Vehicle-mounted air-conditioning unit, and vehicle air conditioner

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted air-conditioning unit, comprising an air inlet box (10), a blower (20), and a distribution box (30), wherein an indoor heater (40) and an indoor cooler (50) are provided between the blower (20) and the distribution box (30); the indoor heater (40) and the indoor cooler (50) are arranged at a preset angle; the distribution box (30) comprises an air mixing cavity, and an air outlet of the indoor heater (40) and an air outlet of the indoor cooler (50) are communicated with the air mixing cavity; the air inlet side of the indoor heater (40) and the air inlet side of the indoor cooler (50) are provided with a plurality of partition members and a first damper (71); when the first damper (71) is located at a first position, an air inlet of the indoor heater (40) is isolated from an air outlet of the blower (20); when the first damper (71) is located at a second position, the air inlet of the indoor heater (40) and an air inlet of the indoor cooler (50) are communicated with the air outlet of the blower (20); when the first damper (71) is located at a third position, the air inlet of the indoor heater (40) is isolated from the air outlet of the blower (20). In the vehicle-mounted air-conditioning unit, the energy consumption of the air-conditioning unit can be reduced. Further provided is a vehicle air conditioner.

Description

Vehicle air conditioning unit and car air conditioner Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive air conditioning technology, specifically to a vehicle air conditioning unit and an automotive air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle's air conditioning unit is the core component of the automotive air conditioning system, responsible for regulating the temperature, humidity, and air quality inside the vehicle. When the vehicle's air conditioning system operates in temperature adjustment or other modes, it needs to control the ratio of airflow through the cold and hot sources to achieve the desired temperature. Finally, the mixed cold and hot air is delivered to the passenger compartment through different air outlets. The cold source in the vehicle's air conditioning unit typically uses an evaporator (cooled by refrigerant) or a water cooler (cooled by water), while the heat source typically uses a heater core (heated by coolant) or a built-in condenser (heated by refrigerant).

[0003] Currently, the cold and heat sources in the air conditioning unit are arranged in series, meaning the required hot air must first be cooled by the cold source before entering the heat source. Some heat is lost when the hot air passes through the cold source, thus requiring a higher heat source and increasing energy consumption. When cold air flows through the heat source, it is obstructed, increasing the ventilation resistance of the cold source. The fact that hot air passes through the cold source before entering the heat source also increases the ventilation resistance of the hot air. This increased ventilation resistance leads to higher energy consumption for both the cold and heat sources and affects the airflow efficiency of the air conditioning unit. Increased energy consumption in the air conditioning unit reduces the driving range of new energy vehicles. Furthermore, the series arrangement of the heat and cold sources increases the lateral space required for the air conditioning unit, hindering its miniaturization. Therefore, improvements to the vehicle air conditioning unit are necessary to address these issues.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems in the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a vehicle air conditioning unit and an automotive air conditioner. The vehicle air conditioning unit has a compact structure, occupies little space, has low energy consumption, and high air output efficiency.

[0006] This application provides a vehicle air conditioning unit, including an air intake box, a blower, and a distribution box connected in sequence. An indoor heater and an indoor cooler are disposed between the blower and the distribution box, and the indoor heater and the indoor cooler are arranged at a preset angle. The distribution box includes a mixing chamber, and the air outlets of the indoor heater and the indoor cooler communicate with the mixing chamber. Multiple partitions and a first damper are provided on the air intake side of the indoor heater and the air intake side of the indoor cooler. The partitions include a first partition, a second partition, a third partition, and a fourth partition.

[0007] When the first damper is in the first position, both ends of the first damper are connected to the first partition and the second partition respectively, and the air inlet of the indoor heater is separated from the air outlet of the blower.

[0008] When the first damper is in the second position, the first damper is not connected to the first partition, the second partition, the third partition, or the fourth partition, and the air inlet of the indoor heater and the air inlet of the indoor cooler are connected to the air outlet of the blower.

[0009] When the first damper is in the third position, both ends of the first damper are connected to the third partition and the fourth partition respectively, and the air inlet of the indoor heater is separated from the air outlet of the blower.

[0010] In some embodiments, the air outlet side of the indoor cooler is provided with at least one second damper, and the air outlet volume of the indoor cooler is controlled by the second damper.

