Vehicle air conditioning device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle air conditioning device in which a more compact case size can be achieved by providing a door mechanism that doubles in functionality as a foot door and as an inside air / outside air dual-layer airflow door, and in which pressure loss in foot mode can be reduced. [Solution] A vehicle air conditioning device 1 includes: a partition wall 6A demarcating a first passage 61 and a second passage 62 of air inside a case 6; a foot outlet part 7 that blows air into a lower space of a cabin interior space; a foot inlet part 73 into which flows air headed toward the foot outlet part 7 on the downstream side of the first passage 61 and the second passage 62; a vertical connecting part 31V that connects the first passage 61 and the second passage 62 with the foot inlet part 73; and a connecting door 25 capable of opening and closing the vertical connecting part 31V, wherein opening and closing the connecting door 25 allows for the formation of a first connecting passage F1 that connects the first passage 61 with the foot inlet part 73 and a second connecting passage F2 that connects the second passage 62 with the foot inlet part 73.

Description

Vehicle air conditioning system

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

[0002] Conventionally, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have become widespread among vehicle air conditioners. The HVAC system includes a blower, a heat exchanger (an evaporator or a heater core), an air mix door, and the like. The HVAC system heats or cools air drawn into the unit by the blower and then blows the heated or cooled air into the vehicle cabin.

[0003] Furthermore, there is a demand for vehicle air conditioning systems that can simultaneously ensure anti-fogging properties and maintain (improve) the vehicle interior environment by using fresh, low-humidity outside air, while improving heating performance by blowing warm inside air toward the feet of occupants. Therefore, development is underway for HVAC systems that have a partition wall separating the air passage into a first passage on the outside air side and a second passage on the inside air side, allowing the HVAC to operate in a two-layer inside / outside air flow mode, in which introduced outside air circulates in the upper layer and inside air circulates in the lower layer.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an HVAC that has a door (foot door) that opens and closes the passage that blows air at the feet of the occupants, and a door (two-layer flow door) that divides the inside of the HVAC into two layers: an upper layer (outside air intake) passage and a lower layer (internal air circulation) passage.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses an HVAC equipped with a two-layer flow door that divides the inside of the HVAC housing into two layers, an upper layer and a lower layer, and a door mechanism that serves as both a foot door and a single door.

[0006] Japanese Patent No. 5246150 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-521459

[0007] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the foot door and the two-layer indoor / outdoor air flow door were installed separately, so a certain amount of space had to be secured downwind of the HVAC to take into account the operating range of each door, which created the problem of preventing the miniaturization of HVACs.

[0008] Furthermore, although the technology described in Patent Document 2 comprises a door mechanism that combines the functions of a foot door and an inside / outside air two-layer flow door, there is a problem in that when in the mode in which inside air is blown out to the feet of the occupants (foot mode), the opening area of ​​the air passage in the door mechanism cannot be secured sufficiently, resulting in large pressure losses.

[0009] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle air conditioning system that can reduce the size of the case and reduce pressure loss in foot mode by providing a door mechanism that combines the functions of a foot door and an inside / outside air two-layer flow door.

[0010] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioning system including a partition wall that separates first and second air passages within a case, and an outlet portion that blows air into a lower space within the vehicle cabin, the vehicle air conditioning system including an inlet portion downstream of the first and second passages into which air flows toward the outlet portion, a communication portion that connects the first and second passages with the inlet portion, and a communication door that can open and close the communication portion, and wherein, depending on the open / close state of the communication door, a first communication passage that connects the first passage with the inlet portion and a second communication passage that connects the second passage with the inlet portion can be formed.

[0011] According to the present invention, by providing a door mechanism that combines the functions of a foot door and an inside / outside air two-layer flow door, it is possible to reduce the size of the case and provide an air conditioning system for a vehicle that can reduce pressure loss in foot mode, which is an excellent effect.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion thereof omitted; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion thereof omitted; FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of air flow in a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of air flow in a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 7 show an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and in the figures, parts with the same reference numerals indicate parts with the same functions, and duplicated explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate.

[0014] 1 is an external perspective view showing an HVAC, which is a vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present invention. The vehicle air conditioner (HVAC) 1 includes, for example, an air induction unit 1A and a temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B connected thereto. The air induction unit 1A takes in outside air and inside air and introduces it into the temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B. The temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B includes a blower, a heat exchanger (evaporator and heater core), an air mix door, etc., within its case 6, and is configured to heat or cool the air introduced into the case 6 by the air induction unit 1A and blow it into the vehicle cabin.

[0015] 1, the vertical direction in the figure is the height direction H of the vehicle air conditioner 1, the direction perpendicular to the height direction H, from the rear left to the front right of the page, is the width direction W of the vehicle air conditioner 1, and the direction perpendicular to the height direction H and the width direction W is the length direction L of the vehicle air conditioner 1. The vehicle air conditioner 1 is mounted at the front of the vehicle cabin (inside an instrument panel not shown) with the up and down of the height direction H being the up and down (top and bottom) direction of the vehicle, the front of the page in the length direction L being the engine room side (front), and the back of the page in the width direction W being the right side of the vehicle (the right side when facing forward), and the front right side of the page being the left side of the vehicle (the left side when facing forward). Each of the figures subsequent to FIG. 1 will be described using the definitions of the directions in FIG. 1.

[0016] In particular, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 of this embodiment divides the air passage flowing inside the case 6 of the temperature-controlled blower unit 1B into a first passage (e.g., an upper passage) and a second passage (e.g., a lower passage) by a partition wall, and can set an inside / outside air two-layer flow mode in which outside air introduced from outside is circulated through the first passage and inside air is circulated through the second passage.

[0017] <Air induction unit> The air induction unit 1A is also called an intake unit, and is provided with a blower unit and a drive unit (motor) that constitute a blower, not shown, inside a substantially cylindrical case (intake case 4 (4A, 4B)). The air induction unit 1A is configured to be generally symmetrical up and down with respect to the center in the height direction H as the center. An upper-layer-side blower unit that blows air to the upper-layer-side passage of the temperature control air blower unit 1B is disposed inside the upper intake case 4A, and a lower-layer-side blower unit that blows air to the lower-layer-side passage of the temperature control air blower unit 1B is disposed inside the lower intake case 4B. The upper-layer-side blower unit and the lower-layer-side blower unit rotate coaxially, for example, by a drive shaft of the drive unit.

