Vehicle air conditioning system
The vehicle air conditioning system addresses excessive high-temperature air flow by aligning the gap opening with the face door's movement, guiding warm air to the defroster and allowing cold air bypass, improving comfort and reducing fogging.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DENSO CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Conventional vehicle air conditioners allow excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heating device through gaps in the face door, leading to discomfort in the vehicle interior.
A vehicle air conditioning system with a sliding face door that aligns the gap opening with the direction of movement, guiding warm air along the inner surface to the defroster opening and allowing cold air to bypass the heater core, thereby reducing excessive high-temperature air inflow.
Suppresses the excessive flow of high-temperature air into the gap, enhancing passenger comfort and reducing windshield fogging.
Smart Images
Figure 0007859117000001 
Figure 0007859117000002 
Figure 0007859117000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a vehicle air conditioner.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, as a vehicle air conditioner, when a side face opening is closed by a face door, a part of the air-conditioning air is blown into the vehicle interior from the end side in the left-right direction of the vehicle through a gap that communicates the upstream and downstream of the face door. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, the vehicle air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the warm air that has passed through the heater core flows along the inner surface of the door of the face door in a state where the side face opening is closed by the face door. In addition, the gap that communicates the upstream and downstream of the face door opens in a direction intersecting the inner surface of the door of the face door.
[0005] For this reason, in the vehicle air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, when the side face opening is closed by the face door, high-temperature air heated by a heating device tends to flow excessively through the gap that communicates the upstream and downstream of the face door. In such a configuration, high-temperature air heated by a heating device is likely to be blown out excessively near the face of the occupant through the gap that communicates the upstream and downstream of the face door, and the comfort in the vehicle interior is impaired. This was found as a result of the inventors' intensive studies.
[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle air conditioning system capable of suppressing the excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by a heating device into the gap connecting the upstream and downstream sides of a face door. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is, A vehicle air conditioning system, An air conditioning case (12) that forms an air passage (120) for air blown into the passenger compartment, The system includes a heating device (17) that heats the air flowing through the ventilation passage, The air conditioning case is formed with a defroster opening (126) that blows air toward the inner surface of the vehicle's front window glass and side face openings (127c, 127d) that blow air into the passenger compartment from the left and right ends of the vehicle. Inside the air conditioning case, there is a defroster door (241) for opening and closing the defroster opening and a face door (242) for opening and closing the side face opening. The face door consists of a sliding door that opens and closes the side face opening by moving along the opening surface of the side face opening. The air conditioning case has a structure in which, in the face-closed state where the side face opening is closed by the face door, the air that has passed through the heating equipment is guided along the inner surface of the face door to the defroster opening. A gap opening (129) is formed adjacent to the side face opening to connect the upstream and downstream airflow of the face door when the face is closed. The gap opening has an opening surface that is aligned with the direction of movement of the face door. Furthermore, the gap opening is configured to be openable and closable. .
[0008] Thus, if the gap opening is aligned with the direction of movement of the face door, the warm air flowing along the inner surface of the face door will flow more easily along the opening surface of the gap opening, thus preventing excessive inflow into the gap opening.
[0009] In the invention described in claim 4, A vehicle air conditioning system, An air conditioning case (12) that forms an air passage (120) for air blown into the passenger compartment, The system includes a heating device (17) that heats the air flowing through the ventilation passage, The air conditioning case is formed with a defroster opening (126) that blows air toward the inner surface of the vehicle's front window glass and side face openings (127c, 127d) that blow air into the passenger compartment from the left and right ends of the vehicle. Inside the air conditioning case, there is a defroster door (241) for opening and closing the defroster opening and a face door (242) for opening and closing the side face opening. In the face-closed state, where the side face opening is closed by the face door, gap openings (129, 129A) are formed adjacent to the side face opening to connect the upstream and downstream airflow of the face door. The air conditioning case has a ventilation structure in which, when the face is closed, air that has passed through the heating equipment is guided to the defroster opening along the opening surface of the gap opening, and air that bypasses the heater core flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening. Furthermore, the gap opening is configured to be openable and closable. .
[0010] According to this, the hot air that has passed through the heating equipment is more likely to flow along the opening surface of the gap opening to the defroster opening, and the cold air that bypasses the heating equipment, or the temperature-controlled air which is a mixture of the cold air and the hot air, is more likely to flow into the gap opening.
[0011] Therefore, when the face is closed, excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heating device into the gap opening is suppressed. Also, when the face is closed, the flow of high-temperature air heated by the heating device into the defroster opening becomes easier, which can suppress fogging of the vehicle's front windshield.
[0012] The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between that component and the specific components described in the embodiments described later. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0013] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the face opening when viewed from the II direction of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the state of the mode switching door for each blowing mode. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the flow direction of air in the face mode. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the temperature of the air passing through the defroster opening and the gap opening in the defroster mode. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the flow direction of air in the foot mode. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining the flow direction of air in the foot defroster mode. [Figure 8] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner according to the second embodiment.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same as or equivalent to those described in the previous embodiments may be given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. Also, in the embodiments, when only a part of the components is described, the components described in the previous embodiments can be applied to the other parts of the components. The following embodiments can be partially combined with each other as long as there is no problem in the combination, even if not specifically stated.
