Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner (1) is mounted on a vehicle (3) provided with mechanisms (4, 57) for defogging a front windshield (2). The air conditioner (1) comprises: an outside air suction port (12) that sucks outside air into an inside / outside air chamber (20) formed on the upstream side of a blower (11) in an air conditioning case (10); an outside air door (13) that opens and closes the outside air suction port (12); a drive unit (23) that drives the outside air door (13); and an inside air suction port (14) that sucks inside air into the inside / outside air chamber (20). The air conditioner (1) is constituted so that the inside air always flows into the inside / outside air chamber (20) from the inside air suction port (14) when a wind pressure (PR) of the outside air flowing into the inside / outside air chamber (20) from the outside air suction port (12) is smaller than a suction pressure (PS) of the blower (11).

Description

air conditioner Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-052003, filed on 26 March 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to an air conditioning system installed in a vehicle.

[0003] Conventionally, vehicles equipped with a windshield heater on the front windshield are known. Hereinafter, the front windshield will be referred to as "WS" and the windshield heater as "WS heater". The WS heater prevents fogging of the WS by heating the WS by passing an electric current through a heating element or a transparent conductive film installed in the front windshield. In this disclosure, "prevention of fogging" includes not only preventing window fogging but also clearing away window fogging through de-icing, demisting, etc.

[0004] The air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1 is installed in a vehicle equipped with a WS heater. This air conditioning system can perform a defroster mode in addition to providing air conditioning inside the vehicle, which prevents fogging of the WS by blowing warm air from the defroster outlet towards the WS. When the air conditioning system performs the defroster mode, it closes the interior air door provided at the interior air intake that draws in air from inside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "interior air") into the air conditioning case, and opens the exterior air door provided at the exterior air intake that draws in air from outside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "exterior air") into the air conditioning case. As a result, the air conditioning system restricts the intake of interior air from the interior air intake into the air conditioning case and performs a full exterior air intake mode in which it draws in exterior air from the exterior air intake into the air conditioning case. The air conditioning system then prevents fogging of the WS by heating the exterior air drawn in from the exterior air intake and blowing out the warm air generated from the defroster outlet. The interior and exterior doors are opened and closed by either an electric or manual drive unit.

[0005] Patent No. 2625864

[0006] Incidentally, vehicle-mounted air conditioning systems are required to be miniaturized due to the need to increase the volume of the vehicle interior and the constraints on mounting space within the vehicle. In contrast, the air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1, despite being mounted on a vehicle that has an anti-fogging function using a WS heater, also has an anti-fogging function using a defroster mode. This air conditioning system is equipped with an interior air door that is opened and closed by an electric or manual drive unit to restrict the intake of interior air into the air conditioning case from the interior air intake when the defroster mode is activated. Consequently, the configuration of the air conditioning system is complex, the number of parts is large, the size is large, and the manufacturing cost is increased.

[0007] This disclosure aims to provide an air conditioning device that can be made smaller and have lower manufacturing costs by simplifying the configuration and reducing the number of parts.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an air conditioning system installed in a vehicle equipped with a mechanism for preventing fogging of the front windshield comprises an air conditioning case through which air is blown into the passenger compartment, a blower that generates airflow within the air conditioning case, an interior / exterior air chamber formed upstream of the blower within the air conditioning case, an exterior air intake that draws in outside air into the interior / exterior air chamber, an exterior air door that opens and closes the exterior air intake, a drive unit that drives the exterior air door to open and close, and an interior air intake that draws in interior air into the interior / exterior air chamber, wherein when the wind pressure of the outside air flowing into the interior / exterior air chamber from the exterior air intake is less than the suction pressure of the blower, interior air always flows into the interior / exterior air chamber from the interior air intake.

[0009] According to this, the air conditioning system of this disclosure is installed in a vehicle equipped with a mechanism to prevent fogging of the front windshield, thus eliminating the need for the defroster mode anti-fogging function performed by conventional air conditioning systems. Therefore, the interior air intake of the air conditioning system of this disclosure does not require an interior door that is opened and closed by an electrically driven unit (specifically, a servo motor and linkage mechanism) or a manually driven unit. Consequently, the configuration of the air conditioning system can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced, resulting in a smaller size and lower manufacturing costs.

[0010] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment, viewed from the side. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment, viewed from above. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment, showing the state in which the outside air door is closed. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment, showing the state in which the vehicle is traveling at a low speed with the outside air door open. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment, showing the state in which the vehicle is traveling at a high speed with the outside air door open. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air conditioning system according to the third embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air conditioning system of a comparative example. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with the air conditioning system of a comparative example, viewed from the side. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a desiccant unit as an example of a mechanism for preventing fogging of the front windshield.