[0018] The intake case 4 has vertically aligned outside air intakes 2 (2A, 2B) on its outer periphery. The outside air intake 2A is an outside air intake for the upper-side blower unit, and the outside air intake 2B is an outside air intake for the lower-side blower unit. Furthermore, meshed, approximately semi-cylindrical (dome-shaped) inside air intakes 3 (3A, 3B) are provided at the upper and lower ends of the intake case 4. The inside air intake 3A is an inside air intake for the upper-side blower unit, and the inside air intake 3B is an inside air intake for the lower-side blower unit. One end of the arc of the approximately semi-cylindrical shape of the inside air intakes 3A, 3B is connected to the outside air intakes 2A, 2B, respectively. A rotary door (not shown) shaped to fit the inside of the inside air intakes 3A, 3B is provided inside the inside air intakes 3A, 3B. The door of intake case 4A is freely swingable about swing shaft 5 (5A), and when rotated in one direction about swing shaft 5A, it closes outside air intake 2A and opens inside air intake 3A, and when rotated in the other direction about swing shaft 5A, it opens outside air intake 2A and closes inside air intake 3A. Similarly, when rotated in one direction about swing shaft 5B, the door of intake case 4B closes outside air intake 2B and opens inside air intake 3B, and when rotated in the other direction about swing shaft 5B, it opens outside air intake 2B and closes inside air intake 3B.

[0019] <Temperature Controlled Air Blower Unit> Fig. 2 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the temperature controlled air blower unit 1B, and Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views. For ease of explanation, some components of the case 6 are omitted from Figs. 2 to 4.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2 , the temperature controlled air blower unit 1B has an air passage formed within the case 6 generally from the rear (right side in FIG. 2 ) to the front (left side in FIG. 2 ) in the longitudinal direction L. In this embodiment, the interior of the case 6 is divided into two in the height direction H by a partition wall 6A, dividing the air passage into an upper-side passage (first passage) 61 and a lower-side passage (second passage) 62. A duct extending from the intake case 4 is connected to air inlet portions 13 (13A, 13B) at the rear end of the case 6. That is, air from the upper-side blower unit of the air induction unit 1A is introduced into the upper-side passage 61 from the air inlet portion 13A of the temperature controlled air blower unit 1B, and air from the lower-side blower unit of the air induction unit 1A is introduced into the lower-side passage 62 from the air inlet portion 13B of the temperature controlled air blower unit 1B.

[0021] The vehicle air conditioning system 1 can be set to an inside / outside two-layer flow mode in which outside air is circulated through the upper passage 61 and inside air is circulated (recirculated) through the lower passage 62. However, when the inside / outside two-layer flow mode is not set (non-inlet outside air two-layer flow mode), outside air or inside air can be circulated through both the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62.

[0022] Specifically, the temperature-controlled air blowing unit 1B can switch between an inside / outside two-layer flow mode in which the air passage within the device is separated into an upper-layer passage 61 and a lower-layer passage 62, and outside air is circulated through the upper-layer passage 61 and inside air is circulated through the lower-layer passage 62, and a non-inside / outside two-layer flow mode in which the air passage is not separated into the upper-layer passage 61 and the lower-layer passage 62.

[0023] The temperature control air blower unit 1B can switch between a foot-open state in which air is blown toward the lower part of the vehicle interior (toward the feet of the occupants) and a foot-closed state in which air is not blown toward the lower part of the vehicle interior. Furthermore, independent of the foot-open state or the foot-closed state, the temperature control air blower unit 1B can switch between a rear-vent-open state in which air is blown toward the upper part of the rear seats (toward the faces of the occupants) and a rear-vent-closed state in which air is not blown toward the upper part of the rear seats. These will be described in detail later.

[0024] The temperature controlled air blower unit 1B includes therein a filter 10 that purifies the air passing through the upper layer side passage 61 and the lower layer side passage 62, a first heat exchanger (cooler) 11 that cools the air passing through the upper layer side passage 61 and the lower layer side passage 62, and a second heat exchanger (heater) 12 that heats the air passing through the upper layer side passage 61 and the lower layer side passage 62. These are provided so as to straddle the partition wall 6A.

[0025] In this example, a first air mix door 15 is provided upstream of the second heat exchange section 12 in the upper layer side passage 61, and a second air mix door 16 is provided upstream of the second heat exchange section 12 in the lower layer side passage 62.

[0026] 1 , a plurality of air blowing sections are provided on the opposite side (downstream side of the air passage) from the air inlet section 13. The blowing sections are, for example, a lower blowing section 7 (7A, 7B) that blows air into a lower space in the vehicle cabin, and a first upper blowing section 8 (8A, 8B) and a second upper blowing section 9 that blow air into an upper space in the vehicle cabin.

[0027] More specifically, the lower blowing section 7 includes a front lower blowing section 7A (hereinafter referred to as the "front foot blowing section 7A") that blows air into the front space within the vehicle cabin, and a rear lower blowing section 7B (hereinafter referred to as the "rear foot blowing section 7B") that blows air into the rear space within the vehicle cabin.

[0028] The front foot blowing section 7A further includes a right front foot blowing section 7AR that blows air to the right side of the vehicle interior (e.g., the driver's seat side), and a left front foot blowing section 7AL that blows air to the left side of the vehicle interior (e.g., the passenger seat side).

[0029] The rear foot outlet 7B further includes a right rear foot outlet 7BR that blows air to the right side of the vehicle interior (e.g., the driver's seat side), and a left rear foot outlet 7BL that blows air to the left side of the vehicle interior (e.g., the passenger seat side).

[0030] The first upper air outlets 8 include a first front upper air outlet 8A (hereinafter referred to as the "front vent air outlet 8A") that blows air into the front space in the vehicle cabin, and a rear upper air outlet 8B (hereinafter referred to as the "rear vent air outlet 8B") that blows air into the rear space in the vehicle cabin. The front vent air outlet 8A further includes a right front vent air outlet 8AR that blows air to the right side of the vehicle cabin (e.g., the driver's seat side), and a left front vent air outlet 8AL that blows air to the left side of the vehicle cabin (e.g., the passenger seat side). The rear vent air outlet 8B is a single air outlet, regardless of whether it is on the left or right side.

[0031] The second upper air outlet 9 is a defroster (DEF) air outlet that blows air mainly toward the front space in the vehicle cabin near the windows. The defroster air outlet 9 further includes a right defroster air outlet 9R that blows air toward the right side of the vehicle cabin (e.g., the driver's seat side) and a left defroster air outlet 9L that blows air toward the left side of the vehicle cabin (e.g., the passenger seat side).

[0032] The temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B is divided into a right region 1BR and a left region 1BL, with the boundary at approximately the center in the width direction W, and the two regions have approximately the same (bilaterally symmetrical) structure. That is, the left region 1BL of the temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B is provided with a left front vent outlet 8AL, a left defroster outlet 9L, a left front foot outlet 7AL, and a left rear foot outlet 7BL. The right region 1BR of the temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B is provided with a right front vent outlet 8AR, a right defroster outlet 9R, a right front foot outlet 7AR, and a right rear foot outlet 7BR. In addition, a single rear vent outlet 8B common to both the right and left regions 1BR and 1BL is provided below the center in the width direction W of the temperature-controlled air blower unit 1B, spanning both the right region 1BR and the left region 1BL.

