Heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning apparatus, and vehicle

Abstract

A heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning apparatus (100), and a vehicle comprising a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning apparatus (100), said apparatus comprising: a housing (10); a heat exchanger (30), which is disposed in the housing (10) and configured to allow a flow of air (F) to pass therethrough, the housing (10) being provided, downstream from the heat exchanger (30), with an upper space (S1), a lower space (S2), and a first outlet (11) for use in the lower space (S2); and a barrel damper (20), the barrel damper (20) being capable of rotating about a rotation axis (X) to at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, the barrel damper (20) opens the first outlet (11) and separates the upper space (S1) and the lower space (S2); in the second position, the barrel damper (20) closes the first outlet (11) and allows the upper space (S1) and the lower space (S2) to communicate with one another.

Description

Heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning units, vehicles Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device. In particular, the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device is operable to be stratified by a barrel-shaped damper. The present disclosure also relates to a vehicle including such a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle uses a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device to regulate the environment inside the vehicle cabin. It is known that the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device can have a layered structure to separate the airflow from each air outlet to meet the different environmental regulation requirements of different parts of the vehicle cabin. This layered structure is connected or separated by air doors, and the air outlets are separated into different layers by air doors.

[0003] In conventional heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning systems, butterfly dampers are known to be used to connect or separate different layers of a layered structure. However, when used to achieve layered structure, the butterfly damper's design limits the placement of the damper itself and the air outlet, and requires a large envelope during operation. This results in the damper occupying space within the vehicle cabin, which inconveniences the design and layout of other components within the vehicle cabin.

[0004] Public content

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device that reduces the space occupied by the dampers and air outlets of its layered structure, facilitates the design and arrangement of other components inside the vehicle compartment, and avoids inconvenience.

[0006] The object is achieved by a heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes: a shell; a heat exchanger arranged in the shell and configured to allow air flow to pass through; wherein the shell has an upper space, a lower space and a first outlet for the lower space downstream of the heat exchanger; a barrel-shaped damper, which can be rotated around a rotation axis to at least a first position and a second position, in the first position, the barrel-shaped damper opens the first outlet and separates the upper space and the lower space; in the second position, the barrel-shaped damper closes the first outlet and allows the upper space and the lower space to communicate with each other.

[0007] One of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device, so that the connected and separated dampers and air outlets of its layered structure occupy less space and will not cause inconvenience to the design and layout of the car. The heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device according to the present disclosure realizes the connection and separation of the upper space and the lower space through a barrel-shaped damper, and simultaneously realizes the opening and closing of the first outlet for the lower layer. Compared with the butterfly damper, the arrangement position of the barrel damper and the first outlet in the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device is different, and the envelope requirement of the barrel damper during operation is smaller, so that the space in the car for arranging other components can be avoided, reducing the design difficulty.

[0008] The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure may also have one or more of the following features, alone or in combination.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the barrel-shaped damper includes a first edge and a second edge that are angled relative to the rotation axis, and a housing portion disposed between the first and second edges, the housing portion defining a damper passage from the first edge to the second edge. The inclusion of the damper passage that allows airflow greatly increases the freedom of placement of the barrel-shaped damper in the heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning system.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the position of the first outlet is set to be above the height of the first edge when it is in the first position. In existing heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning devices that achieve stratification through butterfly dampers, the outlet for the lower layer is arranged below the height of the butterfly dampers, resulting in a larger lower profile of the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device, which occupies the lower space of the vehicle compartment. In contrast, in the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device according to the present disclosure, the first outlet for the lower space has a relatively high position, thereby reducing the lower profile of the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device and freeing up the lower space of the vehicle compartment so that it can be used to arrange other components.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, in the first position, the housing portion separates the upper space from the lower space, and the damper passage allows airflow from the lower space to the first outlet; in the second position, the housing portion closes the first outlet, and the damper passage allows airflow between the upper space and the lower space. According to this feature, the barrel damper blocks airflow through the housing portion and provides a channel for airflow through the damper passage.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, in the first position, the damper channel directs the airflow upward after passing through the heat exchanger, so that it flows toward the first outlet. Thus, the damper channel provides a flow path from the heat exchanger to the first outlet, which is located at a higher position, thereby avoiding the increase in airflow resistance caused by the increased height of the first outlet.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the barrel-shaped damper can also rotate around the rotation axis (X) to an intermediate position between the first position and the second position. At the intermediate position, the barrel-shaped damper opens the first outlet and allows the upper space and the lower space to communicate with each other.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell has a first ridge and a second ridge, and in the first position, the first edge sealingly abuts the first ridge, and the second edge sealingly abuts the second ridge.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell further has a third flange, the first outlet is located between the second flange and the third flange, and in the second position, the first edge sealingly abuts the second flange, and the second edge sealingly abuts the third flange.