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment will now be described. As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 3 equipped with a function to prevent fogging of the front windshield 2 (hereinafter referred to as "WS2"). The function to prevent fogging of the WS2 is, for example, a windshield heater 4 (hereinafter referred to as "WS heater 4"). The WS heater 4 is an electric heater having an electric heating wire or a transparent conductive film provided in the light-transmitting region of the WS2. The WS heater 4 generates heat when energized and can directly heat the light-transmitting region of the WS2.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air conditioning unit 1 of the first embodiment is installed in the motor room 5 of the vehicle 3. Specifically, the air conditioning unit 1 is installed at the front of the vehicle relative to the dash panel 7 that separates the motor room 5 and the passenger compartment 6 of the vehicle 3.

[0014] The configuration of the air conditioning unit 1 will now be described. As shown in Figure 3, the air conditioning unit 1 includes an air conditioning case 10, a blower 11, an outside air intake 12, an outside air door 13, an inside air intake 14, a backflow prevention unit 15, and the like.

[0015] The air conditioning case 10 is made of a resin material such as polypropylene, and has an air passage 16 inside through which air blown into the vehicle interior 6 flows. The air conditioning case 10 is provided with an outside air intake 12, an inside air intake 14, a face outlet opening 17, a foot outlet opening 18, etc. A blower 11, a first heat exchanger 21, a second heat exchanger 22, etc. are provided in the air passage 16 inside the air conditioning case 10. The region formed upstream of the blower 11 in the air passage 16 inside the air conditioning case 10 is called the "inside / outside air chamber 20".

[0016] The outside air intake 12 is an opening for drawing in outside air (hereinafter referred to as "outside air") into the interior-exterior air chamber 20. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outside air intake 12 is located at the rear of the wind pressure suppression component 8 (hereinafter referred to as "wind pressure suppression component 8"), within the vehicle width direction and vehicle height direction of the vehicle component 8 capable of suppressing wind pressure caused by vehicle movement within the motor room 5 of the vehicle 3. This allows the outside air intake 12 to draw in outside air whose wind pressure caused by vehicle movement has been suppressed into the interior-exterior air chamber 20. The opening of the outside air intake 12 may face forward, to the side, upward, downward, or rearward.

[0017] An example of a wind pressure suppression component 8 is an e-Axle, which has a certain size within the motor room 5. The e-Axle integrates components such as the drive motor, inverter, and reduction gear.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, an outside air door 13 is provided at the outside air intake port 12. The outside air door 13 is an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the outside air intake port 12. The outside air door 13 can adjust the opening area of ​​the outside air intake port 12. The outside air door 13 is opened and closed by an electric drive unit 23 (specifically, a servo motor and a link mechanism), which is an example of a drive unit. The electric drive unit 23 is controlled by an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU"), which is not shown. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit.

[0019] The interior air intake 14 is an opening for drawing in air from the vehicle interior 6 (hereinafter referred to as "interior air") into the interior / exterior air chamber 20. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an interior air duct 30 is connected to the interior air intake 14. One end of the interior air duct 30 is connected to the interior air intake 14, the middle part of the duct passes through a hole provided in the dash panel 7, and the other end opens into the vehicle interior 6. Therefore, the interior air intake 14 communicates with the vehicle interior 6 via the interior air duct 30. As a result, the interior air intake 14 can draw interior air into the interior / exterior air chamber 20 via the interior air duct 30.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the interior air intake port 14 is provided with a backflow prevention unit 15. The backflow prevention unit 15 includes, for example, a shaft member 151, a door member 152, and a stopper 153. The shaft member 151 is provided on the inner wall of the interior air intake port 14. The door member 152 is pivotably supported by the shaft member 151 and can open and close the interior air intake port 14. Pivoting refers to rotational movement within a predetermined angular range. The door member 152 is made of, for example, rubber, nonwoven fabric, or a resin plate. The stopper 153 restricts the range of motion of the door member 152 toward the interior 6 side (i.e., the side opposite to the interior / exterior air chamber 20).

[0021] The door member 152 is opened and closed by the pressure difference between the space on one side of the door member 152 (specifically, the inner / outer air chamber 20) and the space on the other side (specifically, the interior of the vehicle 6). Therefore, an electric drive unit is not required for the backflow prevention unit 15. The pressure in the inner / outer air chamber 20 is the pressure at which the blower 11 draws air from the inner / outer air chamber 20 (hereinafter referred to as "suction pressure P"). Ｓ) and the wind pressure of the outside air flowing from the outside air intake 12 into the inner / outer air chamber 20 (hereinafter referred to as "ram pressure P") Ｒ It fluctuates due to the following: (details will be provided later).