[0033] Furthermore, the temperature control air blower unit 1B is partitioned into three areas, a first area 60A, a second area 60B, and a third area 60C, in a portion of the case 6, specifically, for example, an area downstream of the second heat exchange section 12. The first area 60A, the second area 60B, and the third area 60C are partitioned by case members 6B, 6C, 6D, and 6E that constitute the case 6 and their internal partition walls (or ribs) so that they are aligned side by side in the width direction W at the downstream end of the case 6 in the length direction L.

[0034] The internal configuration of the temperature control air blower unit 1B will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a side view of case member 6D as viewed from the left side, omitting illustration of the left case member 6B in the width direction W and the adjacent case member 6C. Figure 3 is a perspective view omitting illustration of the left case member 6B in the width direction W. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a portion of the case 6D in a see-through manner.

[0035] 2, the left side area 1BL is provided with a left front vent door 21 that allows air to flow into or is blocked from the left front vent outlet 8AL, a left defroster door 22 that allows air to flow into or is blocked from the left defroster outlet 9L, a left foot door (communicating door) 25 that allows air to flow into or is blocked from the left front foot outlet 7AL and the left rear foot outlet 7BL (see FIG. 1), and a left rear foot door 26 that allows air to flow into or is blocked from the left rear foot outlet 7BL. Note that the communicating door 25 and the left rear foot door 26 are, for example, flat doors as indicated by solid lines in FIG. 2, but in FIG. 2, their positions are shown by small and large dashed lines.

[0036] Although not shown, the right side area 1BR is also provided with a right front vent door that allows air to flow in and out of the right front vent outlet 8AR, a right defroster door that allows air to flow in and out of the right defroster outlet 9R, a right foot (communicating door) that allows air to flow in and out of the right front foot outlet 7AR and the right rear foot outlet 7BR, and a right rear foot door that allows air to flow in and out of the right rear foot outlet 7BR, and these doors are configured in the same way as the left side area 1BL shown in Figure 2.

[0037] 1, the first area 60A is defined by a case member 6B (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) and a case member 6C (not shown in FIG. 2), and accommodates a plurality of doors in the left area 1BL, specifically, the left front vent door 21, the left defroster door 22, the left foot door (communicating door) 25, and the left rear foot door 26. The first area 60A also accommodates the first air mix door 15 and the second air mix door 16 in the left area 1BL.

[0038] Portions of the case members 6B and 6C extend below the case 6, forming the left rear foot passage 65 and the left rear foot outlet 7BL at its downstream end. Ribs 6F and 6G in the case members 6B and 6C form a communication portion 31, which will be described later.

[0039] 1 and 3, the second region 60B is defined by the case members 6C and 6D. The second region 60B is formed as a space spanning the left region 1BL and the right region 1BR. As shown in FIG. 2, a rear vent door 27 that allows air to flow into and block the rear vent outlet 8B is provided inside the second region 60B. Furthermore, a rear vent outlet opening 32 is provided on the surface of the case members 6C and 6D that define the second region 60B facing the second heat exchanger 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Portions of the case members 6C and 6D extend below the case 6, thereby forming a rear vent passage 66 and the rear vent outlet 8B at its downstream end.

[0040] In this example, for example, a partition wall 6CA of the case member 6C protrudes in the length direction L to separate a right region 1BR from a left region 1BL.

[0041] The third area 60C is partitioned by case members 6D and 6E and houses the multiple doors of the right area 1BR. Portions of the case members 6D and 6E extend below the case 6, thereby forming a right rear foot passage 67 and a right rear foot outlet 7BR at its downstream end. Ribs (not shown) within the case members 6D and 6E also form a communication section. The internal structure of the third area 60C is similar to that of the first area 60A, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0042] In the following, since the configuration of the left region 1BL (inside the first region 60A) and the right region 1BR (inside the third region 60C) of the temperature-controlled air blowing unit 1B are similar, the description will be given without distinguishing between left and right, with reference to the configuration of the left region 1BL (first region 60A) shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0043] 2, a front vent inlet 71 is provided between the front vent door 21 and the front vent outlet 8A above the second heat exchanger 12 of the upper passage 61. A defroster inlet 72 is provided between the defroster door 22 and the defroster outlet 9.

[0044] The front foot outlet 7A is provided on the side of the case 6, i.e., at the front end of the case member 6B in the length direction L and approximately at the center in the height direction H (see FIG. 1 ), and the rear foot outlet 7B is provided at the lower end of the case 6 below the front foot outlet 7A in the height direction H. Ducts (not shown) are connected to the front foot outlet 7A and the rear foot outlet 7B to blow air into the vehicle cabin.

[0045] 2 and 3, a foot inlet 73 is provided downstream of the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62 in the first region 60A. The foot inlet 73 is a space into which air flows through the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62 and headed toward the foot outlets 7 (front foot outlet 7A and rear foot outlet 7B). The front foot outlet 7A is located to the side of the foot inlet 73 in the width direction W (downstream in terms of the air flow), and the rear foot outlet 7B is located below the foot inlet 73 in the height direction H (downstream in terms of the air flow).

[0046] The foot inlet section 73 is connected to the upper-layer passage 61 and the lower-layer passage 62 by a communication section 31, and the air flowing into the foot inlet section 73 can be branched off and blown out to the front foot outlet section 7A and the rear foot outlet section 7B, respectively, with the foot inlet section 73 as the branching point.

[0047] As shown by the dashed-dotted arrows in Fig. 3, the communication section 31 is an opening that allows air to circulate in both the length direction L and the height direction H, and allows communication between the foot inlet section 73 and the upper-layer passage 61, the foot inlet section 73 and the lower-layer passage 62, and the upper-layer passage 61 and the lower-layer passage 62. In this example, the communication section 31 is defined by ribs 6F and 6G that protrude inward from the case 6. Note that similar ribs 6F and 6G are also provided on case member 6B, which is not shown in Fig. 3, and the communication section 31 is an opening provided in case members 6B and 6C.

[0048] More specifically, the area (region) between the ribs 6F arranged opposite each other in the height direction H is referred to as the vertical communicating portion 31V. The area (region) between the ribs 6G arranged opposite each other in the length direction L is referred to as the horizontal communicating portion 31H.

[0049] The communication door 25 is a door that can open and close the communication section 31, and is, for example, a plate-shaped door that can rotate around a rotation axis 25A. Although multiple communication doors 25 are shown in Figure 2, this shows changes in the posture of the communication doors 25, and there is only one communication door 25 in each of the first area 60A and the third area 60C, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the communication door 25 has an approximately rectangular shape with a set of first sides 251 extending in the width direction W of the case 6 and a set of second sides 252 extending perpendicular to the first sides 251, and a rotation shaft 25A extending in the width direction W of the case 6 is inserted near the center of the second sides 252.