[0016] According to the above features, at different positions of the barrel-shaped damper, its two edges can respectively and sealingly abut against the first to third ridges of the shell, ensuring sealed contact between the barrel-shaped damper and the shell.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the first outlet includes a foot blowing outlet.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell further has a second outlet located in the upper space.

[0019] According to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure, the second outlet includes a surface blowing outlet and / or a defrost outlet.

[0020] The present disclosure also provides a vehicle according to the heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent through the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. The following drawings are not drawn to scale with actual size, but are intended to illustrate the main points of the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0022] FIG1 schematically illustrates in plan view a heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning unit according to an exemplary embodiment with a barrel damper in a first position;

[0023] FIG2 schematically illustrates in plan view a heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning unit according to an exemplary embodiment with the barrel damper in a second position;

[0024] FIG3 schematically illustrates in plan view a heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning unit according to an exemplary embodiment with the barrel damper in a third position;

[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a barrel damper in a heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the usual meanings understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Similar words such as "one", "an" or "the" used in the patent application specification and claims of the present disclosure do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. Similar words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Although expressions such as "first" and "second" are used to describe the various elements of the present disclosure, they are only used to distinguish one component from another, and are not used to limit the order or importance of the corresponding elements. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, "first element" can be written as "second element", and similarly, "second element" can be written as "first element".

[0028] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "up", "down", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the disclosed product is conventionally placed when in use, or are the orientations or positional relationships conventionally understood by those skilled in the art. These are merely for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0029] For the convenience of description, the drawings of the present disclosure simplify or omit components that are not related to the description of the present disclosure. These omitted or simplified components do not affect the understanding of the content of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1-3, the present disclosure provides a heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning device 100, which can be used in a vehicle, such as a motor vehicle, an electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle. The heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning device 100 includes a housing 10 and various components disposed within the housing 10. The present disclosure intends to coordinate the housing 10 and the various components to ensure that a desired airflow reaches a desired outlet according to actual needs, thereby meeting the requirements of the driver and passengers in the vehicle cabin for controlling the air and temperature inside the vehicle cabin. At the same time, it can save energy supplied to the heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning device 100 - this is particularly important when used in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1-3, the heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning device 100 of the present disclosure includes a housing 10, a heat exchanger 30 disposed within the housing 10 and configured to allow airflow F to pass therethrough, and a barrel-shaped damper 20. The housing 10 has an upper space S1, a lower space S2, a first outlet 11 for the lower space S2, and a second outlet 12 for the upper space S1, downstream of the heat exchanger 30. Airflow F can flow out of the housing 10 through the first outlet 11 and the second outlet 12. The barrel-shaped damper 20 is rotatable about a rotation axis X to at least a first position (shown in Figure 1) and a second position (shown in Figure 2). In the first position, the barrel-shaped damper 20 opens the first outlet 11 and separates the upper space S1 from the lower space S2. In the second position, the barrel-shaped damper 20 closes the first outlet 11 and connects the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. The barrel damper 20 can also rotate about the rotation axis X to an intermediate position between the first position and the second position (as shown in FIG3 ). In the intermediate position, the barrel damper 20 opens the first outlet 11 and allows the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 to communicate with each other.

[0032] FIG4 illustrates the specific structure of the barrel-shaped damper 20. As shown, the barrel-shaped damper 20 includes a first edge 21, a second edge 22, and a housing portion 23 disposed between the first edge 21 and the second edge 22. The first edge 21 and the second edge 22 are arranged at an angle relative to the rotation axis X. The housing portion 23 defines a damper passage 24 extending from the first edge 21 to the second edge 22. The barrel-shaped damper 20 can both block airflow from flowing into the damper passage 24 from locations other than the first edge 21 and the second edge 22 via the housing portion 23, and allow airflow between the first edge 21 and the second edge 22 via the damper passage 24.