[0022] Note that the backflow prevention unit 15 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 3. For example, the backflow prevention unit 15 may be configured to fix the outer edge of the door member 152 to the inner wall of the interior air intake 14. In this case, the door member 152 is made of a material that can be elastically deformed by wind pressure, such as rubber or nonwoven fabric, and swings with the part fixed to the inner wall of the interior air intake 14 as a pivot point. In this case as well, the range of motion of the door member 152 toward the interior 6 side (i.e., the side opposite to the interior / exterior air chamber 20) is restricted by the stopper 153.

[0023] The blower 11 is composed of, for example, a centrifugal fan and an electric motor (not shown) that rotates the centrifugal fan. Note that the blower 11 is not limited to a centrifugal fan; an axial flow fan, a mixed flow fan, etc., may also be used. The blower 11 blows air drawn in from the inner and outer air chambers 20 into the air passage 16 downstream of the blower 11 by the rotation of the centrifugal fan. Therefore, the blower 11 generates airflow inside the air conditioning case 10.

[0024] In the ventilation passage 16 within the air conditioning case 10, a first heat exchanger 21, a second heat exchanger 22, an air mix door 24, and the like are provided in the area downstream of the blower 11. The first heat exchanger 21 exchanges heat between the heat transfer medium flowing through its own heat transfer medium channel and the air passing through the first heat exchanger 21. The heat transfer medium flowing through the heat transfer medium channel of the first heat exchanger 21 is a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration cycle (not shown), or a fluid cooled by that refrigerant (for example, a fluid mixed with water and LLC). This allows the first heat exchanger 21 to cool the air flowing through the ventilation passage 16. LLC stands for Long Life Coolant.

[0025] The second heat exchanger 22 also exchanges heat between the heat transfer medium flowing through its own heat transfer medium channel and the air passing through the second heat exchanger 22. The heat transfer medium flowing through the heat transfer medium channel of the second heat exchanger 22 is a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration cycle (not shown), or a fluid heated by that refrigerant (for example, a fluid mixed with water and LLC). This allows the second heat exchanger 22 to heat the air flowing through the ventilation passage 16. The second heat exchanger 22 may also be an electric heater.

[0026] An air mix door 24 is provided between the first heat exchanger 21 and the second heat exchanger 22. The air mix door 24 is configured, for example, as a sliding door. The air mix door 24 is driven by an electric drive unit 25 for the air mix door 24. The air mix door 24 adjusts the ratio of the amount of air that passes through the first heat exchanger 21 and then through the second heat exchanger 22 to the amount of air that passes through the first heat exchanger 21 and then bypasses the second heat exchanger 22. The air that has passed through the second heat exchanger 22 and the air that has bypassed the second heat exchanger 22 are mixed in the space downstream of the second heat exchanger 22 and then blown into the vehicle interior 6 via the face outlet opening 17, the foot outlet opening 18, etc.

[0027] A face door 26 is provided at the face air outlet opening 17. The face door 26 is an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the face air outlet opening 17. The face door 26 can adjust the opening area of ​​the face air outlet opening 17. The face door 26 is driven by an electric drive unit 27 for the face door 26.

[0028] A foot door 28 is provided at the foot outlet opening 18. The foot door 28 is an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the foot outlet opening 18. The foot door 28 can adjust the opening area of ​​the foot outlet opening 18. The foot door 28 is driven by an electric drive unit 29 for the foot door 28. Note that the electric drive unit 27 for the face door 26 and the electric drive unit 29 for the foot door 28 may be configured to operate with a single link mechanism.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a face duct 31 is connected to the face outlet opening 17. One end of the face duct 31 is connected to the face outlet opening 17, the intermediate portion of the duct passes through a hole provided in the dash panel 7, and the other end is connected to a face air outlet 32 provided in an instrument panel 9 of the vehicle compartment 6. The face air outlet 32 is an outlet that blows conditioned air toward the upper body area of an occupant seated on a seat in the vehicle compartment 6. Accordingly, conditioned air to be blown toward the upper body area of the occupant flows through the face outlet opening 17.

[0030] Further, a foot duct (not shown) is connected to the foot outlet opening 18. One end of the foot duct is connected to the foot outlet opening 18, the intermediate portion of the duct passes through a hole provided in the dash panel 7, and the other end opens into the vehicle compartment 6. The foot duct blows conditioned air toward the lower body area of an occupant seated on a seat in the vehicle compartment 6. Accordingly, conditioned air to be blown toward the lower body area of the occupant flows through the foot outlet opening 18.

[0031] Conditioned air whose temperature has been adjusted by the first heat exchanger 21 and the second heat exchanger 22 is blown out into the vehicle compartment 6 from the face air outlet 32 communicating with the face outlet opening 17 and an opening of the foot duct communicating with the foot outlet opening 18.

[0032] The air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment does not include a defroster outlet opening through which conditioned air blown toward the front windshield 2 flows. Therefore, this air conditioner 1 also does not include a defroster door that opens and closes the defroster outlet opening, nor an electric drive unit that drives the defroster door.

