Dual-flow fan and automobile air conditioner

Abstract

A dual-flow fan and an automobile air conditioner. The dual-flow fan comprises a volute (10) and an impeller assembly (20) rotatably arranged inside the volute (10), wherein the interior of the volute (10) is divided into an upper flow space and a lower flow space; the impeller assembly (20) comprises an upper impeller (21) located in the upper flow space and a lower impeller (22) located in the lower flow space; the upper impeller (21) comprises a first hub rim and a plurality of first blades circumferentially arranged along the first hub rim; the lower impeller (22) comprises a second hub rim and a plurality of second blades circumferentially arranged along the second hub rim; the first blades and the second blades are both backward-curved blades; and an included angle formed by connection lines from an inner side (10a) of an air outlet of the volute (10) and an outer side (10b) of the air outlet of the volute (10) to the center point of the impeller assembly is θ, satisfying: 70°≤θ≤180°. The dual-flow fan can reduce output air velocity and improve the uniformity of the output air velocity.

Description

Dual-layer flow fan and automotive air conditioning Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive air conditioning technology, specifically to a dual-layer flow fan and an automotive air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Automotive air conditioning systems are used to adjust and control the temperature, humidity, air cleanliness, and airflow inside a car cabin to maintain optimal conditions, providing a comfortable environment and improving passenger comfort. They employ heat pump technology to introduce outside air into the vehicle or circulate existing air to achieve heating or cooling. Conventional air conditioning units can only achieve either external or internal air circulation, leading to higher energy consumption and reduced driving range. To address this energy consumption issue, dual-layer flow automotive air conditioning systems were developed.

[0003] Dual-flow air conditioning is a highly efficient and energy-saving air conditioning system. Compared to traditional air conditioning systems, dual-flow systems do not require a large volume of circulating air to maintain a comfortable indoor environment. Instead, they optimize airflow paths, allowing for better air circulation and delivering the appropriate amount of air to suitable locations for a more comfortable experience. A dual-flow automotive air conditioning system includes a volute, an impeller assembly inside the volute, and a motor that drives the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly consists of an upper impeller and a lower impeller. The dual-flow fan is used to separate indoor and outdoor air in winter, using outdoor air for defrosting while reducing ventilation losses, thus achieving energy savings. As shown in Figure 1, the current dual-layer flow fan uses forward-curved blades 23'. The air outlet angle θ' of the volute 10 (the angle θ' between the inner side 10a and the outer side 10b of the volute outlet and the line connecting them to the center of the impeller assembly) is generally small (approximately 30° to 60°). Therefore, the outlet air velocity is relatively high and concentrated at the outer outlet of the volute 10, resulting in poor air velocity uniformity. This leads to a relatively increased ventilation resistance in the outlet passage, which in turn affects performance such as air volume and noise, and consequently affects passenger comfort.

[0004] Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the problems in the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide a dual-layer flow fan and automotive air conditioner, which reduces the outlet air velocity of the fan, improves the uniformity of the air velocity at the fan outlet, and improves the comfort of passengers.

[0006] This application provides a dual-layer flow fan, including a volute and an impeller assembly rotatably disposed inside the volute. The volute also includes an isolation plate that divides the volute into an upper laminar flow space and a lower laminar flow space. The impeller assembly includes an upper impeller located in the upper laminar flow space and a lower impeller located in the lower laminar flow space. The upper impeller includes a first hub flange and a plurality of first blades arranged circumferentially along the first hub flange. The lower impeller includes a second hub flange and a plurality of second blades arranged circumferentially along the second hub flange. Both the first and second blades are backward-curved blades. The angle formed by the lines connecting the inner side of the volute's outlet and the outer side of the volute's outlet to the center point of the impeller is θ, satisfying: 70°≤θ≤180°.

[0007] In some embodiments, the impeller assembly further includes a partition plate for separating the upper impeller and the lower impeller, the partition plate being disposed inside the upper impeller.