[0051] 2 and 3, the rotation shaft 25A is provided in a region of the case 6 other than the end of the communication portion 31. More specifically, the rotation shaft 25A is provided approximately at the center of the vertical communication portion 31V and approximately at the center of the horizontal communication portion 31H. The rotation shaft 25A supports the communication door 25 so that it can rotate 360 ​​degrees, but the rotation of the communication door 25 is restricted to within a predetermined angle range by ribs 6F and 6G. The ribs 6F and 6G restrict the rotation of the communication door 25 and close the communication portion 31 by abutting against the communication door 25.

[0052] With this configuration, the communication door 25 is in a first position in which it abuts against the rib 6F (the position shown in FIG. 2A in which the communication door 25 stands upright in the height direction H (substantially vertical)), thereby closing the vertical communication section 31V. This blocks communication between the upper passage 61 and the foot inlet section 73, and also blocks communication between the lower passage 62 and the foot inlet section 73.

[0053] Here, the front foot outlet section 7A is a substantially rectangular opening as shown by the double-chain imaginary line in Figure 2. When the communication door 25 is in the first position, the rear edge (side edge) of the front foot outlet section 7A is located forward of the communication door 25. In other words, when the communication door 25 is in the first position, the flow of air from the foot inlet section 73 to the foot outlet section 7 is also blocked. Meanwhile, the upper-side passage 61 and the lower-side passage 62 are in communication.

[0054] Furthermore, when the communication door 25 assumes a second position in which it abuts the rib 6G (the communication door 25 is in the longitudinal direction L (the position shown in Figure 2 (b) in which it is rolled over substantially horizontally), the horizontal communication section 31H is closed, blocking communication between the upper layer side passage 61 and the lower layer side passage 62. On the other hand, the upper layer side passage 61 communicates with the foot inlet section 73, and the lower layer side passage 62 communicates with the foot inlet section 73. Furthermore, when the communication door 25 assumes the second position, the upper edge of the front foot outlet section 7A (shown by the imaginary double-dashed line in Figure 2) is positioned below the communication door 25. In other words, air flows from the foot inlet section 73 to the foot outlet section 7.

[0055] Furthermore, when the communication door 25 is in a third position (the position shown in FIG. 2(c) ) in which it does not abut against either of the ribs 6F, 6G, the upper-side passage 61 communicates with the foot inlet 73, the lower-side passage 62 communicates with the foot inlet 73, and the upper-side passage 61 communicates with the lower-side passage 62. Specifically, a first communication passage F1 is formed above the communication door 25, connecting the upper-side passage 61 with the foot inlet 73, and simultaneously a second communication passage F2 is formed below the communication door 25, connecting the lower-side passage 62 with the foot inlet 73. When the communication door 25 is in the third position, a portion of the communication door 25 overlaps with the front foot outlet 7A in the width direction W.

[0056] The communication door 25 rotates within a range of, for example, 90 degrees around the rotation axis 25A. If the rotation angle of the communication door 25 in the first position is 0 degrees, the rotation angle of the communication door 25 in the second position is 90 degrees, and the rotation angle of the communication door 25 in the third position can be said to be an angle in a predetermined range greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. In other words, the rotation angle in the third position is not limited to approximately 45 degrees as shown in FIG. 2, and may be other rotation angles.

[0057] In this way, the communication door 25 blocks or separates the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62 from each other by opening or closing the horizontal communication portion 31H. In other words, the communication door 25 can be opened or closed to switch between the inside / outside two-layer air flow mode. Also, the communication door 25 can be opened or closed to switch between the mode in which air is blown to the feet of the occupants (foot mode) by opening or closing the vertical communication portion 31V. In other words, the communication door 25 serves as both an inside / outside two-layer air flow door and a foot door.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3 , a rear foot door 26 is provided below (downstream of) the foot inlet 73 in the height direction H. The rear foot door 26 allows or blocks air flow to the rear foot passage 65 and the rear foot outlet 7B. The rear foot door 26 is, for example, a substantially rectangular plate-like door, cantilevered on a rotation shaft 26A, one side of which extends in the width direction W of the case 6, and is pivotable within a predetermined angle range. The rear foot door 26 pivots around the rotation shaft 26A within a range of, for example, 45 to 60 degrees. The rotation shaft 26A is attached, for example, to the inner wall of the upstream end (rear foot outlet opening 33) of the rear foot passage 65.

[0059] In this embodiment, when the communication section 31 is in communication with the foot inlet section 73, the air flowing through the case 6 reaches the foot inlet section 73 and branches from there to the front foot outlet section 7A and the rear foot outlet section 7B (when the rear foot door 26 is open). In other words, the rear foot outlet section 7B can blow out air of the same condition (temperature) as the air blown out from the front foot outlet section 7A.

[0060] 2, a first communication passage F1 is formed above the communication door 25, and at the same time, a second communication passage F2 is formed below the communication door 25. Since the cross-sectional area of ​​the passage for air blown to the foot outlet 7 is increased, pressure loss during foot outlet can be reduced.

[0061] Furthermore, the right and left areas 1BR and 1BL have the same configuration and can be controlled individually, so that the temperatures in the left and right areas in the vehicle cabin can be adjusted independently.

[0062] In this embodiment, a single rear vent outlet 8B is provided common to both the right region 1BR and the left region 1BL. As shown in FIG. 2 , a rear vent outlet 32 ​​connected to the rear vent outlet 8B is provided at approximately the center in the width direction W of the space defined by the lower-layer passage 62 of the temperature control air blower unit 1B, straddling both the right region 1BR and the left region 1BL. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rear vent outlet 32 ​​is provided on the surface of the case members 6C and 6D defining the second region 60B that faces the second heat exchanger 12. A rear vent door 27 that can be opened and closed is provided at the rear vent outlet 32.

[0063] The rear vent outlet opening 32 is connected to the rear vent outlet 8B via a rear vent passage 66 extending to the lower part of the case 6. In other words, the rear vent outlet opening 32 is capable of directing the air that has circulated through the lower passage 62 directly to the rear vent outlet 8B.

[0064] This eliminates the need to route a passage from above to below, as compared to a configuration in which, for example, part of the air blown out from a front vent outlet provided above the vehicle air conditioning device 1 is routed downward and then blown out from a rear vent outlet, which contributes to making the case 6 smaller.

[0065] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the communication door (foot door) 25, the rear foot door 26, and the rear vent door 27.