[0015] (First Embodiment) The vehicle air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The vehicle air conditioning system 1 adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle by blowing air adjusted to a desired temperature into the vehicle interior, which is the space to be air-conditioned. The arrows indicating up and down in Figure 1, etc., indicate the vertical direction D1 when the vehicle air conditioning system 1 is mounted on a vehicle. The arrows indicating front and rear in Figure 1, etc., indicate the front and rear direction D2 when the vehicle air conditioning system 1 is mounted on a vehicle. Furthermore, the arrows indicating left and right in Figure 2, etc., indicate the left and right direction D3 when the vehicle air conditioning system 1 is mounted on a vehicle.
[0016] The vehicle air conditioning system 1 comprises an interior air conditioning unit 10 and an air conditioning control device (not shown). The interior air conditioning unit 10 is located inside the instrument panel, which is positioned at the very front of the vehicle interior.
[0017] The indoor air conditioning unit 10 includes an air conditioning case 12, an indoor / outdoor air switching section (not shown), an evaporator 16, a blower fan 18, a heater core 20, an air mix door 22, a mode switching door 24, and the like. The indoor air conditioning unit 10 is configured as an intake-type unit in which the blower fan 18 is positioned downstream of the airflow of the evaporator 16.
[0018] The air conditioning case 12 forms an air passage 120 through which air is supplied to the vehicle interior. The air conditioning case 12 is made of a material (for example, polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength.
[0019] Although not shown in the diagram, the air conditioning case 12 has an outside air inlet for introducing outside air and an inside air inlet for introducing inside air at the uppermost part of the airflow. The air conditioning case 12 is also provided with an inside / outside air door that adjusts the opening area of the outside air inlet and the inside air inlet, respectively. The indoor air conditioning unit 10 adjusts the ratio of outside air and inside air introduced into the inside of the air conditioning case 12 using the inside / outside air door.
[0020] Inside the air conditioning case 12, an evaporator 16 is housed downstream of the airflow from the interior and exterior air doors. The evaporator 16, along with a compressor, radiator, expansion valve, etc. (not shown), constitutes a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle. The evaporator 16 is a heat exchanger that evaporates the refrigerant flowing inside it by exchanging heat with the air supplied to the passenger compartment. In the evaporator 16, the air is cooled as the refrigerant absorbs heat from the air. The evaporator 16 is positioned inside the air conditioning case 12 so that the entire volume of air flowing through the ventilation passage 120 passes through it. In this embodiment, the evaporator 16 constitutes a "cooling device" that cools the air flowing through the ventilation passage 120.
[0021] Inside the air conditioning case 12, a blower fan 18 is housed downstream of the airflow of the evaporator 16. The blower fan 18 generates an airflow that passes through the evaporator 16. The blower fan 18 includes a shaft 181 that serves as the axis of rotation, an impeller 182 that rotates integrally with the shaft 181, an electric motor 183, and the like. The blower fan 18 in this embodiment is a centrifugal fan that draws in air from the axial direction along the axis CL of the shaft 181 and blows it out in a direction away from the axis CL of the shaft 181.
[0022] Inside the air conditioning case 12, a heater core 20 is positioned downstream of the airflow from the blower fan 18. The heater core 20 heats the air by releasing heat from the cooling water used to cool onboard equipment that generates heat during vehicle use, or from the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, the heater core 20 constitutes a "heating device" that heats the air flowing through the ventilation passage 120.
[0023] Furthermore, a cold air bypass passage 121 is formed inside the air conditioning case 12, which allows air to flow around the heater core 20. Specifically, a first bypass passage 121a and a second bypass passage 121b are formed above and below the heater core 20, respectively, which allow air to flow around the heater core 20. Note that the second bypass passage 121b is not mandatory and may be omitted.
[0024] The first bypass passage 121a of the cold air bypass passage 121 is formed above the heater core 20. The first bypass passage 121a is formed adjacent to the defroster passage 122.
[0025] The defroster passage 122 is a passage located inside the air conditioning case 12 that guides air that has passed through at least one of the heater core 20 and the cold air bypass passage 121 to the defroster opening 126, which will be described later.
[0026] The first bypass passage 121a and the defroster passage 122 are separated by a partition wall 123. The first bypass passage 121a extends rearward along the partition wall 123. The defroster passage 122 is formed between the partition wall 123 and the upper wall 124 of the air conditioning case 12.
[0027] The first bypass passage 121a and the defroster passage 122 have airflow directions opposite to each other. That is, the air flowing through the first bypass passage 121a flows from front to back, while the air flowing through the defroster passage 122 flows from back to front.
