housing member) and a lower case 31b (second housing member) that are joined together as housing members, and can be divided vertically into upper and lower halves. By joining the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b, the heat exchanger case 31 forms a cooling heat exchanger housing section 32, a heating heat exchanger housing section 33, front air outlets 34, 35, and 36 that blow air whose temperature or humidity has been adjusted by the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger toward the front of the vehicle, and a rear air outlet 37 that blows air toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0033] An intake opening (not shown) that fits into the air blowing opening 27 of the blower case 21 and takes in the air blown from the blower case 21 is provided on the connecting surface of the heat exchanger case 31 with the blower case 21.

[0034] The cooling heat exchanger accommodating section 32 and the heating heat exchanger accommodating section 33 are formed so that the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger are arranged side by side along the air flow path F within the heat exchanger case 31. With this configuration, air blown from the blower case 21 through the intake opening can be introduced into and passed through the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger.

[0035] Within the heat exchanger case 31, an air mix damper is provided between the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger, and the air mix damper adjusts the proportion of air that passes through the heating heat exchanger out of the air that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger.

[0036] 2, fastening portions 310, 410 are provided on the upper case 31a and fastening portions 320, 420 are provided on the lower case 31b on the side surfaces of the heat exchanger case 31. The fastening portions 310, 410 and the corresponding fastening portions 320, 420 engage with each other and are fastened integrally to the vehicle, thereby joining the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b and fixing the heat exchanger unit 3 to the floor surface 13 of the vehicle. That is, in this embodiment, the vertical direction is the fastening direction of the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b to the vehicle.

[0037] For convenience of explanation, the fastening portions 310, 410 and the corresponding fastening portions 320, 420 are described as being provided at positions that are visible in the perspective view of the vehicle air conditioner 1 shown in Fig. 2, but the locations and number of fastening portions in the heat exchanger case 31 can be determined as appropriate. For example, one or more fastening portions can be provided at each of diagonal positions when the blower unit 2 and the heat exchanger unit 3 are attached.

[0038] An opening 40 for mounting a fan driver 50 (described later) is provided near the intake opening on the side surface of the heat exchanger case 31 that is on the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, the opening 40 is provided between the blower housing portion 25 of the blower case 21 and the cooling heat exchanger housing portion 32.

[0039] The following describes the opening 40 and the fan driver 50 attached to the opening 40. Figures 4 and 5 are exploded perspective views enlarging part A in Figure 2, Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view enlarging part B in Figure 3, and Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view enlarging part B in Figure 3.

[0040] 4 to 7, opening 40 is provided near the intake opening on a side surface of heat exchanger case 31 that is forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. First fastening holes 41 for attaching fan driver 50 to upper case 31a and protrusions 42 for attaching and aligning fan driver 50 to lower case 31b are provided on each of the two sides of opening 40 in the horizontal direction. Opening 40 has a shape and size that corresponds to a heat dissipation section 52 (described below) of fan driver 50 when upper case 31a and lower case 31b are joined together.

[0041] The fan driver 50 is a control unit that controls the blower motor to drive the blower, and is attached to the opening 40. The fan driver 50 includes a control unit 51, a heat dissipation unit 52 that dissipates heat generated in the control unit 51, and a support plate 55 that supports the control unit 51 and closes the opening 40. The heat dissipation unit 52 is provided on the surface of the support plate 55 opposite the control unit 51, and is positioned inside the heat exchanger case 31 when inserted into the opening 40.

[0042] The fan driver 50 has an insertion hole 53 into which the protrusion 42 is inserted, and a third fastening hole 54 common to the first fastening hole 41, on one side and the other side of the control unit 51 in the horizontal direction of the support plate 55.

[0043] Fixing portions 38 for fixing the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b are provided at multiple locations on the side surface of the heat exchanger case 31. Each fixing portion 38 includes a hole and a claw provided in the upper case 31a and a pin and a fitting portion provided in the lower case 31b, and the pin is inserted into the hole and the claw is fitted into the fitting portion, thereby aligning and joining the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b.