[0066] The rear vent door 27 is, for example, a rotary door and includes a rotation shaft 27A extending in the width direction W, sector-shaped side surfaces 271 arranged opposite each other in the width direction W, and a curved surface 272 connecting the arc portions of the sector-shaped side surfaces 271. The rotation shaft 27A is inserted through a key portion of the sector-shaped side surfaces 271, and the curved surface 272 is cradle-like and swingable within a predetermined angle range around the rotation shaft 27A. The rotation shaft 27A is fixed to the front end of the case 6, and the curved surface 272 is convex in a direction away from the rotation shaft 27A, with a hollow on its inner side (the rotation shaft 27A side). Both ends of the arc of the curved surface 272 form openings (first door opening 273 and second door opening 274), and the curved surface 272 (and the hollow portion therein) form part of the air flow path depending on whether the rear vent door 27 is open or closed. The rear vent door 27 (the curved surface 272 thereof) swings around the rotation axis 27A within a range of, for example, 45 degrees to 60 degrees.

[0067] 2, when the curved surface 272 is rotated to its uppermost position, the first door opening 273 closely faces (abuts) the inner surface of the case 6, and the rear vent outlet 32 ​​opens, communicating with the rear vent passage 66. The upper end of the rear vent outlet 32 ​​in the height direction H abuts against a part of the rear vent door 27, and the air circulating through the lower passage 62 flows into the rear vent passage 66 without leaking above the rear vent door 27.

[0068] On the other hand, when the curved surface 272 is rotated so that it is positioned downward, a portion of the curved surface 272 enters and closes the rear vent blow-out opening 32, blocking the flow of air circulating through the lower-layer passage 62 to the rear vent passage 66.

[0069] The rear vent door 27 is disposed across the right region 1BR and the left region 1BL. When the rear vent outlet 32 ​​is open, the air flowing through the right region 1BR and the air flowing through the left region 1BL flow into the rear vent outlet 32 ​​while being separated by the partition wall 6CA of the case member 6C and the partition wall of the adjacent case member 6D. Then, these air flows are mixed and sent to the rear vent passage 66.

[0070] 3 and 4 , the rear vent outlet 32 ​​and the foot inlet 73 are disposed at the front end of the case 6 along the width direction W of the case 6. The rear vent outlet 32, the rear foot outlet 33, and the rear foot door 26 that opens and closes the rear foot outlet 33 are disposed side by side (adjacent to each other) in the width direction W of the case 6. However, the rear vent outlet 32 ​​is separated from the foot inlet 73 and the rear foot outlet 33 by a case member 6C and its partition wall 6CA. This prevents the air flowing through the foot inlet 73 and the rear foot outlet 33 from mixing with the air flowing through the rear vent outlet 32 ​​(they are separated from each other), allowing for independent control of the airflow.

[0071] 4, the rear foot door 26 and the rear vent door 27 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction W, but the rotation shaft 27A of the rear vent door 27 and the rotation shaft 26A of the rear foot door 26 are disposed parallel to each other. More specifically, the rotation shaft 27A of the rear vent door 27 and the rotation shaft 26A of the rear foot door 26 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction W, but are disposed at offset positions (non-overlapping positions) in the length direction L and the height direction H. This achieves space saving in the arrangement of the rear foot door 26 and the rear vent door 27.

[0072] <Air Flow> The air flow in the temperature control air blower unit 1B will be mainly described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 is a schematic side view for explaining the air flow in the temperature control air blower unit 1B.

[0073] Air taken in by the upper-side blower unit of the air induction unit 1A is introduced into the upper-side passage 61 of the temperature-adjusted blower unit 1B. The air flowing through the upper-side passage 61 passes through a filter 10 and a first heat exchanger (cooler) 11 installed in the case 6, and then the air passage is switched by the first air mix door 15. In this case, when the first air mix door 15 is in one state, the air flows without passing through the second heat exchanger 12 (bypassing the passage above it), and when the first air mix door 15 is in another state, the air flows through the second heat exchanger 12. The air is then blown into the vehicle cabin from at least one of the lower blower 7, the first upper blower 8, and the second upper blower 9.

[0074] The air taken in by the lower-side blower unit of the air induction unit 1A is introduced into the lower-side passage 62 of the temperature-adjusted blower unit 1B. The air flowing through the lower-side passage 62 passes through the filter 10 and the first heat exchanger (cooler) 11, and then the air passage is switched by the second air mix door 16. In this case, when the second air mix door 16 is in one state, the air flows without passing through the second heat exchanger 12 (bypassing the passage below it), and when the second air mix door 16 is in another state, the air flows through the second heat exchanger 12. The air is then blown into the vehicle cabin from at least one of the lower blower 7, the first upper blower 8, and the second upper blower 9.

[0075] <Air Intake Mode> The air intake mode for the temperature control blower unit 1B can be set to, for example, an inside air intake mode, an outside air intake mode, or an inside / outside air two-layer flow mode. These modes can be switched depending on the state of the door of the intake case 4 in the air intake unit 1A.

[0076] The inside air introduction mode is a mode in which the outside air intake 2 (2A, 2B) is blocked by the door of the intake case 4 and the inside air intake 3 (3A, 3B) is open, and in the temperature control blower unit 1B, inside air flows through both the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62 (air circulates inside the vehicle cabin).

[0077] The outside air introduction mode is a mode in which the inside air intake 3 is blocked by the door of the intake case 4 and the outside air intake 2 is open, and outside air flows through both the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62 in the temperature control blower unit 1B.

[0078] In the inside / outside two-layer air flow mode, the door of intake case 4A of the upper blower unit of air induction unit 1A closes inside air inlet 3A and opens outside air inlet 2A, while the door of intake case 4B of the lower blower unit closes outside air inlet 2B and opens inside air inlet 3B. In this case, outside air flows through upper passage 61 and inside air flows through lower passage 62 in temperature control blower unit 1B.

[0079] <Air Blowing State> An example of the air blowing state in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment will be described below. However, the air blowing state in the vehicle air conditioner 1 is not limited to the state described below.

[0080] The air outlet state of the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be switched between a foot-open state in which air is blown to the lower part of the vehicle interior (toward the feet of the occupants) and a foot-closed state in which air is not blown to the lower part of the vehicle interior. The foot-open state can be switched between a foot-open state in an inside / outside two-layer air flow mode as an air introduction mode and a foot-open state in a non-inside / outside two-layer air flow mode (outside air introduction mode or inside air circulation mode).

[0081] Furthermore, the rear vent can be switched between an open state in which air is blown above the rear seats (towards the faces of the passengers) and a closed state in which no air is blown above the rear seats, controlled independently of either the open or closed foot position.

[0082] Specifically, the vehicle air conditioner 1 has, for example, a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode, which can be switched depending on whether the communication door 25 is open or closed.

[0083] <<First Operating Mode: Mode in which the Foot is Open in the Dual-Layer Air Flow Mode>> Figure 5A is a side cross-sectional view of the vehicle air conditioner 1 showing the foot being open in the dual-layer air flow mode. In this state, the communication door 25 assumes the second position (a position in which the communication door 25 is rolled over in a substantially horizontal direction) to achieve the dual-layer air flow mode. In this case, for example, the defroster door 22 opens and the front vent door 21 closes. When the communication door 25 assumes the second position, the horizontal communication portion 31H is closed, blocking communication between the upper-side passage 61 and the lower-side passage 62. As a result, external air flows through the upper-side passage 61, and internal air flows through the lower-side passage 62, while remaining separate from each other.