[0028] Here, the partition wall 123 is integrally formed with the air conditioning case 12. The partition wall 123 extends from above the blower fan 18 toward the rear wall 125 of the air conditioning case 12. The partition wall 123 extends along the front-rear direction D2 so as to intersect with the rear wall 125 of the air conditioning case 12.
[0029] In the air conditioning case 12, an air mix space (AMS) is provided downstream of the airflow of the heater core 20 and each bypass passage 121a, 121b, where the air that has passed through the heater core 20 and the air that flows around the heater core 20 are combined.
[0030] In addition, an air mix door 22 is positioned between the blower fan 18 and the heater core 20. The air mix door 22 adjusts the temperature of the air blown into the passenger compartment by adjusting the ratio of the airflow between the warm air passing through the heater core 20 and the cold air passing through the cold air bypass passage 121. The air mix door 22 consists of two sliding doors 221 and 222 that move along the air inlet surface of the heater core 20. The air mix door 22 may also be composed of other doors, such as a panel door.
[0031] The air conditioning case 12 has a defroster opening 126, a face opening 127, and a foot opening 128 formed as outlet openings on the downstream side of the airflow from the heater core 20, and a mode switching door 24 is also located there.
[0032] The defroster opening 126 is an opening for blowing air towards the inside of the front window glass of the vehicle. The defroster opening 126 is formed in the upper wall portion 124 located above the evaporator 16 and the blower fan 18 in the air conditioning case 12. The defroster opening 126 is formed, for example, in the upper wall portion 124 in front of the electric motor 183 of the blower fan 18. The defroster opening 126 communicates with a defroster outlet via a duct (not shown). The defroster opening 126 is opened and closed by a defroster door 241 included in the mode switching door 24. The defroster door 241 is made of a panel door.
[0033] The face opening 127 is an opening for blowing air towards the upper body of an occupant seated in the front seat of the vehicle. The face opening 127 is formed in the rear wall portion 125 of the air conditioning case 12. At least a portion of the face opening 127 is formed in the rear wall portion 125 in the portion that overlaps with the first bypass passage 121a in the longitudinal direction D2. In this embodiment, the rear wall portion 125 has an inclined portion 125a on its upper side that is inclined forward. The face opening 127 is formed in relation to this inclined portion 125a.
[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the face opening 127 of this embodiment is composed of a pair of center face openings 127a and 127b and a pair of side face openings 127c and 127d.
[0035] A pair of center face openings 127a and 127b are formed in the rear wall portion 125 approximately in the center of the left-right direction D3. The pair of center face openings 127a and 127b are connected to a center face outlet via a duct (not shown). Air passing through the pair of center face openings 127a and 127b is blown out from the center side of the left-right direction D3 toward the upper body of the occupant.
[0036] Furthermore, a pair of side face openings 127c and 127d are formed outside the pair of center face openings 127a and 127b in the left-right direction D3. The pair of side face openings 127c and 127d communicate with a side face air outlet via a duct (not shown). The air that passes through the pair of side face openings 127c and 127d is blown out from the end side in the left-right direction D3 towards the upper bodies of the occupants in the vehicle interior and the side windows.
[0037] The pair of center face openings 127a, 127b and the pair of side face openings 127c, 127d that constitute the face opening 127 are opened and closed by the face door 242 included in the mode switching door 24.
[0038] The face door 242 is composed of a sliding door SD. The face door 242 moves along the inner wall surface of the inclined portion 125a of the rear wall portion 125. The direction of movement Ds of the face door 242 is along the inner wall surface of the inclined portion 125a.
[0039] A rack gear RG is formed on the inner surface of the face door 242 along the direction of movement Ds of the face door 242. Inside the air conditioning case 12, a pinion gear PG that meshes with the rack gear RG is positioned adjacent to the face door 242. Specifically, the pinion gear PG is positioned closer to the upper end of the face opening 127 than to the lower end. In this embodiment, the pinion gear PG is positioned on both sides in the left-right direction D3 so as not to create resistance to the air passing through the face opening 127. That is, the pinion gear PG is positioned closer to the pair of side face openings 127c and 127d than to the pair of center face openings 127a and 127b. Note that the "inner surface of the door" is the back surface of the surface that closes the opening in the door.
[0040] The face door 242 configured in this way can be displaced to a position that closes the face opening 127 and a position that opens the face opening 127 by rotating the pinion gear PG. In this embodiment, the state in which the face door 242 is in the position that closes the face opening 127 is referred to as the "face closed state".
[0041] In this embodiment, the face opening 127 is formed upstream of the airflow of the defroster opening 126 when the face is closed. The air conditioning case 12 is structured so that when the face is closed, the air that has passed through the heater core 20 is guided along the inner surface of the face door 242 to the defroster opening 126.