[0011] In some embodiments, the air inlet box is provided with a circulating air inlet and a third damper for controlling the opening of the circulating air inlet.

[0012] In some embodiments, the distribution box is provided with at least one air outlet and a fourth damper for controlling the opening of the air outlet.

[0013] In some embodiments, the indoor heater is disposed at the bottom of the air inlet side of the indoor cooler.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first damper is in a first position, at least one second damper is in a first position, the third damper is in a first or second position, and at least one fourth damper is in a first position. When the indoor cooler is running, the air conditioning unit performs the first function.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first damper is in a second position, the second damper is in a second position, the third damper is in a first position or a second position, and at least one of the fourth dampers is in a first position, and the air conditioning unit performs a second function when the indoor heater is running.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first damper is in a first position, at least one second damper is in a second position, the third damper is in a first or second position, and at least one fourth damper is in a first position. When the indoor heater and the indoor cooler are running, the air conditioning unit performs a third function.

[0017] In some embodiments, when the first damper is in the third position, the second damper is in the second position, the third damper is in the first or second position, and at least one of the fourth dampers is in the first position, and the indoor heater and the indoor cooler are connected, the air conditioning unit performs the fourth function.

[0018] This application also provides an automotive air conditioner, including the vehicle air conditioning unit as described in any of the preceding embodiments.

[0019] The vehicle air conditioning unit and automotive air conditioner provided in this application have the following advantages:

[0020] By adjusting the specific position of the first air damper, the indoor heater and the indoor cooler can be connected in series or in parallel, thereby reducing the air resistance of hot and cold air and reducing energy consumption in demand mode. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle air conditioning unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a vehicle air conditioning unit in the cooling working mode according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a vehicle air conditioning unit in heating mode according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a vehicle air conditioning unit in temperature control mode according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a vehicle air conditioning unit in heating and maximum dehumidification modes according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle air conditioning unit according to another embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure reference numerals: 10 Air inlet box; 61 First partition; 20 Blower; 62 Second partition; 30 Distribution box; 63 Third partition; 31 First air outlet; 64 Fourth partition; 32 Second air outlet; 71 First damper; 33 Third air outlet; 72 Second damper; 34 Fourth air outlet; 73 Third damper; 40 Indoor heater; 74 Fourth damper; 50 Indoor cooler; 80 Filter element; 90 Drainage structure. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0030] In this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate different embodiments or examples represented in this application, as well as features of different embodiments or examples.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the representation of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] It should be further understood that the terms "comprising" or "including" indicate the presence of a feature, step, operation, element, component, item, kind, and / or group, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms "or" and "and / or" as used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Therefore, "A, B, or C" or "A, B, and / or C" means "any one of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C." Exceptions to this definition only arise when a combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0033] To address the problems in the prior art, this application provides a vehicle air conditioning unit. Figure 1 shows the structure of a vehicle air conditioning unit provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle air conditioning unit includes an air inlet box 10, a blower 20, and a distribution box 30 connected in sequence. Specifically, an indoor heater 40 and an indoor cooler 50 are provided between the blower 20 and the distribution box 30, and the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are set at a preset angle. The distribution box 30 includes a mixing chamber, and the air outlet of the indoor heater 40 is connected to the mixing chamber. Multiple partitions and a first air damper 71 are provided on the air inlet side of the indoor heater 40 and the air inlet side of the indoor cooler 50. The partitions include a first partition 61, a second partition 62, a third partition 63, and a fourth partition 64.

[0034] When the first damper 71 is in the first position, its two ends are connected to the first separator 61 and the second separator 62 respectively, separating the air inlet of the indoor heater 40 from the air outlet of the blower 20. It should be noted that since the dampers are used to adjust the airflow at each air inlet and outlet, they can be adjusted to multiple positions to meet different airflow requirements. Therefore, the dampers represented by the dashed lines in Figure 1 are the adjustable positions of the dampers represented by the solid lines, not actual dampers that still exist.