[0084] In the upper space, outside air flowing through the upper passage 61 flows into the defroster inlet 72 as shown by the arrows and is blown out from the defroster outlet 9 into the upper front space (particularly near the windows) inside the vehicle. At this time, the upper passage 61 and the foot inlet 73 are connected, but because the connecting door 25 blocks the flow path to the rear foot passage 65 above the upper edge of the front foot outlet 7A (see Figure 2), the outside air flowing through the upper passage 61 does not flow into the foot outlet 7 (front foot outlet 7A and rear foot outlet 7B).

[0085] Meanwhile, in the lower space, the lower passage 62 and the foot inlet 73 are in communication. The rear foot door 26 is open at this time. Therefore, the inside air flowing through the lower passage 62 flows into the foot inlet 73 as shown by the arrows, and a portion of the air is blown into the passenger compartment from the front foot outlet 7A. The remaining portion of the inside air passes through the rear foot passage 65 and is blown into the passenger compartment from the rear foot outlet 7B.

[0086] The "foot open state in the indoor / outdoor two-layer air flow mode" is, for example, the operating state during heating in winter. That is, with the horizontal communication portion 31H closed by the communication door 25, the upper passage 61 communicates with, for example, the defroster outlet 9, allowing outdoor air to be blown out from the defroster outlet 9, and the lower passage 62 communicates with the foot outlet 7, allowing heated indoor air to be blown out from the foot outlet 7.

[0087] Because windows tend to fog up during heating operation in winter, the vehicle is operated in the dual-layer flow mode, whereby outside air flows through the upper passage 61 and is blown onto the windows from the defroster outlet 9. Meanwhile, heated inside air is circulated within the vehicle cabin. The dual-layer flow mode allows the connecting door 25 to be in the second position. However, since the lower passage 62 and the foot inlet 73 are connected, heated inside air can be blown to the front seats (driver's seat and passenger seat) from the front foot outlet 7A located downstream of the foot inlet 73. Furthermore, if there are passengers in the rear seats, the rear foot door 26 is opened. This allows inside air to branch from the foot inlet 73 and flow to the rear foot outlet 7B. In this embodiment, the same air can be branched from the foot inlet 73 and sent to both the front foot outlet 7A and the rear foot outlet 7B, so that heated inside air can be blown to the rear seats with the same condition as the air blown to the front seats.

[0088] Although FIG. 5 shows an example in which the defroster door 22 is open and the front vent door 21 is closed, the defroster door 22 may be closed and the front vent door 21 may be open.

[0089] <<Second Operating Mode: Mode in which the Foot is Closed in the Non-Internal / External Two-Layer Flow Mode>> FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the vehicle air conditioner 1 showing the foot being closed in the non-internal / external two-laminar flow mode (e.g., the internal air circulation mode). In this state, internal air flows through both the upper-side passage 61 and the lower-side passage 62. The communication door 25 is in the first position (a position in which it stands upright in a substantially vertical direction). For example, the defroster door 22 is closed, and the front vent door 21 is open. This operating mode is also referred to as the vent mode. With the communication door 25 in the first position, the vertical communication portion 31V is closed, blocking communication between the upper-side passage 61 and the foot inlet 73 and between the lower-side passage 62 and the foot inlet 73. As a result, internal air is not blown into the vehicle from the foot outlet 7. On the other hand, since the upper-side passage 61 and the lower-side passage 62 are connected to each other, the inside air flowing through the upper-side passage 61 and the inside air flowing through the lower-side passage 62 both head upward in the case 6, flow into the front vent inlet 71, and are blown out from the front vent outlet 8A into the interior of the vehicle (the upper front space).

[0090] In the lower space, the lower passage 62 is blocked from the foot inlet 73. Therefore, the inside air flowing through the lower passage 62 flows upward in the case 6 from a part of the horizontal communicating portion 31H upstream of the communicating door 25, flows into the front vent inlet 71, and is blown out into the vehicle interior (the upper front space) from the front vent outlet 8A.

[0091] In the case of the foot closed state in the outside air introduction mode, the operation is the same as above except that the defroster door 22 opens and the front vent door 21 closes.

[0092] <<Third Operating Mode: Mode in which the Foot is Open in the Non-Internal / External Two-Layer Flow Mode>> FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the vehicle air conditioner 1 showing the foot open state in the non-internal / external two-layer flow mode (e.g., the internal air circulation mode). In this state, internal air flows through both the upper-side passage 61 and the lower-side passage 62. The communication door 25 is also in a third position (a position inclined relative to the first and second positions). This results in neither the vertical communication portion 31V nor the horizontal communication portion 31H being completely closed. In other words, a first communication passage F1 is formed above the communication door 25, connecting the upper-side passage 61 to the foot inlet 73. At the same time, a second communication passage F2 is formed below the communication door 25, connecting the lower-side passage 62 to the foot inlet 73. For example, the defroster door 22 and the front vent door 21 are both closed. This operating mode is also referred to as the foot mode.

[0093] When the communication door 25 is in the third position, the inside air that has circulated through the upper-side passage 61 flows into the foot inlet portion 73 via the first communication passage F1. Also, the inside air that has circulated through the lower-side passage 62 flows into the foot inlet portion 73 via the second communication passage F2. In addition, because the upper-side passage 61 and the lower-side passage 62 are in communication (not blocked), some of the inside air that has circulated through the upper-side passage 61 also flows into the foot inlet portion 73 via the second communication passage F2.

[0094] A portion of the inside air that flows into the foot inlet 73 is blown out into the vehicle compartment from the front foot outlet 7A. If there is an occupant in the rear seat at this time, the rear foot door 26 also opens. As a result, a portion of the inside air that flows into the foot inlet 73 is blown out into the vehicle compartment from the rear foot outlet 7B via the rear foot passage 65. In this embodiment, when the rear foot door 26 is opened, the communication door 25 is always open.

[0095] In addition, Figures 5 to 7 all illustrate cases where the air flowing through the upper layer side passage 61 and the lower layer side passage 62 passes through the second heat exchange section 12, but as mentioned above, depending on the state of the first air mix door 15 and the second air mix door 16, the air may not pass through the second heat exchange section 12.