[0042] The foot opening 128 is an opening for blowing air towards the lower body of an occupant seated in the front seat of the vehicle. It is formed in the rear wall portion 125 of the air conditioning case 12, located below the face opening 127. Specifically, the foot opening 128 is formed in the rear wall portion 125, facing the heater core 20 in the longitudinal direction D2. The foot opening 128 communicates with the foot outlet via a duct (not shown). The defroster opening 126 is opened and closed by a foot door 243 included in the mode switching door 24. The foot door 243 is made of a panel door.
[0043] In this embodiment, the air conditioning case 12 has gap openings 129 formed adjacent to each of the side face openings 127c and 127d. The gap openings 129 are openings for blowing air from the side face outlet toward the inside of the vehicle's side glass when the face is closed. The gap openings 129 connect the upstream and downstream airflow of the face door 242 when the face is closed. The opening area of the gap openings 129 is smaller than the opening area of the face openings 127.
[0044] The gap opening 129 is closed by the face door 242 when the face door 242 is displaced to the open position that opens the face opening 127. The gap opening 129 may also be closed by an element other than the face door 242.
[0045] In this case, when the face is closed, if the gap opening 129 opens in a direction that intersects with the inner surface of the face door 242, the hot air heated by the heater core 20 is more likely to be blown excessively towards the occupant's face through the gap opening 129. This is undesirable as it impairs the comfort inside the vehicle.
[0046] In contrast, the gap opening 129, like the side face openings 127c and 127d, has an opening surface that is aligned with the direction of movement Ds of the face door 242. This makes it easier for the warm air flowing along the inner surface of the face door 242 to flow along the opening surface of the gap opening 129, thereby suppressing excessive inflow into the gap opening 129. Note that the “opening surface” refers to the surface that passes through the edge portion that constitutes the opening.
[0047] In addition, the air conditioning case 12 has a ventilation structure in which, when the face is closed, air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the opening surface of the gap opening 129, and air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening 129. With such a ventilation structure, cold air that bypasses the heater core 20, or air that is a mixture of cold air and warm air, can easily flow into the gap opening 129, thereby suppressing the excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129.
[0048] In this embodiment, the partition wall portion 123 extends in a direction intersecting the opening surface of the gap opening 129. That is, the gap opening 129 expands in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction D2, which is the extending direction of the partition wall portion 123.
[0049] Furthermore, the gap opening 129 opens into a wall surface located downstream of the airflow of the side face openings 127c and 127d in the air conditioning case 12, and upstream of the airflow of the defroster opening 126. Specifically, the gap opening 129 is formed in the rear wall portion 125 in front of the side face openings 127c and 127d.
[0050] Furthermore, the gap opening 129 is formed in the rear wall portion 125 near the inclined portion 125a that faces the first bypass passage 121a, with the air mix space AMS in between. The gap opening 129 opens into the wall surface located downstream of the airflow of the air mix space AMS in the air conditioning case 12.
[0051] More specifically, the gap opening 129 is connected to each of the side face openings 127c and 127d. Specifically, the gap opening 129 is formed to extend forward of the upper end portions of each side face opening 127c and 127d, which are closed by the face door 242.
[0052] As mentioned above, in the air conditioning case 12 of this embodiment, when the face is closed, the air that has passed through the heater core 20 is guided to the defroster opening 126 along the inner surface of the face door 242 and the opening surface of the gap opening 129. At this time, a portion of the warm air flowing along the inner surface of the face door 242 is more likely to collide with the pinion gear PG and flow away from the inner surface of the face door 242. Taking this into consideration, the gap opening 129 in this embodiment is formed on the wall surface located downstream of the pinion gear PG in the air conditioning case 12.
[0053] The indoor air conditioning unit 10 configured in this way is controlled by an air conditioning control device. The air conditioning control device consists of a microcomputer including a processor and memory, and its peripheral circuits. The air conditioning control device performs various calculations based on the air conditioning control program stored in memory and controls the operation of various devices connected to the output side. Various air conditioning control sensors and an air conditioning control panel (not shown) are connected to the input side of the air conditioning control device. Various control devices such as a blower fan 18, an air mix door 22, and a mode switching door 24 are connected to the output side of the air conditioning control device.
[0054] The air conditioning control device changes the air blowing mode based, for example, on the output signal of the air conditioning control sensor and the operation signal of the air conditioning control panel. The indoor air conditioning unit 10 in this embodiment can be set to five modes, such as face mode, bilevel mode, defroster mode, foot mode, and foot differential mode.
[0055] [Face Mode] As shown in Figure 2, the face mode is a mode in which the face opening 127 is opened and air is blown towards the upper body of the occupant. In face mode, the face door 242 is displaced to the open position of the face opening 127, thereby closing the gap opening 129.
[0056] In face mode, the cool air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows along the partition wall 123 toward the face opening 127, as shown by arrow AFc in Figure 4. The warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the rear wall 125 and the foot door 243 toward the face opening 127, as shown by arrow AFh in Figure 4. Finally, air that has been adjusted to the appropriate temperature by mixing the cool and warm air flows through the face opening 127.