[0035] When the first damper 71 is in the second position, it is not connected to the first partition 61, the second partition 62, the third partition 63, or the fourth partition 64. The air inlet of the indoor heater 40 and the air inlet of the indoor cooler 50 are connected to the air outlet of the blower 20. It should be noted that the second position of the first damper 71 refers to all positions where the first damper is not in contact with any of the partitions; therefore, it is not limited to the position shown in the diagram. In actual use, the second position of the first damper 71 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0036] When the first damper 71 is in the third position, both ends of the first damper 71 are connected to the third partition 63 and the fourth partition 64 respectively, and the air inlet of the indoor heater 40 is separated from the air outlet of the blower 20.

[0037] By adjusting the specific position of the first damper 71, the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 can be connected in series or in parallel, thereby reducing the air resistance of hot and cold air and reducing energy consumption in demand mode.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the indoor cooler 50 has at least one second damper 72 on its air outlet side, which controls the airflow at the outlet of the indoor cooler 50. It should be noted that the damper's position is adjusted by a damper drive mechanism, which can be, for example, a gear or linkage mechanism. Depending on actual needs, one damper drive mechanism can synchronously drive multiple dampers, saving on the number of motors required.

[0039] Further, as shown in Figure 1, the air intake box 10 is provided with a recirculating air inlet and a third damper 73 for controlling the opening of the recirculating air inlet. In this embodiment, the air intake box 10 has two recirculating air inlets, through which external fresh air can be introduced into the air intake box 10, and through the other recirculating air inlet, in-vehicle recirculating air can be introduced into the air intake box 10. The third damper 73 in a first position indicates that one of the recirculating air inlets for introducing in-vehicle recirculating air or external fresh air is open, and in a second position, the third damper 73 indicates that the other recirculating air inlet for introducing in-vehicle recirculating air or external fresh air is open.

[0040] Further, as shown in Figure 1, the distribution box 30 is provided with at least one air outlet and a fourth damper 74 for controlling the opening of the air outlet. In this embodiment, the distribution box 30 has four air outlets, namely a first air outlet 31, a second air outlet 32, a third air outlet 33, and a fourth air outlet 34. Each air outlet has a fourth damper 74 for adjusting the airflow on the side closest to the indoor cooler 50. Each air outlet is used for defrosting, blowing on the face, blowing on the front feet, and blowing on the back feet, for example. The number of air outlets in the distribution box 30 is not limited to the four shown above, and the specific number can be set according to actual needs.

[0041] Further, referring to Figure 1, the aforementioned vehicle air conditioning unit also includes a filter 80, which is disposed between the air outlet side of the blower 20 and the air inlet side of the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50. The filter 80 filters the airflow entering the distribution box 30 or the air inlet box 10, making the airflow blowing into the passenger compartment cleaner. As shown in Figure 6, in another embodiment, the filter 80 can also be disposed between the air outlet side of the air inlet box 10 and the air inlet side of the blower 20, allowing the air to be filtered before the recirculated air enters the blower 20.

[0042] Furthermore, the blower 20 in this embodiment can be a dual-flow blower, which can reduce energy consumption. However, it is not limited to this and can also be other existing types of blowers.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the indoor heater 40 is located at the bottom of the air inlet side of the indoor cooler 50, and the bottom of the indoor cooler 50 is provided with a drainage structure 90 for draining condensate. In the prior art, the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler are connected in series, which increases the axial (lateral) space occupied by the air conditioning unit, resulting in an excessively large air conditioning unit. Furthermore, in the prior art, when the drainage structure 90 is located at the bottom of the indoor cooler 50, the surrounding temperature of the drainage structure 90 is low, and condensation easily forms around the drainage structure 90. This condensation may cause corrosion and short circuits of surrounding components. Therefore, in the prior art, it is difficult to arrange other components around the bottom of the indoor cooler 50. In this embodiment, by placing the indoor heater 40 at the bottom of the indoor cooler 50, the space at the bottom of the indoor cooler 50 can be utilized, thereby making the air conditioning unit structure compact and space-saving, which is beneficial for miniaturizing the air conditioning unit. It should be noted that the indoor heater 40 is located at the bottom of the indoor cooler 50, and the ventilation duct of the indoor heater 40 can form a heat insulation layer at the bottom of the drainage structure 90 to prevent condensation.