[0033] Next, the operation of sucking interior air and exterior air into the air conditioning case 10 in the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment will be described.

[0034] Fig. 4 shows a state where the outside air door 13 is closed by driving the electric drive unit 23 for the outside air door 13. When the blower 11 is driven in this state, the pressure in the inside / outside air chamber 20 becomes lower than the pressure in the vehicle interior 6. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, the door member 152 of the backflow prevention unit 15 opens the inside air suction port 14, and inside air is sucked into the inside / outside air chamber 20 from the inside air suction port 14. Accordingly, in this case, the operation is in the inside air suction mode.

[0035] Fig. 5 shows a suction mode when the vehicle 3 is traveling at low speed with the outside air door 13 opened by driving the electric drive unit 23 for the outside air door 13. When the vehicle 3 is traveling at low speed, the ram pressure P of outside air flowing into the inside / outside air chamber 20 from the outside air suction port 12 Ｒ is relatively low. As shown in Fig. 5, the ram pressure P Ｒ is lower than the suction pressure P of the blower 11 Ｓ , the door member 152 of the backflow prevention unit 15 opens the inside air suction port 14. Therefore, inside air flows into the inside / outside air chamber 20 from the inside air suction port 14. As a result, outside air flows into the inside / outside air chamber 20 from the outside air suction port 12, and inside air is also sucked into the inside / outside air chamber 20 from the inside air suction port 14. Accordingly, in this case, the operation is in a suction mode for air mixed with inside air and outside air.

[0036] Fig. 6 shows a suction mode when the vehicle 3 is traveling at high speed with the outside air door 13 opened by driving the electric drive unit 23 for the outside air door 13. When the vehicle 3 is traveling at high speed, the ram pressure P of outside air flowing into the inside / outside air chamber 20 from the outside air suction port 12 Ｒ is relatively high. As shown in Fig. 6, the ram pressure P Ｒ is higher than the suction pressure P of the blower 11 Ｓ , the door member 152 of the backflow prevention unit 15 closes the inside air suction port 14. Therefore, the air in the inside / outside air chamber 20 is prevented from flowing into the vehicle interior 6 via the inside air suction port 14. As a result, outside air flows into the inside / outside air chamber 20 only from the outside air suction port 12. Accordingly, in this case, the operation is in the outside air suction mode.

[0037] It should be noted that the ECU can adjust the opening degree of the outside air door 13 by driving the electric drive unit 23 for the outside air door 13, and can adjust the opening area of the outside air suction port 12. Therefore, by adjusting the opening degree of the outside air door 13, the ram pressure P flowing into the inner / outer air chamber 20 from the outside air suction port 12 Ｒ can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the ratio of outside air to inside air sucked into the inner / outer air chamber 20.

[0038] The temperature of the air blown from the blower 11 into the ventilation passage 16 on the downstream side is adjusted by the first heat exchanger 21 and the second heat exchanger 22, and then blown into the vehicle interior 6 via the face blow-out opening 17 and the foot blow-out opening 18.

[0039] Here, for comparison with the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment, an air conditioner 40 of a comparative example will be described.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 9, the air conditioner 40 of the comparative example includes an inside air door 41 that opens and closes the inside air suction port 14. The inside air door 41 is driven to open and close by an electric drive unit 42 for the inside air door 41. Further, the air conditioner 40 of the comparative example includes a defroster blow-out opening 43, a defroster door 44 that opens and closes the defroster blow-out opening 43, and an electric drive unit 45 that drives the defroster door 44. As shown in Fig. 10, a defroster duct 46 is connected to the defroster blow-out opening 43. One end of the defroster duct 46 is connected to the defroster blow-out opening 43, an intermediate portion of the duct passes through a hole provided in the dash panel 7, and the other end is connected to a defroster outlet 47 provided on the upper surface of the instrument panel 9. Therefore, the conditioned air flowing through the defroster blow-out opening 43 is blown out toward WS2 from the defroster outlet 47 via the defroster duct 46.

[0041] The comparative example air conditioning unit 40 is installed in a vehicle 3 that does not have a WS heater 4 in the WS2. Therefore, when the outside temperature is low (for example, -10°C), the comparative example air conditioning unit 40 executes a defroster mode in which it blows warm air from the defroster outlet 47 toward the WS2 to prevent fogging. In defroster mode, the outside air door 13 is opened and the inside air door 41 is closed by the drive of the electric drive units 23 and 42, thereby entering outside air intake mode. As a result, the air conditioning unit 1 prevents fogging of the WS2 by blowing warm air, which has been heated from the outside air intake 12, out of the defroster outlet 47.

[0042] Thus, the comparative example air conditioner 40 includes an interior door 41 driven to open and close by an electric drive unit 42, a defroster outlet opening 43, and a defroster door 44 driven to open and close by an electric drive unit 45, in order to perform the defroster mode. Therefore, compared to the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment, the comparative example air conditioner 40 has a more complex configuration, more parts, is larger in size, and has higher manufacturing costs.