[0008] In some embodiments, the impeller assembly further includes a guide plate for guiding flow, disposed inside the lower impeller, with the top end of the guide plate lower than the top end of the upper impeller and higher than the bottom end of the partition plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the partition plate is a funnel-shaped rotating structure, and the guide plate is a cone-shaped rotating structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the volute includes an upper volute, a lower volute, and a partition plate that are interlocked with each other. The partition plate is located between the upper volute and the lower volute. The partition plate and the upper volute together form the upper laminar flow space, and the partition plate and the lower volute together form the lower laminar flow space.

[0011] In some embodiments, the upper volute includes a first air inlet, and the two ends of a first circulating air duct or a second circulating air duct are respectively connected to the first air inlet and the upper laminar flow space; the lower volute includes a second air inlet, and the two ends of the second circulating air duct or the first circulating air duct are respectively connected to the second air inlet and the lower laminar flow space.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first circulating air duct is an internal circulating air duct that introduces recirculated air into the vehicle, and the second circulating air duct is an external circulating air duct that introduces fresh air from outside.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first blade and the second blade are either misaligned or not misaligned.

[0014] In some embodiments, the system further includes a motor, the output of which is connected to the center of the guide plate.

[0015] This application also provides an automotive air conditioner, including the dual-layer flow fan described above.

[0016] The dual-layer flow fan and automotive air conditioner provided in this application have the following advantages:

[0017] By setting the impeller assembly blades to backward-curved blades, the turbulence generated during impeller operation can be reduced, the airflow can be smoother, the airflow can be more stable, the operating noise can be reduced, the outlet air velocity can be reduced, and the air velocity uniformity can be improved. Since the air volume of backward-curved blades is less than that of forward-curved blades, when combined with an increased outlet angle of the volute, the setting of backward-curved blades can be increased accordingly to address the issue of reduced outlet air volume and improve the comfort of passengers inside the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0018] 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.

[0019] Figure 1 shows a top view of a double-laminar flow fan in the prior art;

[0020] Figure 2 shows a side view of a dual-layer flow fan according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 is a top view of a dual-layer flow fan according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 is a side view of a dual-layer flow fan according to another embodiment of this application.

[0023] Reference numerals: 10 Volute casing; 22 Lower impeller; 10a Inner side of volute casing outlet; 23' Blade of impeller assembly in the prior art; 10b Outer side of volute casing outlet; 23 Blade of impeller assembly in this embodiment; 11 Upper volute casing; 24 Partition plate; 12 Lower volute casing; 25 Guide plate; 13 Isolation plate; 1 First circulating air duct; 20 Impeller assembly; 2 Second circulating air duct; 21 Upper impeller. Detailed Implementation

[0024] 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. In the representation of this application, references to terms such as “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “example,” “specific example,” or “some examples,” etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic represented in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, 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, without contradiction.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] To address the problems in the prior art, this application provides a dual-layer flow fan. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the dual-layer flow fan includes a volute 10 and an impeller assembly 20 rotatably disposed inside the volute 10. The interior of the volute 10 is divided into an upper laminar flow space and a lower laminar flow space. The impeller assembly 20 includes an upper impeller 21 located in the upper laminar flow space and a lower impeller 22 located in the lower laminar flow space. The upper impeller 21 is located in the upper laminar flow space, and the lower impeller 22 is located in the lower laminar flow space. A first circulating air (e.g., external fresh air) is circulated out through the upper impeller 21, and a second circulating air (e.g., in-vehicle circulating air) is circulated out through the lower impeller 22, thus achieving dual-layer flow. The upper impeller 21 includes a first hub flange and a plurality of first blades arranged circumferentially along the first hub flange; the lower impeller 22 includes a second hub flange and a plurality of second blades arranged circumferentially along the second hub flange; both the first blades and the second blades are backward-curved blades 23; the angle formed by the lines connecting the inner side 10a of the air outlet of the volute 10 and the outer side 10b of the air outlet of the volute 10 to the center point of the impeller assembly 20 is θ, which satisfies: 70°≤θ≤180°.