[0044] Further, as shown in Figure 2, when the first damper 71 is in the first position, at least one second damper 72 is in the first position, the third damper 73 is in the first position, and at least one fourth damper 74 is in the first position, the indoor cooler 50 operates, and the air conditioning unit performs the first function. Here, the first function is the cooling function, and the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are connected in parallel. It should be noted that the second damper 72 being in the first position means that the second damper 72 is open, allowing the cold air that has been heated by the indoor cooler 50 to be discharged; the third damper 73 being in the first position means that the first air inlet of the air inlet box 10 is open, and the fourth damper 74 being in the first position means that the air outlet of the air distribution box 30 is open.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, since the first air damper 71 is in the first position with its two ends connected to the first partition 61 and the second partition 62 respectively, the circulating air entering through the air inlet of the air inlet box 10, after being rectified and diffused by the blower 20, will only enter the inlet of the indoor air conditioner 50. When the indoor air conditioner 50 is running, the circulating air, after heat exchange, enters the mixing chamber through the second air damper 72, and is further blown into the passenger compartment through the second air outlet 32 ​​and the fourth air outlet 34. When the vehicle air conditioning unit is performing the cooling function, the indoor heater 40 and the indoor air conditioner 50 are in parallel mode. The circulating air entering the air conditioning unit only flows through the indoor air conditioner 50 for heat exchange and does not flow through the indoor heater 40. Therefore, it is not blocked by the indoor heater 40, so the wind resistance of the cold air is small, and the energy consumption of the indoor air conditioner 50 is saved.

[0046] Further, as shown in Figure 3, when the first damper 71 is in the second position, the second damper 72 is in the second position, the third damper 73 is in the second position, and at least one fourth damper 74 is in the first position, the indoor heater 40 operates, and the air conditioning unit performs the second function. Here, the second function is the heating function, and the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are connected in parallel. It should be noted that the second damper 72 being in the second position indicates that the second damper 72 is closed, preventing the cold air that has been heated by the indoor cooler 50 from being discharged; the third damper 73 being in the second position indicates that the second air inlet of the air inlet box 10 is open.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when the first damper 71 is in the second position, it is not connected to the first partition 61, the second partition 62, the third partition 63, and the fourth partition 64. Therefore, the circulating air entering through the air inlet of the air inlet box 10, after being rectified and diffused by the blower 20, enters the inlet of the indoor heater 40. After heat exchange, it enters the mixing chamber and is then blown into the passenger compartment through the first air outlet 31 and the third air outlet 33. When the vehicle air conditioning unit is performing the heating function, the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are in parallel mode. The circulating air only flows through the indoor heater 40 for heat exchange and does not flow through the indoor cooler 50. It is not blocked by the indoor cooler 50, so the resistance of the hot air is small, and the energy consumption of the indoor heater is saved.

[0048] Further, as shown in Figure 4, when the first damper 71 is in the second position, at least one second damper 72 is in the first position, and the third damper 73 is in the first position, the air conditioning unit performs a third function when the indoor cooler 50 and the indoor heater 40 are running. This third function is a temperature control mode, and the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are in parallel operation. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the first damper 71 is not connected to any of the partitions. Therefore, the circulating air entering the air inlet of the air inlet box 10 is rectified and diffused by the blower 20. A portion of the circulating air enters the indoor heater 40 for heat exchange, and the hot air after heat exchange then enters the mixing chamber; the other portion of the circulating air enters the indoor cooler 50 for heat exchange, and the cold air after heat exchange then enters the mixing chamber. After the cold and hot air are mixed, they are discharged through the second air outlet 32, the third air outlet 33, and the fourth air outlet 34 and blown into the cockpit, meeting different usage needs and improving the comfort of the driver and passengers. It should be noted that the mixing ratio of cold air and hot air depends on the air volume entering the indoor heater 40 controlled by the first damper 71 and the air volume of cold air discharged controlled by the second damper 72.