[0043] Compared to the comparative example air conditioning system 40, the air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment provides the following effects: (1) The air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment controls the wind pressure (i.e., ram pressure P) of the outside air flowing into the inner / outer air chamber 20 from the outside air intake port 12. Ｒ ) is the suction pressure P of the blower 11 Ｓ When it is smaller, the configuration is such that indoor air always flows into the indoor / outdoor air chamber 20 from the indoor air intake port 14. Note that the wind pressure of the outdoor air flowing into the indoor / outdoor air chamber 20 from the outdoor air intake port 12 is equal to the suction pressure P of the blower 11. Ｓ"Smaller" includes the state in which the outside air door 13 closes the outside air intake 12, that is, the state in which the wind pressure of the outside air flowing from the outside air intake 12 into the interior / exterior air chamber 20 is "0". According to this, since the air conditioning unit 1 of the first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 3 equipped with a WS heater 4, the anti-fogging function by the defroster mode performed by the air conditioning unit 40 of the comparative example is unnecessary. Therefore, the interior air intake 14 of the air conditioning unit 1 of the first embodiment does not require an interior air door 41 that is opened and closed by an electric drive unit 42 or a manual drive unit. Accordingly, the air conditioning unit 1 of the first embodiment can be made smaller and its manufacturing cost reduced by simplifying its configuration and reducing the number of parts.

[0044] (2) The air conditioning system 1 of the first embodiment is equipped with a backflow prevention unit 15 provided at the indoor air intake port 14. The backflow prevention unit 15 controls the ram pressure P of the outside air flowing from the outdoor air intake port 12 into the indoor / outdoor air chamber 20. Ｒ The suction pressure P of the blower 11 Ｓ When it is smaller, it allows internal air to flow into the internal / external air chamber 20 from the internal air intake port 14. In addition, the backflow prevention unit 15 controls the ram pressure P of the outside air flowing into the internal / external air chamber 20 from the external air intake port 12. Ｒ The suction pressure P of the blower 11 Ｓ When the value is greater, it is possible to prevent the air from the interior / exterior air chamber 20 from flowing into the passenger compartment 6 via the interior air intake 14. This prevents, for example, cold outside air flowing into the interior / exterior air chamber 20 from the exterior air intake 12 in winter from leaking into the passenger compartment 6 through the interior air intake 14, which would worsen the thermal comfort. Also, for example, hot outside air flowing into the interior / exterior air chamber 20 from the exterior air intake 12 in summer from leaking into the passenger compartment 6 through the interior air intake 14, which would worsen the thermal comfort.

[0045] (3) In the first embodiment, the backflow prevention unit 15 has a door member 152 and a stopper 153. The door member 152 is provided so as to be able to open and close the interior air intake 14. The stopper 153 restricts the range of movement of the door member 152 toward the interior of the vehicle 6. As a result, when the pressure in the interior / exterior air chamber 20 becomes greater than the pressure in the interior of the vehicle 6, the movement of the door member 152 toward the interior of the vehicle 6 is restricted by the stopper 153. Therefore, the backflow prevention unit 15 can prevent air from the interior / exterior air chamber 20 from leaking into the interior of the vehicle 6 via the interior air intake 14.

[0046] (4) In the first embodiment, the outside air intake port 12 is located in the motor room 5 of the vehicle 3, within the range of the wind pressure suppression component 8 in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction, and is located at the rear of the wind pressure suppression component 8. According to this, if the outside air flowing from the outside air intake port 12 into the inner / outer air chamber 20 is ram pressure P Ｒ If the ram pressure P is large, the wind pressure acting on the backflow prevention unit 15 from the inner / outer air chamber 20 will increase, and the rigidity of the backflow prevention unit 15 or its accessories must be increased. In contrast, in the first embodiment, by providing the outside air intake port 12 in a region within the motor room 5 where the wind pressure is suppressed by the wind pressure suppressing component 8, the ram pressure P of the outside air flowing into the inner / outer air chamber 20 from the outside air intake port 12 when the outside air door 13 is opened Ｒ This reduces the amount of wind pressure acting on the backflow prevention unit 15 from the inner and outer air chambers 20. Consequently, the rigidity of the backflow prevention unit 15 or its accessories can be reduced, and the backflow prevention unit 15 can be simplified. In addition, less expensive materials can be used for the backflow prevention unit 15.