[0096] <<Rear Vent Open State>> In the rear vent open state, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5 , the curved surface 272 of the rear vent door 27 is rotated to its uppermost position, opening the rear vent outlet 32. The rear vent door 27 is shown by the dashed line in FIGS. 5 to 7 because it is part of the second region 60B. In this state, the rear vent outlet 32 ​​is in communication with the rear vent passage 66. Because the rear vent door 27 is driven independently of the communication door 25 and the rear foot door 26, air from the lower passage 62 (e.g., inside air) can be blown out from the rear vent outlet 8B regardless of the state of the foot outlet 7 (e.g., even when the foot outlet 7 is closed). Furthermore, even when the foot outlet 7 is open, air at a temperature different from the temperature blown out from the foot outlet 7 can be blown out from the rear vent outlet 8B.

[0097] For example, air can be blown from the rear vent outlet 8B in the "foot-open state in the inside / outside dual-phase air flow mode." The "foot-open state in the inside / outside dual-phase air flow mode" is an operating state primarily used for heating in winter, and by opening the rear vent accordingly, heated inside air is sent from the rear vent outlet 8B into the vehicle cabin. In the rear seats, de-fogging the windows (by blowing outside air circulating through the upper-layer passage 61) is a low priority. Therefore, by opening the rear vent outlet opening 32 and blowing air circulating through the lower-layer passage 62 (in this case, heated inside air) to the rear seats from the rear vent outlet 8B, the heating efficiency of the rear seats can be improved.

[0098] Furthermore, because the air from the rear vent outlet 8B is blown near the faces of rear seat passengers, even in winter, it may be uncomfortable for the passengers if the air is blown at the same temperature as that from the foot outlet 7. Even in such a case, according to this embodiment, the paths to the foot outlet 7 and the rear vent outlet 8B are separate, even though the inside air flows through the same lower passage 62. Since the air flowing into the rear vent outlet opening 32 is a mixture of the air from the left region 1BL and the right region 1BR, it is possible to lower the temperature of the inside air blown from the rear vent outlet 8B below that of the inside air blown from the foot outlet 7 by, for example, adjusting the state of the second air mix door 16 in the left region 1BL and the right region 1BR.

[0099] Furthermore, for example, when air is blown out from the rear vent blowing section 8B, it is possible to stop the air from being blown out from the foot blowing section 7, thereby enabling flexible temperature adjustment in the rear seats.

[0100] The rear vent door 27 can be controlled independently of the connecting door 25 and the rear foot door 26. Therefore, for example, in the "foot-closed state in the non-two-layer airflow mode," air can be blown from the front vent outlet 8A and the rear vent outlet 8B. For example, during cooling in the summer, the two-layer airflow mode is not normally set (e.g., in the case of automatic control of the vehicle air conditioner 1). In such a case, cooled inside air circulating in the lower passage 62 can be blown out from the rear vent outlet 8B to cool the rear seats.

[0101] 6 , the rear vent closed state is a state in which the rear vent door 27 rotates to cause the curved surface 272 of the rear vent door 27 to enter into and close the rear vent outlet 32. Because the rear vent door 27 is driven independently of the communication door 25 and the rear foot door 26, air in the lower passage 62 (e.g., inside air) is not blown out from the rear vent outlet 8B regardless of the state of the foot outlet 7 (e.g., even if the foot outlet 7 is open).

[0102] As described above, the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment includes the partition wall 6A that separates the first air passage (upper passage) 61 and the second air passage (lower passage) 62 within the case 6, the foot outlets 7 (front foot outlets 7A and rear foot outlets 7B) that blow air into a lower space in the vehicle interior, the foot inlet 73 downstream of the first air passage 61 and the second air passage 62 into which air heading toward the foot outlets 7 flows, the vertical communication portion 31V (communication portion 31) that connects the first air passage 61 and the second air passage 62 with the foot inlet 73, and the communication door 25 that can open and close the vertical communication portion 31V. Depending on the open / close state of the communication door 25, a first communication passage F1 that connects the first air passage 61 with the foot inlet 73 and a second communication passage F2 that connects the second air passage 62 with the foot inlet 73 can be formed.

[0103] This ensures a sufficient communication passage to the foot inlet 73. In particular, since the first communication passage 61 and the second passage 62 can be formed simultaneously, a sufficient opening area to the foot inlet 73 can be ensured when the foot is in the open state, thereby reducing pressure loss.

[0104] Specifically, the communication door 25 can rotate to a first position in which it closes the vertical communication section 31V, a second position in which it closes the horizontal communication section 31H, and a third position between these.In the third position, a first communication passage F1 above the communication door 25 and a second communication passage F2 below the communication door can be simultaneously formed.

[0105] As a result, for example, in a non-internal / external air two-layer flow mode (e.g., internal air circulation mode) with the foot open, air flowing through the upper passage 61 can be blown out from the foot outlet 7 via the first communication passage F1, air flowing through the lower passage 62 can be blown out from the foot outlet 7 via the second communication passage F2, and a portion of the air flowing through the upper passage 61 can be blown out from the foot outlet 7 via the second communication passage F2. Because the upper passage 61 and the lower passage 62 are in communication (not blocked), a portion of the internal air that has circulated through the upper passage 61 can flow into the foot inlet 73 via the second communication passage F2. In other words, a sufficient opening area to the foot inlet 73 can be secured in the foot open state, reducing pressure loss.

[0106] In addition, the communicating door 25 is plate-shaped and has a rotating shaft 25A inserted into a part other than the end (the central part), and the rotating shaft 25A is positioned near the center of the communicating portion 31 (the center of each of the vertical communicating portion 31V and the horizontal communicating portion 31H).This prevents the case 6 from becoming larger while ensuring a large rotation range for the communicating door 25.

[0107] The front foot blowing section 7A and the rear foot blowing section 7B are arranged so that the front foot blowing section 7A branches off from the foot inflow section 73 and the rear foot blowing section 7B also branches off from the foot inflow section 73.

[0108] Specifically, the front foot outlet 7A is provided on the side of the case 6, and the rear foot outlet 7B is provided at the bottom of the case 6, with both branching off from the foot inlet 73. This allows the case 6 of the vehicle air conditioner 1 to be made smaller than, for example, a configuration in which the front foot outlet is provided at the top of the case and a passage is routed from there to the bottom of the case to provide the rear foot outlet.

[0109] Furthermore, since the rear foot outlet 7B and the front foot outlet 7A are configured to branch off from the foot inlet 73 (because air flows from both of them into the foot inlet 73), when the inside / outside two-layer air flow mode is set, for example, air that has flowed through the lower passage 62 (heated inside air of the same temperature range) can be blown out into the front and rear spaces within the vehicle cabin, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the front and rear spaces.

[0110] The communication section 31 also has a horizontal communication section 31H (communication section 31) that connects the first passage 61 and the second passage 62, and the communication door 25 is also capable of opening and closing the horizontal communication section 31H. In this embodiment, a front vent outlet 8A and a defroster outlet 9 that blow air into an upper space in the vehicle cabin are provided above the first passage 61, and when the horizontal communication section 31H is closed depending on whether the communication door 25 is open or closed, the first passage 61 can communicate with the front vent outlet 8A and / or the defroster outlet 9, and the second passage 62 can communicate with the foot outlet 7.