[0033] The housing 10 is provided with a first flange 13, a second flange 14, and a third flange 15. The first flange 13, the second flange 14, and the third flange 15 are also arranged approximately at an angle around the rotation axis X. The communication channel between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 is located between the first flange 13 and the second flange 14, and the first outlet 11 is located between the second flange 14 and the third flange 15. The flange structure of the housing 10 corresponds to the structure of the barrel-shaped damper 20. The first edge 21 and the second edge 22 of the barrel-shaped damper 20 can abut against the flanges at various locations to enhance the seal between the barrel-shaped damper 20 and the housing 10.

[0034] Specifically, in the first position, as shown in Figure 1, the first edge 21 of the barrel damper 20 seals against the first ridge 13, and the second edge 22 seals against the second ridge 14. The upper space S1 and the lower space S2 are separated by the shell portion 23 of the barrel damper 20, and the first outlet 11 is in an open state. The airflow F cannot flow from the upper space S1 into the lower space S2, and the airflow F flowing out of the first outlet 11 only comes from the lower space S2. The airflow F also cannot flow from the lower space S2 into the upper space S1, and the airflow F flowing out of the second outlet 12 only comes from the upper space S2. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device 100 is now operating in its stratified mode.

[0035] Due to the angled structure of the barrel damper 20, the partition between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 formed by the shell portion 23 is deflected upward. The upwardly deflected partition between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 is roughly shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. This upwardly deflected partition makes it possible to raise the height of the first outlet 11 for the lower space S2. Referring to Figure 1, the position of the first outlet 11 is above the height of the first edge 21 of the barrel damper 20 and roughly coincides with the height of the shell portion 23. This raised height of the first outlet 11 makes it possible to reduce the profile of the shell 10 at the lower part, reducing the lower space of the vehicle compartment occupied by the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device 100.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1 , in the lower space S2, the damper passage 24 of the barrel damper 20 directs the airflow F upward after passing through the heat exchanger 30, toward the first outlet 11. The damper passage 24 forms an airflow path from the lower space S2 to the first outlet 11, and its upward deflection direction is specifically adapted to the elevated height of the first outlet 11. Alternatively, the airflow F can flow from the lower space S2 over the third ledge 15 and into the first outlet 11.

[0037] In the second position, as shown in Figure 2, the first edge 21 of the barrel damper 20 seals against the second ridge 14, and the second edge 22 seals against the third ridge 15. The upper space S1 and the lower space S2 are connected, and the first outlet 11 is closed by the shell portion 23 of the barrel damper 20. The damper channel 24 of the barrel damper 20 constitutes a communication channel between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2, allowing the airflow F to flow between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. In addition, the airflow F can also flow between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 across the first ridge 13. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device 100 is now operating in a mixed mode.

[0038] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2 , first outlet 11 is the sole outlet for lower space S2. After first outlet 11 is closed, airflow F cannot exit lower space S2 even after flowing from upper space S into lower space S2. Airflow F flowing from lower space S2 into upper space S1 can exit through second outlet 12. Accordingly, Figure 2 depicts only airflow F flowing from lower space S2 into upper space S1.

[0039] It should be noted that the heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning device 100 according to the present disclosure may also be provided with other outlets for the lower space S2 in the housing 10. In such an embodiment, even if the first outlet 11 is closed, the airflow F can still flow out of the lower space S2 through the other outlets, and can flow out of the lower space S2 through the other outlets after flowing from the upper space S1. The airflow flowing out of the second outlet 12 and the other outlets can both be a mixed airflow of the upper space S1 and the lower space S2.

[0040] In the middle position, as shown in FIG3 , neither edge of the barrel damper 20 abuts against any ridge of the housing, the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 are connected, and the first outlet 11 is also open. Airflow F can flow between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. As shown in FIG3 , in addition to flowing out of the fabric from the upper space S1 through the second outlet 12 and from the lower space S2 through the first outlet 11, airflow F can also flow from the upper space S1 into the lower space S2 and out through the first outlet 11, and can also flow from the lower space S2 into the upper space S1 and out through the second outlet 12. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device 100 is now operating in a mixed mode.

[0041] Therefore, in the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device 100 for a vehicle proposed in the present disclosure, by utilizing the barrel-shaped damper 20 to achieve the connection or isolation between the upper space and the lower space and the opening or closing of the first outlet for the lower space, the layered mode of the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device 10 can be realized, and the relative position of the barrel-shaped damper and the first outlet can be adjusted to reduce the lower contour of the heating, ventilation and / or air-conditioning device 10, thereby freeing up the space in the lower part of the car to facilitate the arrangement of other components.