[0047] (5) The air conditioning unit 1 of the first embodiment does not have a defroster outlet opening 43. As a result, by not providing a defroster outlet opening 43 in the air conditioning case 10, the size of the air conditioning unit 1 can be reduced and manufacturing costs can be lowered. In addition, since the defroster duct 46 is not required, the air conditioning case 10 can be easily installed in a location far from the top surface of the instrument panel 9 and below the vehicle. Therefore, the degree of freedom in mounting the air conditioning case 10 in the motor room 5 can be improved. Furthermore, the defroster door 44 that opens and closes the defroster outlet opening 43 is not required, and the link mechanism and servo motor that drive the opening and closing of the defroster door 44 are also not required. Therefore, the configuration of the air conditioning unit 1 can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced, making it smaller and manufacturing costs lowered.

[0048] (Second Embodiment) The second embodiment will now be described. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the mounting position of the backflow prevention unit 15 has been changed. Therefore, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, the backflow prevention unit 15 of the air conditioning system 1 of the second embodiment is provided in the interior air duct 30. Similar to the first embodiment, one end of the interior air duct 30 is connected to the interior air intake port 14, the middle part of the duct passes through a hole provided in the dash panel 7, and the other end opens into the passenger compartment 6.

[0050] The backflow prevention unit 15 includes, for example, a shaft member 151, a door member 152, and a stopper 153. The shaft member 151 is provided on the inner wall of the interior air duct 30. The door member 152 is pivotably supported by the shaft member 151 and can open and close the flow path inside the interior air duct 30. The stopper 153 restricts the range of motion of the door member 152 toward the interior of the vehicle 6. The backflow prevention unit 15 of the second embodiment, like that of the first embodiment, is driven to open and close by the pressure difference between the interior / exterior air chamber 20 and the interior of the vehicle 6, so an electric drive unit is not required.

[0051] By the way, the air conditioning unit 40 in the comparative example described above requires a harness connection between the electric drive unit 42 for the interior door 41 and the other electric drive units 23, 25, 27, 29, and 45 provided by the air conditioning unit 1. Therefore, if the interior door 41 is attached to the interior duct 30, the routing of the harness becomes complicated.

[0052] In contrast, in the second embodiment, since the backflow prevention unit 15 does not require an electric drive unit, harness connection to the other electric drive units 23, 25, 27, and 29 of the air conditioning unit 1 is also unnecessary. Therefore, the backflow prevention unit 15 can be easily attached to the opening of the interior air duct 30, etc., without complicating the harness routing. If the backflow prevention unit 15 is provided in the interior air duct 30, the opening area of ​​the interior air intake port 14 will not be narrowed by the shaft member 151, door member 152, and stopper 153 that constitute the backflow prevention unit 15. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the area in which the interior air intake port 14 is formed in the air conditioning case 10 can be made smaller than in the first embodiment, so the size of the air conditioning case 10 can be made smaller. As a result, the degree of freedom in mounting the air conditioning case 10 can be increased.

[0053] (Third Embodiment) The third embodiment will now be described. The third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, etc., except that the backflow prevention unit 15 has been eliminated. Therefore, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment, etc. will be described.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, the air conditioning system 1 of the third embodiment does not have a backflow prevention unit 15 for the interior air intake port 14 and the interior air duct 30. Therefore, the interior air intake port 14 and the interior air duct 30 are passages that maintain constant communication between the interior / exterior air chamber 20 and the interior of the vehicle 6.

[0055] The air conditioning system 1 of the third embodiment, like the first embodiment, controls the ram pressure P of the outside air flowing from the outside air intake port 12 into the inner / outer air chamber 20. Ｒ However, the suction pressure P of the blower 11 ＳWhen the temperature is lower, the configuration ensures that interior air constantly flows into the interior / exterior air chamber 20 from the interior air intake 14. In other words, since the air conditioning unit 1 of the third embodiment is also mounted on a vehicle 3 equipped with a WS heater 4, the anti-fogging function using the defroster mode is unnecessary. Therefore, the interior air intake 14 and the interior air duct 30 do not require an interior air door 41 that is opened and closed by an electric drive unit 42. Thus, by simplifying the configuration of the air conditioning unit 1 and reducing the number of parts, the size can be reduced and manufacturing costs can be lowered.

[0056] (Other Embodiments) (1) In the above embodiments, the air conditioning unit 1 has been described as being installed in the motor room 5 of the vehicle 3, but it is not limited to this, and may be installed in the engine room, for example. Alternatively, a part of the air conditioning unit 1 may be installed in the motor room 5 or engine room of the vehicle 3. Alternatively, the air conditioning unit 1 may be installed between the dash panel 7 and the instrument panel 9 of the vehicle 3.

[0057] (2) In each of the above embodiments, the air conditioning system 1 has been described in which the air conditioning case 10 is not provided with a defroster outlet opening 43. However, it is not limited to this configuration, and for example, the air conditioning case 10 may be provided with a defroster outlet opening 43.

[0058] (3) In each of the above embodiments, the air conditioning system 1 has been described as an air mix type, but it is not limited to this, and for example, a reheat type may also be used.