[0057] [Bi-level mode] The bi-level mode is a mode in which both the face opening 127 and the foot opening 128 are opened, and air is blown towards both the upper and lower body of the occupant. In bi-level mode, the face door 242 is displaced to the open position of the face opening 127, thereby closing the gap opening 129.
[0058] In bi-level mode, cool air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows along the bulkhead 123 towards the face opening 127. Warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows towards the foot opening 128. As a result, relatively cool air is provided to the occupant through the face opening 127, and relatively warm air is provided to the occupant through the foot opening 128. This achieves a comfortable air conditioning system that keeps the head cool and the feet warm.
[0059] [Defroster mode] The defroster mode is a mode in which the defroster opening 126 is opened and air is blown towards the inside of the front window glass of the vehicle. In defroster mode, the face door 242 is displaced to the closed position of the face opening 127, which opens the gap opening 129.
[0060] In defroster mode, the cold air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows along the partition wall 123 toward the face opening 127 and the gap opening 129, as shown by arrow AFc in Figure 1. The warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the rear wall 125, the foot door 243, the face door 242, and the opening surface of the gap opening 129 toward the defroster passage 122, as shown by arrow AFh in Figure 1.
[0061] As a result, warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows more easily into the defroster opening 126, while cold air that bypasses the heater core 20 is less likely to flow. Therefore, warm air or a mixture of cold air and warm air, which is relatively hot, flows more easily into the defroster opening 126.
[0062] On the other hand, the gap opening 129 allows cold air to flow more easily, bypassing the heater core 20, while making it more difficult for warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 to flow. As a result, air that is colder than the air passing through the defroster opening 126 passes through the gap opening 129, for example, as shown in Figure 5.
[0063] [Foot Mode] Foot mode is a mode in which the foot opening 128 is opened and the defroster opening 126 is opened slightly, blowing air toward the lower body of the occupant while simultaneously blowing a small amount of air toward the inside of the front window glass of the vehicle. In foot mode, the face door 242 is displaced to the closed position of the face opening 127, which opens the gap opening 129.
[0064] In foot mode, the cool air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows along the partition wall 123 toward the face opening 127 and the gap opening 129, as shown by arrow AFc in Figure 6. The warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows mostly along the foot door 243 toward the foot opening 128, as shown by arrow AFh in Figure 6, with the remainder flowing along the rear wall 125, the face door 242, and the opening surface of the gap opening 129 toward the defroster passage 122.
[0065] As a result, warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows more easily through the defroster opening 126 and the foot opening 128, while cold air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows less easily. Therefore, warm air or relatively hot air mixed with cold air flows more easily through the defroster opening 126 and the foot opening 128.
[0066] On the other hand, the gap opening 129 allows cold air to flow more easily, bypassing the heater core 20, while making it more difficult for warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 to flow. As a result, air that passes through the gap opening 129 is colder than the air passing through the defroster opening 126 and the foot opening 128.
[0067] [Foot differential mode] The foot differential mode is a mode in which the defroster opening 126 and the foot opening 128 are opened, blowing air towards the lower body of the occupant while simultaneously blowing air towards the inside of the front window glass of the vehicle. In foot differential mode, the gap opening 129 is opened as the face door 242 is displaced to the closed position of the face opening 127.
[0068] In foot differential mode, the cold air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows along the partition wall 123 toward the face opening 127 and the gap opening 129, as shown by arrow AFc in Figure 7. The warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows partly along the foot door 243 toward the foot opening 128, as shown by arrow AFh in Figure 7, and the remainder flows along the rear wall 125, the face door 242, and the opening surface of the gap opening 129 toward the defroster passage 122. As a result, the warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows more easily into the defroster opening 126 and the foot opening 128, and cooler air flows more easily into the gap opening 129 than the air passing through the defroster opening 126 and the foot opening 128.
[0069] The vehicle air conditioning system 1 described above has a gap opening 129 that connects the upstream and downstream airflow of the face door 242 when the face is closed, and is formed adjacent to a pair of side face openings 127c and 127d. The gap opening 129 has an opening surface that is aligned with the direction of movement Ds of the face door 242.
[0070] Thus, if the gap opening 129 opens along the direction of movement Ds of the face door 242, the warm air flowing along the inner surface of the face door 242 will flow more easily along the opening surface of the gap opening 129, and excessive inflow into the gap opening 129 will be suppressed.
[0071] In addition, the air conditioning case 12 has a ventilation structure in which, when the face is closed, air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the opening surface of the gap opening 129, and air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening 129.
[0072] According to this, the warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows more easily to the defroster opening 126 along the opening surface of the gap opening 129, and the cold air that bypasses the heater core 20, or temperature-controlled air that is a mixture of the cold air and warm air, flows more easily to the gap opening 129. As a result, when the face is closed, the excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129 is suppressed. In addition, when the face is closed, the ease with which high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 flows into the defroster opening 126 can suppress fogging of the vehicle's front windshield.
[0073] Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment has the following features.