[0111] That is, the communication door 25 can function as both an inside / outside air two-layer flow door and a foot door, so that the case 6 of the vehicle air conditioner 1 can be prevented from becoming large.

[0112] As a result, even if the capacity of the space on the leeward side of the second heat exchange section (heater) 12 is reduced, the air conditioning capacity required when the foot is open can be fully met, which contributes to the miniaturization of the vehicle air conditioning system 1.

[0113] Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioning device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a partition wall 6A that separates a first air passage (upper passage) 61 and a second air passage (lower passage) 62 within the case 6, a rear vent outlet 8B that blows air into the rear upper space within the vehicle cabin, a front vent outlet 8A that blows air into the front upper space within the vehicle cabin, and a foot outlet 7 that blows air into the lower space within the vehicle cabin, with the front vent outlet 8A being provided on the side where the upper passage 61 is separated, the foot outlet 7 being provided on the side where the second passage 62 is separated, and a rear vent outlet opening 32 that connects to the rear vent outlet 8B being provided within the space where the second passage 62 is separated.

[0114] With this configuration, air from the lower passage 62 can be taken directly into the rear vent outlet opening 32. As a result, for example, when the inside / outside two-layer air flow mode is set during heating in winter, heated inside air can be blown out from the rear vent outlet 8B, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the rear seats.

[0115] Furthermore, a rear vent outlet opening 32 for blowing air into the rear upper space is provided in the space where the lower-side passage 62 is formed, and air is blown from the lower-side passage 62 directly to the rear vent outlet 8B provided at the bottom of the case 6. This makes it possible to make the case more compact than, for example, a configuration in which a duct (passage) is routed from a front vent outlet provided at the top of the case to the bottom of the case to blow air to the rear vent.

[0116] In addition, since the rear vent outlet opening 32 is positioned opposite the second heat exchange section 12 (heater, interior condenser, heater core, etc.) in the vehicle air conditioning system 1, the flow of heated air into the rear vent outlet opening 32 is promoted, especially during heating.

[0117] Furthermore, the rear vent outlet 32 ​​and the foot inlet 73 are arranged above and below in the height direction H while separating the air flows from each other, and are arranged so as to partially overlap along the flow width direction (width direction W) of the second passage 62. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the area within the case 6 and to avoid increasing the size of the case 6.

[0118] Furthermore, the rear vent outlet 32 ​​and the rear foot outlet 33 connected to the rear foot outlet 7B are arranged side by side in the flow width direction (width direction W) of the second passage 62 while separating the air flows from each other. This allows the rear vent outlet 8B to blow air regardless of (without being affected by) the state of air blowing to the foot outlet 7. For example, even when the foot outlet 7 is not blowing, air can still be blown from the rear vent outlet 8B, improving the air-conditioning environment in the rear space. Furthermore, the area within the case 6 is effectively utilized, preventing the case 6 from becoming larger.

[0119] Furthermore, the case can be made smaller than in a configuration in which a duct or the like is routed from an upper front vent outlet to a lower rear vent outlet.

[0120] Furthermore, the rotation shaft 27A of the rear vent door 27, which opens and closes the rear vent outlet 32, and the rotation shaft 26A of the rear foot door 26, which opens and closes the rear foot outlet 33, are offset not only in the width direction W but also in the length direction L and height direction W. That is, the rear vent door 27 and the rear foot door 26 are provided separately and arranged side by side in the width direction W of the case 6, with the rotation shaft 27A of the rear vent door 27 and the rotation shaft 26A of the rear foot door 26 offset (so as not to overlap). This minimizes the driving range of each door and reduces the required space. This also contributes to a more compact case 6 of the vehicle air conditioner 1.

[0121] Furthermore, the rear vent door 27 and the rear foot door 26 can be opened and closed independently, which increases the degree of freedom in controlling the air conditioning.

[0122] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purposes, configurations, etc.

[0123] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER 1A AIR INTAKE UNIT 1B TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED AIR SUPPLY UNIT 1BL LEFT SIDES REGION 1BR RIGHT SIDES REGION 6 CASE 6A PARTITION 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E CASE MEMBER 7 LOWER AIR OUTPUT PORTION (FOOT OUTPUT PORTION) 7A FRONT LOWER AIR OUTPUT PORTION (FRONT FOOT OUTPUT PORTION) 7B REAR LOWER AIR OUTPUT PORTION (REAR FOOT OUTPUT PORTION) 8A FRONT VENT OUTPUT PORTION 8B REAR VENT OUTPUT PORTION 9 DEFROSTER OUTPUT PORTION 10 FILTER 13, 13A, 13B AIR INTAKE PORTION 25 COMMUNICATION DOOR (FOOT DOOR) 26 REAR FOOT DOOR 27 REAR VENT DOOR 31 COMMUNICATION PORTION 31H HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION PORTION 31V VERTICAL COMMUNICATION PORTION 32 REAR VENT OUTPUT OPENING PORTION 61 UPPER CHANNEL PASSAGE (FIRST PASSAGE) 62 Lower passage (second passage) 73 Foot inlet

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning system comprising: a partition dividing a first air passage and a second air passage within a case; and a blowing section which blows air into a lower space within the passenger compartment, the vehicle air conditioning system further comprising: an inlet section downstream of the first and second air passages into which air flows toward the blowing section; a communication section which connects the first and second air passages with the inlet section; and a communication door which can open and close the communication section, wherein, depending on whether the communication door is open or closed, a first communication passage which connects the first air passage with the inlet section and a second communication passage which connects the second air passage with the inlet section can be formed.

2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication passage and the second communication passage can be formed simultaneously.

3. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication door is a plate-shaped door that can open and close the communication portion by rotating about a rotation shaft, and the rotation shaft is positioned near the center of the communication portion.

4. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the blowing section includes a front blowing section that branches off from the inlet section and blows air into a front space in the vehicle cabin, and a rear blowing section that branches off from the inlet section and guides air into a rear space in the vehicle cabin.

5. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising another communication part that connects the first passage and the second passage, and the communication door is capable of opening and closing the other communication part.

6. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 5, characterized in that: the first passage is on the upper side within the case; the second passage is on the lower side within the case; there is another blowing portion above the first passage which blows air into an upper space within the passenger compartment; and the first operating mode, the second operating mode and the third operating mode can be switched depending on whether the communication door is opened or closed; the first operating mode is a mode in which the first passage is connected to the other blowing portion and the second passage is connected to the blowing portion with the other connecting portion closed; the second operating mode is a mode in which the first passage and the second passage are connected to the other blowing portion with the other connecting portion open; and the third operating mode is a mode in which the first passage and the second passage are connected to the blowing portion with the other connecting portion open.

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