[0059] (4) In the above embodiments, the first heat exchanger 21 has been described as cooling the air flowing through the air passage 16, and the second heat exchanger 22 has been described as heating the air flowing through the air passage 16, but the invention is not limited to this. Depending on how the heat transfer medium flows, it may be possible to perform a maximum cooling mode in which both the first heat exchanger 21 and the second heat exchanger 22 cool the conditioned air. It may also be possible to perform a maximum heating mode in which both the first heat exchanger 21 and the second heat exchanger 22 heat the conditioned air. Furthermore, the heat transfer medium flowing through the second heat exchanger 22 may be engine coolant.

[0060] (5) In each of the above embodiments, the door member 152, outside air door 13, face door 26, and foot door 28 of the backflow prevention unit 15 were described using a panel door as an example, but the invention is not limited to this, and various types of doors can be used, such as a sliding door, rotary door, or film door.

[0061] (6) In each of the above embodiments, the function of preventing fogging of the WS2 was described as the WS heater 4, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, an anti-fog film equipped with heating wires or the like may be attached to the WS2.

[0062] (7) In the above embodiments, the function of preventing fogging of WS2 was described as a WS heater 4, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, a desiccant unit may be installed in the vehicle interior 6 or in the air conditioning case 10. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a desiccant unit 57. As shown in Figure 11, the desiccant unit 57 includes a blower 50, a first desiccant 51, a second desiccant 52, a first electric heater 53, a second electric heater 54, a first ventilation path switching door 55, and a second ventilation path switching door 56. The first electric heater 53 is provided upstream of the first desiccant 51, and the first ventilation path switching door 55 is provided downstream of the first desiccant 51. Also, the second electric heater 54 is provided upstream of the second desiccant 52, and the second ventilation path switching door 56 is provided downstream of the second desiccant 52.

[0063] The operation of the desiccant unit 57 is as follows: By driving the blower 50, as shown by arrow F1 in Figure 11, air from the vehicle interior 6 is blown to the first desiccant 51 via the first electric heater 53, and air from the vehicle interior 6 is blown to the second desiccant 52 via the second electric heater 54. At this time, if the first desiccant 51 is maintaining its moisture adsorption function, the first electric heater 53 is turned off and the second electric heater 54 is turned on. In addition, the first ventilation path switching door 55 is positioned so that air that has passed through the first desiccant 51 can be blown into the vehicle interior 6, and the second ventilation path switching door 56 is positioned so that air that has passed through the second desiccant 52 can be blown outside the vehicle interior. As a result, the first desiccant 51, which receives air from the vehicle interior 6 at room temperature, adsorbs moisture in the air passing through it. The air dried by the first desiccant 51, from which moisture has been adsorbed, is blown back into the vehicle interior 6, as shown by arrow F2. Meanwhile, the second desiccant 52, from which air heated by the second electric heater 54 is blown, evaporates the moisture adsorbed on itself into the air passing through it. The air, which has become more humid from the evaporation of moisture from the second desiccant 52, is discharged outside the vehicle interior, as shown by arrow F3.

[0064] When the desiccant unit 57 is in operation, the desiccant that adsorbs moisture and the desiccant that evaporates moisture are switched according to predetermined conditions (for example, usage time). That is, when a predetermined time has elapsed from the above state and the moisture adsorption function of the second desiccant 52 has recovered, the first electric heater 53 is turned on and the second electric heater 54 is turned off. Also, as shown by the dashed line 55a, the first ventilation path switching door 55 is positioned so that the air that has passed through the first desiccant 51 can be blown out of the vehicle compartment, and as shown by the dashed line 56a, the second ventilation path switching door 56 is positioned so that the air that has passed through the second desiccant 52 can be blown into the vehicle compartment 6. As a result, the first desiccant 51, which is to which air heated by the first electric heater 53 is blown, evaporates the moisture adsorbed on itself into the air passing through it. The air, which has become more humid due to the evaporation of moisture from the first desiccant 51, is discharged out of the vehicle compartment as shown by the arrow F4. Meanwhile, the second desiccant 52, which receives air from the vehicle interior 6 at room temperature, adsorbs moisture from the air passing through it. The dry air, from which moisture has been adsorbed by the second desiccant 52, is then blown back into the vehicle interior 6, as shown by arrow F2.

[0065] Thus, the desiccant unit 57 can maintain the moisture adsorption function of at least one of the first desiccant 51 and the second desiccant 52 by switching between a desiccant that adsorbs moisture and a desiccant that evaporates moisture according to predetermined conditions. Therefore, the desiccant unit 57 can dehumidify the air in the vehicle interior 6 or the air passing through the air conditioning case 10 using the desiccant with moisture adsorption function, thereby suppressing fogging of the WS2.