[0042] It should be noted that the structures of the first edge 21, the second edge 22 and the shell portion 23 of the barrel-shaped damper 20 and the first flange 13, the second flange 14 and the third flange 15 of the shell 10 mentioned above are merely schematic, and other structures that meet the matching relationship described above are also within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] Optionally, the first outlet 11 for the lower space S2 can be a foot-blowing outlet, and the second outlet 12 for the upper space S1 can include a face-blowing outlet 121 and / or a defrost outlet 122. In the stratified mode of the heating, ventilation, and / or air-conditioning device 100, the airflow F entering the upper space S1 through the heat exchanger 30 can come only from external fresh air, while the airflow F entering the lower space S2 can come only from internally recirculated air. The external fresh air blown out of the defrost outlet 122 is generally drier, allowing for rapid defrosting. The external fresh air blown out of the face-blowing outlet 121 can also quickly increase the oxygen content of the air in the upper part of the vehicle cabin, making the driver and passengers feel refreshed. Compared to the head and face, the human feet are more sensitive to low temperatures. The internally recirculated air blown out of the first outlet 11 has a relatively high temperature, which can quickly increase the temperature near the feet with low energy consumption, making the human body feel comfortable.

[0044] The foregoing description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0045] Finally, it should also be understood that certain technical features in the embodiments may not be necessary for solving specific technical problems, and thus these technical features may be absent or omitted without affecting the solution of the technical problem or the formation of a technical solution; moreover, the features, elements and / or functions of one embodiment may be appropriately combined, coupled or coordinated with the features, elements and / or functions of one or more other embodiments, unless the combination, coupling or coordination is obviously not feasible.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100), characterized in that: The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) comprises: Housing (10); a heat exchanger (30) disposed in the housing (10) and configured to allow airflow (F) to pass therethrough; wherein the housing (10) has an upper space (S1), a lower space (S2) and a first outlet (11) for the lower space (S2) downstream of the heat exchanger (30); A barrel-shaped damper (20) capable of rotating about a rotation axis (X) to at least a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the barrel-shaped damper (20) opens the first outlet (11) and separates the upper space (S1) from the lower space (S2); and in the second position, the barrel-shaped damper (20) closes the first outlet (11) and enables the upper space (S1) and the lower space (S2) to communicate with each other.

2. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The barrel-shaped damper (20) has a first edge (21) and a second edge (22) which are angled with each other about the rotation axis (X), and a shell portion (23) arranged between the first edge (21) and the second edge (22), wherein the shell portion (23) defines a damper channel (24) from the first edge (21) to the second edge (22).

3. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first outlet (11) is located above the height of the first edge (21) when it is in the first position.

4. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the first position, the housing portion (23) separates the upper space (S1) from the lower space (S2), and the damper passage (24) allows the airflow to flow from the lower space (S2) to the first outlet (11); In the second position, the housing portion (23) closes the first outlet (11), and the damper passage (24) allows the airflow to flow between the upper space (S1) and the lower space (S2). Flow between.

5. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the first position, the damper passage (24) guides the airflow to be deflected upward after passing through the heat exchanger (30) so as to flow toward the first outlet (11).

6. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The barrel-shaped damper (20) can also rotate around the rotation axis (X) to an intermediate position between the first position and the second position. At the intermediate position, the barrel-shaped damper (20) opens the first outlet (11) and enables the upper space (S1) and the lower space (S2) to communicate with each other.

7. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The housing (10) has a first flange (13) and a second flange (14), and In the first position, the first edge (21) sealingly abuts the first ledge (13), and the second edge (22) sealingly abuts the second ledge (14).

8. The heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The housing (10) further comprises a third flange (15), the first outlet (11) is located between the second flange (14) and the third flange (15), and In the second position, the first edge (21) sealingly abuts the second lip (14), and the second edge (22) sealingly abuts the third lip (130).

9. A heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The first outlet (11) comprises a foot blowing outlet (111).

10. A heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The housing (10) also has a second outlet (12) for the upper space (S1).

11. A heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The second outlet (12) includes a face blowing outlet (121) and / or a defrosting outlet (122).

12. A vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising a heating, ventilation and / or air conditioning device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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