[0074] (1) A rack gear RG is provided on the inner surface of the face door 242. Inside the air conditioning case 12, a pinion gear PG that meshes with the rack gear RG is positioned adjacent to the face door 242. The gap opening 129 opens into the wall surface located downstream of the pinion gear PG in the air conditioning case 12 when the face is closed. In the vehicle air conditioning system 1, when the face is closed, a portion of the warm air flowing along the inner surface of the face door 242 is more likely to collide with the pinion gear PG and flow away from the inner surface of the face door 242, as shown in AFh in Figure 1. For this reason, if the gap opening 129 is formed downstream of the pinion gear PG, the excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129 when the face is closed is suppressed.
[0075] (2) Inside the air conditioning case 12, a cold air bypass passage 121 is formed that directs air to bypass the heater core 20, and a defroster passage 122 is formed that guides air that has passed through at least one of the heater core 20 and the cold air bypass passage 121 to the defroster opening 126. The cold air bypass passage 121 is formed adjacent to the defroster passage 122 and extends along a partition wall 123 between it and the defroster passage 122. The partition wall 123 extends in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening 129.
[0076] According to this, the cold air flowing through the cold air bypass passage 121 is more likely to flow along the partition wall 123 to the gap opening 129, thereby suppressing the excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 to the gap opening 129.
[0077] In addition, this design utilizes the partition wall 123 between the cold air bypass passage 121 and the defroster passage 122 to guide the cold air flowing through the cold air bypass passage 121 to the gap opening 129. Therefore, there is no need to provide temperature-regulating ribs or dedicated guides inside the air conditioning case 12. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in ventilation resistance inside the air conditioning case 12 and suppress the deterioration of noise.
[0078] (3) In the air conditioning case 12, when the face is closed, a gap opening 129 is provided in the wall surface located downstream of the pair of side face openings 127c and 127d and upstream of the defroster opening 126. By positioning the gap opening 129 downstream of the pair of side face openings 127c and 127d in this way, mixed cold and warm air can easily flow into the gap opening 129. This prevents excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129.
[0079] (4) Inside the air conditioning case 12, downstream of the heater core 20, an air mix space AMS is provided to combine the air that has passed through the heater core 20 and the air that flows around the heater core 20 when the face is closed. The gap opening 129 opens into the wall surface located downstream of the airflow in the air mix space AMS in the air conditioning case 12 when the face is closed. By forming the gap opening 129 downstream of the air mix space AMS in this way, the air that has been mixed with the high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 and the air that flows around the heater core 20 flows more easily into the gap opening 129. As a result, excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129 is suppressed.
[0080] (5) In this embodiment, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 has a face door 242 which is a sliding door SD. With this configuration, unlike when it is made up of a plate door or a rotary door, the passage for cold air or hot air is not blocked when the face opening 127 is opened and closed. As a result, a certain amount of passage area can be secured around the face opening 127. In addition, it is possible to reduce ventilation resistance around the face opening 127 and reduce noise.
[0081] In addition, the indoor air conditioning unit 10 is configured to guide the warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 to the defroster opening 126 using the inner surface of the face door 242 when the face is closed. This allows high-temperature air to be guided to the defroster opening 126 with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since there is no need to add temperature-regulating ribs or the like, ventilation resistance and noise can be reduced.
[0082] (Modified version of the first embodiment) As in the first embodiment, it is preferable that the gap opening 129 opens into a wall surface located downstream of the pinion gear PG in the air conditioning case 12 when the face is closed, but it is not limited to this.
[0083] Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioning unit 1 has gap openings 129 formed adjacent to each of the side face openings 127c and 127d in the air conditioning case 12, but is not limited to this. The gap openings 129 may be formed not in the air conditioning case 12, but for example in the part of the face door 242 that opens and closes each of the side face openings 127c and 127d.
[0084] The air conditioning case 12 preferably has a ventilation structure in which air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the opening surface of the gap opening 129, and air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening 129, but is not limited to this. The air conditioning case 12 may have a ventilation structure different from that described above.
[0085] The indoor air conditioning unit 10 is configured as an intake-type unit in which a blower fan 18 is positioned downstream of the airflow of the evaporator 16. However, it is not limited to this configuration and may also be configured as a forced-type unit in which a blower fan 18 is positioned downstream of the airflow of the evaporator 16.
[0086] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.
[0087] In this embodiment, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 is configured as a forced-air unit in which the interior air conditioning unit 10 is positioned upstream of the airflow of the evaporator 16, with a blower fan 18 located on the upstream side. Although not shown, the blower fan 18 is positioned between the interior / exterior air switching section and the evaporator 16.
[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, at least a portion of the face opening 127 is formed in the rear wall portion 125 of the air conditioning case 12 in the portion that overlaps with the first bypass passage 121a in the front-rear direction D2. In this embodiment, the rear wall portion 125 is inclined forward almost entirely.