[0028] It should be noted that forward-curved blades mean that the blade's curvature is aligned with the airflow rotation direction, and the airflow enters the blade and flows along the curvature direction of the blade's leading edge. Backward-curved blades mean that the blade's curvature is opposite to the airflow rotation direction, and the airflow enters the blade and flows along the curvature direction of the blade's trailing edge. In the technical solution of this application, by setting the impeller assembly blades to backward-curved blades, the turbulence generated during impeller operation is reduced, the airflow is smoother, resulting in more stable airflow, lower operating noise, reduced outlet air velocity, and improved air velocity uniformity. Since the airflow of backward-curved blades is less than that of forward-curved blades, by increasing the outlet angle of the volute, the reduction in outlet airflow can be mitigated by increasing the number of backward-curved blades, thereby improving the comfort of passengers inside the vehicle.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the impeller assembly 20 also includes a partition plate 24 for separating the upper impeller 21 and the lower impeller 22, and the partition plate 24 is disposed on the inner side of the upper impeller 21. In this embodiment, the partition plate 24 is a funnel-shaped rotating structure.

[0030] Furthermore, the impeller assembly 20 also includes a guide plate 25 for guiding airflow, disposed inside the lower impeller 22. In this embodiment, the guide plate 25 is a conical rotating structure, and the top of the guide plate 25 is lower than the top of the upper impeller 21 and higher than the bottom of the partition plate 24. The guide plate 25 and the partition plate 24 are coaxially arranged. Specifically, the outer wall of the guide plate 25 has an arc surface structure, which allows the circulating air to flow smoothly between the guide plate 25 and the partition plate 24 without generating turbulence.

[0031] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the volute 10 includes an upper volute 11, a lower volute 12, and a baffle plate 13 that are interlocked. The baffle plate 13 is located between the upper volute 11 and the lower volute 12. The baffle plate 13 and the upper volute 11 together form an upper laminar flow space, and the baffle plate 13 and the lower volute 12 together form a lower laminar flow space. The upper laminar flow space and the lower laminar flow space are not connected, so that there will be no airflow problem when the upper impeller 21 and the lower impeller 22 are running.

[0032] Further, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the upper volute 11 includes a first air inlet, and the lower volute 12 includes a second air inlet. One end of the first circulating air duct 1 or the second circulating air duct 2 is connected to the first air inlet and the upper laminar flow space, respectively. The other end of the second circulating air duct 2 or the first circulating air duct 1 is connected to the second air inlet and the lower laminar flow space, respectively. In this embodiment, both the first air inlet of the upper volute 11 and the second air inlet of the lower volute 12 are located at the top of the volute 10, meaning the dual-layer flow fan has a single-sided air inlet.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, in another embodiment, the first air inlet of the upper volute 11 is located at the top of the volute 10, and the second air inlet of the lower volute 12 is located at the bottom of the volute 10. That is, the first air inlet of the upper volute 11 and the second air inlet of the lower volute 12 are respectively located on both sides of the volute 10, and the double-layer flow fan has double-sided air intake. In practical applications, the double-layer flow fan can be reasonably set to double-sided or single-sided air intake according to actual needs, and the specific location of the air inlet on the volute 10 is not specifically limited here.

[0034] The first circulating air duct 1 is an internal circulating air duct that introduces recirculated air from inside the vehicle, and the second circulating air duct 2 is an external circulating air duct that introduces fresh air from outside. In this embodiment, the two ends of the first circulating air duct 1 are connected to the second air inlet and the lower laminar flow space, respectively, and the two ends of the second circulating air duct 2 are connected to the first air inlet and the upper laminar flow space, respectively. When the recirculated air from inside the vehicle passes through the second air inlet and the first circulating air duct 1, it is deflected at the bottom of the lower impeller 22 and enters the lower laminar flow space. Then, the rotation of the lower impeller 22 drives the recirculated air from inside the vehicle to blow towards the passenger's face or feet for heating. When fresh air from outside enters the upper laminar flow space through the first air inlet and the second circulating air duct 2, the rotation of the upper impeller 21 drives the fresh air from outside to blow towards the windows for defogging.