[0049] Further, as shown in Figure 5, when the first damper 71 is in the third position, the second damper 72 is in the second position, the third damper 73 is in the second position, and at least part of the fourth damper 74 is in the first position, and the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are connected, the air conditioning unit performs the fourth function. Here, the fourth function is heating and maximum dehumidification mode, and the indoor heater 40 and the indoor cooler 50 are in series. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the two ends of the first damper 71 are connected to the two ends of the third separator 63 and the fourth separator 64, respectively. At this time, the air inlet of the indoor heater 40 is separated from the air outlet of the blower 20. The circulating air, after being rectified and diffused by the blower 20, will only first enter the indoor cooler 50 for heat exchange. The cooled air after heat exchange will then further exchange heat through the indoor heater 40. The heated air after heat exchange enters the mixing chamber and is blown into the passenger compartment through the first air outlet 31 and the third air outlet 33. The recirculated air first exchanges heat with the indoor cooling unit 50, where water vapor in the air condenses into water, which is collected and discharged for dehumidification. Then, it exchanges heat again to form hot air. Therefore, the hot air blown into the passenger compartment has low humidity, improving passenger comfort and preventing excessive humidity inside the vehicle, which can cause the windows to fog up.

[0050] This embodiment also provides an automotive air conditioner, including an air duct and the aforementioned vehicle-mounted air conditioning unit. The outlet of the distribution box of the vehicle-mounted air conditioning unit is connected to the air duct, which is used to deliver airflow to the passenger compartment. The automotive air conditioner achieves all the technical effects of the aforementioned vehicle-mounted air conditioner, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0051] In summary, the vehicle air conditioning unit and automotive air conditioner provided in this application have the following advantages:

[0052] By adjusting the specific position of the first air damper, the indoor heater and the indoor cooler can be connected in series or in parallel, thereby reducing the air resistance of hot and cold air and reducing energy consumption in demand mode.

[0053] By placing the indoor heater at the bottom of the indoor cooler, the space at the bottom of the indoor cooler can be utilized, thus making the air conditioning unit compact and taking up little space, which is conducive to miniaturizing the air conditioning unit.

[0054] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of this application and should not be construed as limiting the specific implementation of this application to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of this application, and all such modifications or substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning case comprising, in order, an air inlet case, a blower, and a distribution case, characterized by, An indoor heater and an indoor cooler are provided between the blower and the distribution box. The indoor heater and the indoor cooler are set at a preset angle. The distribution box includes a mixing chamber, and the air outlets of the indoor heater and the indoor cooler are connected to the mixing chamber. Multiple partitions and a first damper are provided on the air inlet side of the indoor heater and the air inlet side of the indoor cooler. The partitions include a first partition, a second partition, a third partition, and a fourth partition. When the first damper is in the first position, both ends of the first damper are connected to the first partition and the second partition respectively, and the air inlet of the indoor heater is separated from the air outlet of the blower. When the first damper is in the second position, the first damper is not connected to the first partition, the second partition, the third partition, or the fourth partition, and the air inlet of the indoor heater and the air inlet of the indoor cooler are connected to the air outlet of the blower. When the first damper is in the third position, both ends of the first damper are connected to the third partition and the fourth partition respectively, and the air inlet of the indoor heater is separated from the air outlet of the blower.

2. The vehicle air conditioning package of claim 1, wherein, The indoor air cooler is provided with at least one second damper on the air outlet side, and the air volume of the indoor air cooler is controlled by the second damper.

3. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 2, wherein The air inlet box is equipped with a circulating air inlet and a third damper for controlling the opening of the circulating air inlet.

4. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 3, wherein The distribution box is provided with at least one air outlet and a fourth damper for controlling the opening of the air outlet.

5. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 1, wherein The indoor heater is located at the bottom of the air inlet side of the indoor cooler.

6. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 4, wherein The first damper is in a first position, at least one second damper is in a first position, the third damper is in a first or second position, and at least one fourth damper is in a first position. When the indoor cooler is running, the air conditioning unit performs the first function.

7. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 4, wherein The first damper is in the second position, the second damper is in the second position, the third damper is in the first or second position, and at least one of the fourth dampers is in the first position. When the indoor heater is running, the air conditioning unit performs the second function.

8. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 4, wherein, The first damper is in the second position, at least one second damper is in the first position, the third damper is in the first or second position, and at least one fourth damper is in the first position. When the indoor heater and the indoor cooler are running, the air conditioning unit performs a third function.

9. The vehicle air conditioning unit of claim 4, wherein, When the first damper is in the third position, the second damper is in the second position, the third damper is in the first or second position, and at least one of the fourth dampers is in the first position, the indoor heater and the indoor cooler are connected, the air conditioning unit performs the fourth function.

10. An automotive air conditioner characterized by comprising: Includes the vehicle air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images