[0089] The face door 242 is composed of a rotary door RD, not a sliding door SD. The rotary door RD has a door shaft S and an opening / closing section F having a plate portion curved along the rotational direction of the door shaft S. With the face door 242 configured in this way, the opening / closing section F can be displaced to a position that closes the face opening 127 and a position that opens the face opening 127 by rotating the door shaft S.
[0090] The face opening 127 is formed upstream of the airflow of the defroster opening 126 when the face is closed. The air conditioning case 12 is structured so that when the face is closed, the air that has passed through the heater core 20 is guided along the inner surface of the face door 242 to the defroster opening 126.
[0091] Furthermore, the gap opening 129A is formed adjacent to each of the side face openings 127c and 127d in the air conditioning case 12. The gap opening 129A is formed separately from each of the side face openings 127c and 127d.
[0092] The gap opening 129A is opened and closed by the opening / closing door 244 included in the mode switching door 24. The opening / closing door 244 is made of a panel door. The opening / closing door 244 may be made of a door other than a panel door.
[0093] The opening / closing door 244 operates in conjunction with the face door 242. Specifically, when the face opening 127 is closed by the face door 242, the opening / closing door 244 opens the gap opening 129A. Conversely, when the face opening 127 is opened by the face door 242, the opening / closing door 244 closes the gap opening 129A. In other words, when the face is closed, the gap opening 129A is opened by the opening / closing door 244.
[0094] In this embodiment, the air conditioning case 12 is configured such that excessive flow of warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129 is suppressed. Specifically, in the closed face state, the air conditioning case 12 has a ventilation structure in which air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the opening surface of the gap opening 129A, and air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening 129A.
[0095] In the vehicle air conditioning system 1 configured in this way, for example, when in defroster mode, the cool air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows along the bulkhead 123 toward the face opening 127 and the gap opening 129, as shown by arrow AFc in Figure 8. The warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the rear wall 125, the face door 242, and the opening surface of the gap opening 129A toward the defroster passage 122, as shown by arrow AFh in Figure 8.
[0096] As a result, warm air or relatively hot air mixed with cold air flows more easily through the defroster opening 126. On the other hand, cold air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows more easily through the gap opening 129, while warm air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows less easily. Therefore, air at a lower temperature than the air passing through the defroster opening 126 passes more easily through the gap opening 129.
[0097] Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment. The vehicle air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment can obtain the same effects as in the first embodiment, which are achieved from a configuration common to or equivalent to that of the first embodiment.
[0098] Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 of this embodiment has the following features.
[0099] (1) The vehicle air conditioning unit 1 is configured such that the face door 242 is a rotary door RD rather than a sliding door SD, and the gap opening 129A is opened and closed by an opening / closing door 244 separate from the face door 242. The air conditioning case 12 has a ventilation structure in which, when the face is closed, air that has passed through the heater core 20 flows along the opening surface of the gap opening 129A, and air that bypasses the heater core 20 flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening 129A.
[0100] With this ventilation structure, cold air that bypasses the heater core 20, or air mixed with cold and warm air, can easily flow into the gap opening 129, thereby suppressing excessive flow of high-temperature air heated by the heater core 20 into the gap opening 129.
[0101] (Modified version of the second embodiment) The indoor air conditioning unit 10 in the second embodiment is configured as a forced-air unit in which a blower fan 18 is positioned upstream of the airflow of the evaporator 16, but it is not limited to this configuration and may also be configured as a suction-type unit.
[0102] The face door 242 in the second embodiment is composed of a rotary door RD, but is not limited thereto. The face door 242 may be composed of other doors, such as a panel door.
[0103] Furthermore, the gap opening 129 is not limited to being formed separately from each side face opening 127c, 127d, but may also be connected to each side face opening 127c, 127d.
[0104] (Other embodiments) While representative embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways, for example, as follows.
[0105] The cold air bypass passage 121 in the above-described embodiment is formed adjacent to the defroster passage 122, but is not limited thereto. For example, the heater core 20 may be positioned adjacent to the defroster passage 122.
[0106] The vehicle air conditioning system 1 in the above-described embodiment is configured to heat the air flowing through the air passage 120 with a heater core 20, but is not limited to this. The vehicle air conditioning system 1 may be configured to heat the air flowing through the air passage 120 with an electric heater, for example.
[0107] As described in the above embodiment, it is desirable that the air conditioning case 12 is configured such that the cold air that has passed through the first bypass passage 121a is guided to the gap opening 129 by a partition wall 123 located between the first bypass passage 121a and the defroster passage 122, but it is not limited to this configuration.
[0108] The air conditioning case 12 may be configured to guide the cold air that has passed through the first bypass passage 121a to the gap opening 129 by guide ribs separate from the partition wall 123. In this case, the partition wall 123 does not need to extend in a direction intersecting the opening surface of the gap opening 129.
[0109] Furthermore, it is desirable, but not limited to, that the gap opening 129 in the air conditioning case 12 is located downstream of the pair of side face openings 127c and 127d in the airflow, and upstream of the defroster opening 126 in the airflow. The gap opening 129 may, for example, be provided upstream of the pair of side face openings 127c and 127d in the airflow.