[0044] (About the assembly process for vehicle air conditioning units) The vehicle air conditioner 1 configured as above is assembled and attached to the vehicle as follows.

[0045] With each component included in the blower unit 2 housed in a predetermined position in the lower case 21b, the upper case 21a is placed on the lower case 21b, the pin of the fixing portion 28A is inserted into the hole, and the claw is fitted into the fitting portion, thereby aligning and joining the upper case 21a and the lower case 21b.

[0046] Similarly, with each component included in the heat exchanger unit 3 housed in a predetermined position in the lower case 31b, the upper case 31a is placed on the lower case 31b, the pins of the fixing parts 38 are inserted into the holes, and the claws are fitted into the fitting parts, thereby joining the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b while aligning them.

[0047] In this state, the heat dissipation part 52 of the fan driver 50 is inserted into the opening 40 formed by the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b, and the protrusion 42 of the lower case 31b is inserted into the insertion hole 53 of the support plate 55. This positions the first fastening hole 41 of the upper case 31a and the third fastening hole 54 of the support plate 55, and they become one fastening hole.

[0048] The blower unit 2 is attached to the heat exchanger unit 3, and the boundary between the blower unit 2 and the heat exchanger unit 3 is covered by the restricting portion 29 of the blower unit 2, and the fastening piece 29A is inserted between the support plate 55 and the heat exchanger case 31. This positions the notch 29B in a single fastening hole consisting of the first fastening hole 41 and the third fastening hole 54. Thereafter, the first fastening hole 41, the third fastening hole 54, and the notch 29B are fastened together with a single fastener S.

[0049] This integrally joins the upper case 31a and lower case 31b of the heat exchanger case 31 with the blower case 21. In the heat exchanger case 31, the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b are joined by fastening together a single fastening hole consisting of the first fastening hole 41 and the third fastening hole 54 with the fastener S. In other words, the fan driver 50 joins and fixes the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b.

[0050] In addition, the blower case 21 is attached to the heat exchanger case 31 by slide rails or slide grooves provided on the periphery of the air blowing opening 27 or the periphery of the intake opening of the heat exchanger unit 3, and the fastening piece 29A is clamped between the support plate 55 of the fan driver 50 and the side of the heat exchanger case 31.

[0051] Furthermore, since the notch 29B of the fastening piece 29A is fastened together with the first fastening hole 41 and the third fastening hole 54 by the fastener S, horizontal movement of the blower case 21 relative to the heat exchanger case 31 in a direction perpendicular to the air flow path F is restricted, and the blower case 21 is fixed to the heat exchanger case 31. In other words, the blower case 21 is coupled to the heat exchanger case 31 by the fan driver 50.

[0052] Before mounting on the vehicle body, the blower unit 2 has the upper case 21a and the lower case 21b fixed by the fixing parts 28A, and the heat exchanger unit 3 has the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b fixed by the fixing parts 38, and these are further joined and fixed by the fan driver 50. Therefore, the cases are firmly joined and fixed to each other without the need for fasteners and a fastening process just for fixing the cases together.

[0053] (Variation) FIG. 8 shows a modified example of the vehicle air conditioner according to the embodiment described above, and is an exploded perspective view showing an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to portion B in FIG. As shown in Figure 8, in the vehicle air conditioning system of this modified example, the fastening piece 29A extending from the regulating portion 29 is provided with a second fastening hole 29C, instead of a notch 29B, which is common to the first fastening hole 41 of the heat exchanger case 31 and the third fastening hole 54 of the fan driver 50.

[0054] Therefore, when attaching the blower unit 2 to the heat exchanger unit 3, the fastening piece 29A is inserted between the support plate 55 and the heat exchanger case 31, and the second fastening hole 29C is positioned together with the first fastening hole 41 and the third fastening hole 54 to form a single fastening hole. Then, the first fastening hole 41, the second fastening hole 29C, and the third fastening hole 54 are fastened together with a single fastener S.