[0035] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the first blade of the upper impeller 21 and the second blade of the lower impeller 22 are either misaligned or not misaligned. Preferably, the misalignment of the first and second blades can reduce the noise when the impeller assembly 20 rotates.

[0036] Furthermore, the dual-layer flow fan also includes a motor 30, the output end of which is connected to the center of the guide plate 25. The motor 30 can drive the impeller assembly 20 to rotate. Specifically, the guide plate 25 has a fixing hole in its center, and the output end of the motor 30 is connected to the guide plate 25 through the fixing hole.

[0037] Furthermore, this embodiment also provides an automotive air conditioner, including the dual-layer flow fan as described above. This automotive air conditioner can achieve all the technical effects of the aforementioned dual-layer flow fan, which will not be elaborated here.

[0038] In summary, the dual-layer flow fan and automotive air conditioner provided in this application have the following advantages:

[0039] By setting the impeller assembly blades to backward-curved blades, the turbulence generated during impeller operation can be reduced, the airflow can be smoother, the airflow can be more stable, the operating noise can be reduced, the outlet air velocity can be reduced, and the air velocity uniformity can be improved. Since the air volume of backward-curved blades is less than that of forward-curved blades, when combined with an increased outlet angle of the volute, the setting of backward-curved blades can be increased accordingly to address the issue of reduced outlet air volume and improve the comfort of passengers inside the vehicle.

[0040] 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 double-layer flow fan, comprising a volute and an impeller assembly rotatably disposed inside the volute, the interior of the volute being divided into an upper laminar flow space and a lower laminar flow space, the impeller assembly comprising an upper impeller located in the upper laminar flow space and a lower impeller located in the lower laminar flow space, characterized in that, The upper impeller includes a first hub flange and a plurality of first blades arranged circumferentially along the first hub flange; the lower impeller includes a second hub flange and a plurality of second blades arranged circumferentially along the second hub flange; both the first blades and the second blades are backward-curved blades, and the angle formed by the line connecting the inner side of the air outlet of the volute and the outer side of the air outlet of the volute to the center point of the impeller is θ, which satisfies: 70°≤θ≤180°.

2. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impeller assembly further includes a partition plate for separating the upper impeller and the lower impeller, the partition plate being disposed on the inner side of the upper impeller.

3. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 2, characterized in that, The impeller assembly also includes a guide plate for guiding flow, disposed inside the lower impeller, with the top of the guide plate lower than the top of the upper impeller and higher than the bottom of the partition plate.

4. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 3, characterized in that, The partition plate is a funnel-shaped rotating structure, and the guide plate is a cone-shaped rotating structure.

5. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The volute includes an upper volute, a lower volute, and a partition plate that interlock with each other. The partition plate is located between the upper volute and the lower volute. The partition plate and the upper volute together form the upper laminar flow space, and the partition plate and the lower volute together form the lower laminar flow space.

6. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper volute includes a first air inlet, and the two ends of a first circulating air duct or a second circulating air duct are respectively connected to the first air inlet and the upper laminar flow space; the lower volute includes a second air inlet, and the two ends of the second circulating air duct or the first circulating air duct are respectively connected to the second air inlet and the lower laminar flow space.

7. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first circulating air duct is an internal circulating air duct that introduces recirculated air into the vehicle, and the second circulating air duct is an external circulating air duct that introduces fresh air from outside.

8. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first blade and the second blade are either misaligned or not misaligned.

9. The dual-layer flow fan according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a motor, the output end of which is connected to the center of the guide plate.

10. An automotive air conditioner, characterized in that, Including the dual-layer flow fan as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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