[0110] Furthermore, while it is desirable that the gap opening 129 opens to the downstream side of the airflow in the air mix space AMS within the air conditioning case 12 when the face is closed, this is not required.
[0111] In the embodiments described above, specific examples of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 have been provided, but the system is not limited thereto, and some of the components of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 may differ from those described above. The vehicle air conditioning system 1 may consist of a two-tiered interior air conditioning unit 10 or an interior air conditioning unit 10 with independent left and right control.
[0112] In the embodiments described above, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential, except in cases where they are explicitly stated to be essential or where they are clearly considered essential in principle.
[0113] In the embodiments described above, if numerical values such as the number, numerical values, quantities, or ranges of the components of the embodiment are mentioned, the embodiment is not limited to those specific numbers unless explicitly stated as particularly essential or clearly limited to a specific number in principle.
[0114] In the embodiments described above, when referring to the shape, positional relationships, etc. of the components, the definition is not limited to those shapes, positional relationships, etc., unless otherwise specifically stated or when the definition is fundamentally limited to a particular shape, positional relationship, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0115] 1. Vehicle air conditioning system 12 Air-conditioned cases 120 Ventilation duct 126 Defroster opening 127c, 127d Side face opening 129, 129A Gap opening 20 Heater core (heating equipment) 242 Face Door
Claims
1. A vehicle air conditioning system, An air conditioning case (12) that forms an air passage (120) for air blown into the passenger compartment, The system includes a heating device (20) that heats the air flowing through the aforementioned ventilation passage, The air conditioning case is formed with a defroster opening (126) that blows air toward the inner surface of the vehicle's front window glass and side face openings (127c, 127d) that blow air into the passenger compartment from the left and right ends of the vehicle. Inside the air conditioning case, a defroster door (241) for opening and closing the defroster opening and a face door (242) for opening and closing the side face opening are provided. The face door is a sliding door that opens and closes the side face opening by moving along the opening surface of the side face opening. The air conditioning case is structured such that, in the face-closed state where the side face opening is closed by the face door, the air that has passed through the heating equipment is guided along the inner surface of the face door to the defroster opening. In the closed face state, a gap opening (129) that connects the upstream and downstream airflow of the face door is formed adjacent to the side face opening. The aforementioned gap opening has an opening surface along the direction of movement of the face door, and the gap opening is configured to be openable and closable, in a vehicle air conditioning system.
2. The aforementioned face door is provided with a rack gear (RG) on the inner surface of the door, Inside the aforementioned air conditioning case, a pinion gear (PG) that meshes with the rack gear is positioned adjacent to the face door. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the gap opening is located in a wall surface that is downstream of the pinion gear in the air conditioning case when the face is closed.
3. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air conditioning case has a ventilation structure in which, when the face is closed, air that has passed through the heating equipment flows along the opening surface of the gap opening, and air that bypasses the heating equipment flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening.
4. A vehicle air conditioning system, An air conditioning case (12) that forms an air passage (120) for air blown into the passenger compartment, The system includes a heating device (20) that heats the air flowing through the aforementioned ventilation passage, The air conditioning case is formed with a defroster opening (126) that blows air toward the inner surface of the vehicle's front window glass and side face openings (127c, 127d) that blow air into the passenger compartment from the left and right ends of the vehicle. Inside the air conditioning case, a defroster door (241) for opening and closing the defroster opening and a face door (242) for opening and closing the side face opening are provided. In the face-closed state, where the side face opening is closed by the face door, gap openings (129, 129A) are formed adjacent to the side face opening, which connect the upstream and downstream airflow of the face door. The air conditioning case has a ventilation structure in which, when the face is closed, air that has passed through the heating equipment is guided to the defroster opening along the opening surface of the gap opening, and air that bypasses the heating equipment flows in a direction that intersects the opening surface of the gap opening. A vehicle air conditioning system in which the aforementioned gap opening is configured to be openable and closable.
5. Inside the air conditioning case, a cold air bypass passage (121) is formed to allow air to flow around the heating equipment, and a defroster passage (122) is formed to guide the air that has passed through at least one of the heating equipment and the cold air bypass passage to the defroster opening. The cold air bypass passage is formed adjacent to the defroster passage and extends along the partition wall (123) between it and the defroster passage. The vehicle air conditioning device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the partition wall portion extends in a direction intersecting the opening surface of the gap opening.
6. The vehicle air conditioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air conditioning case has a gap opening in a wall surface located downstream of the side face opening and upstream of the defroster opening when the face is closed.
7. Inside the air conditioning case, downstream of the heating equipment, an air mix space is provided that, when the face is closed, allows air that has passed through the heating equipment to merge with air that flows around the heating equipment. The vehicle air conditioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the gap opening is located on the wall surface located downstream of the airflow in the air mix space of the air conditioning case when the face is closed.