[0055] As a result, fastening piece 29A is clamped between support plate 55 of fan driver 50 and the side surface of heat exchanger case 31, and second fastening hole 29C of fastening piece 29A is fastened together with first fastening hole 41 and third fastening hole 54 by fastener S, so horizontal movement of blower case 21 relative to heat exchanger case 31, perpendicular to air flow path F, is restricted and blower case 21 is fixed to heat exchanger case 31. In other words, blower case 21 is coupled to heat exchanger case 31 by fan driver 50.

[0056] As described above, according to the embodiment and its modifications, the respective housing members, including the upper case 21a and the lower case 21b that constitute the blower case 21, and the upper case 31a and the lower case 31b that constitute the heat exchanger case 31, can be joined together integrally with a single fastener at the same time as the fan driver used in the vehicle air conditioner is attached to the housing members. This eliminates the need for fasteners and the fastening process for joining and fixing the housing members together, reducing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps while ensuring vibration resistance.

[0057] When the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 assembled in this manner is installed in a vehicle, the fastening holes formed by engaging the fastening portion 210 of the upper case 21a with the fastening portion 220 of the lower case 21b in the blower case 21 are fastened together to the vehicle body. Similarly, in the heat exchanger case 31, fastening holes formed by engaging the fastening portions 310, 410 of the upper case 31a with the fastening portions 320, 420 of the lower case 31b are fastened together to the vehicle body.

[0058] Therefore, the housing members can be fastened together and the vehicle air conditioning system can be fastened to the vehicle body in an integrated manner using a single fastener, thereby reducing the number of parts and assembly labor while ensuring vibration resistance.

[0059] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1: Vehicle air conditioning unit, 2: Blower unit, 3: Heat exchanger unit 21: blower case, 21a: upper case, 21b: lower case 22: Inside air intake, 23: Outside air intake 24, 25: Fan housing section, 26: Blower motor housing section, 27: Air blowing opening section, 28: Handle, 28A: Fixed part, 29: Regulation part, 29A: Fastening piece, 29B: Notch, 29C: Second fastening hole 31: heat exchanger case, 31a: upper case, 31b: lower case 32: Cooling heat exchanger housing section, 33: Heating heat exchanger housing section, 34,35,36: Front air outlet, 37: Rear air outlet, 38: Fixed part 40: Opening, 41: First fastening hole, 42: Projection 50: Fan driver, 51: Control unit, 52: Heat dissipation unit, 53: Insertion hole, 54: Third fastening hole, 55: Support plate 210, 220, 310, 320, 410, 420: fastening parts, F: Air flow path S: Fastener

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning device that is mounted on a vehicle and adjusts the temperature of air blown by a blower using a heat exchanger and supplies the air to a vehicle interior, a housing formed by joining a plurality of housing members to form an accommodation space for the fan and the heat exchanger and an air flow path; a control unit having a heat radiating section that exchanges heat with air blown by the blower and passing through the air flow path, An air conditioning system for a vehicle, wherein at least two of the housing members are connected by the control unit.

2. 2. The air conditioning system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit connects a first housing member and a second housing member that form a housing space for the heat exchanger.

3. 2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit connects a first housing member and a second housing member that form a housing space for the heat exchanger, and a third housing member that forms a housing space for the blower.

4. the first housing member has a first fastening hole; the second housing member has a protrusion, the third housing member has a second fastening hole common to the first fastening hole, the control unit has an insertion hole into which the protrusion is inserted and a third fastening hole common to the first fastening hole and the second fastening hole; 4. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the first housing member, the second housing member, and the third housing member are integrally joined by inserting the protrusion into the insertion hole and fastening the first fastening hole, the second fastening hole, and the third fastening hole together.

5. the control unit is a fan driver that controls driving of the blower, 2. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation portion is accommodated between a space for accommodating the blower and a space for accommodating the heat exchanger in the housing.

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