[0066] (8) In each of the above embodiments, the outside air door 13 was described as being driven by an electric drive unit 23 as an example of a drive unit, but it is not limited to this, and may be driven by a manual drive unit as another example of a drive unit.

[0067] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments and parts thereof are not unrelated to each other and can be combined as appropriate, except in cases where the combination is clearly impossible. In addition, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless they are explicitly stated to be particularly essential or are clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, when numerical values ​​such as the number, numerical values, quantities, or ranges of the components of the embodiments are mentioned in the embodiments, they are not limited to those specific numbers unless they are explicitly stated to be particularly essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, when the shapes, positional relationships, etc. of the components are mentioned in the embodiments, they are not limited to those shapes, positional relationships, etc. unless they are explicitly stated to be particular or are clearly limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0068] The control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium. The memory described above is a non-transitional tangible storage medium. When the computer program is executed, the control method corresponding to the computer program is executed.

[0069] (Perspective of this disclosure) The above disclosure can be understood, for example, from the following perspectives. [First perspective] An air conditioning system mounted on a vehicle (3) equipped with a mechanism (4, 57) for preventing fogging of the front windshield (2), comprising: an air conditioning case (10) through which air blown into the passenger compartment (6) flows; a blower (11) for generating airflow within the air conditioning case; an internal / external air chamber (20) formed upstream of the blower within the air conditioning case; an external air intake (12) for drawing in outside air into the internal / external air chamber; an external air door (13) for opening and closing the external air intake; a drive unit (23) for driving the external air door to open and close; and an internal air intake (14) for drawing in passenger air into the internal / external air chamber, wherein the wind pressure (P) of the outside air flowing in from the external air intake into the internal / external air chamber Ｒ ) is the suction pressure (P) of the blower. ＳAn air conditioning system configured such that when the wind pressure of the outside air flowing into the inside / outside air chamber from the outside air intake is less than the suction pressure of the blower, the air conditioning system further comprises a backflow prevention unit (15) that allows the air inside the vehicle to flow into the inside / outside air chamber from the inside air intake when the wind pressure of the outside air flowing into the inside / outside air chamber from the outside air intake is greater than the suction pressure of the blower, and prevents the air in the inside / outside air chamber from flowing into the vehicle interior via the inside air intake when the wind pressure of the outside air flowing into the inside / outside air chamber from the outside air intake is greater than the suction pressure of the blower. [Third viewpoint] The air conditioning device according to the second viewpoint, wherein the backflow prevention unit has an interior air duct attached to the interior air intake or a door member (152) provided in the interior air intake that opens and closes the flow path inside the interior air duct or the interior air intake, and a stopper (153) that restricts the range of movement of the door member toward the interior of the vehicle. [Fourth viewpoint] The air conditioning device according to any one of the first to third viewpoints, wherein the outside air intake is provided at the rear of the vehicle component (8) within the vehicle width direction and vehicle vertical direction, within the range of the vehicle component that can suppress the dynamic pressure of wind caused by vehicle movement in the motor room (5) or engine room of the vehicle. [Fifth viewpoint] The air conditioning device according to any one of the first to fourth viewpoints, wherein the air conditioning case is provided with at least a face outlet opening (17) through which conditioned air is blown over the upper body area of ​​the occupant seated in the seat, and a foot outlet opening (18) through which conditioned air is blown over the lower body area of ​​the occupant seated in the seat, and is not provided with a defroster outlet opening (43) through which conditioned air is blown towards the front windshield.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system mounted on a vehicle (3) equipped with a mechanism (4, 57) for preventing fogging of the front windshield (2), comprising: an air conditioning case (10) through which air blown into the passenger compartment (6) flows; a blower (11) for generating airflow within the air conditioning case; an interior / exterior air chamber (20) formed upstream of the blower within the air conditioning case; an exterior air intake (12) for drawing in outside air into the interior / exterior air chamber; an exterior air door (13) for opening and closing the exterior air intake; a drive unit (23) for driving the exterior air door to open and close; and an interior air intake (14) for drawing in passenger air into the interior / exterior air chamber, wherein the wind pressure (P) of the outside air flowing in from the exterior air intake into the interior / exterior air chamber Ｒ ) is the suction pressure (P) of the blower. Ｓ An air conditioning system configured such that when the value is smaller than the interior air intake, cabin air constantly flows into the interior / exterior air chamber from the interior air intake.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising a backflow prevention unit (15) that allows cabin air to flow into the cabin air chamber from the interior air intake when the wind pressure of the outside air flowing into the cabin air chamber from the outside air intake is less than the suction pressure of the blower, and prevents the air in the cabin air chamber from flowing into the cabin air chamber via the interior air intake when the wind pressure of the outside air flowing into the cabin air chamber from the outside air intake is greater than the suction pressure of the blower.

3. The air conditioning device according to claim 2, wherein the backflow prevention unit includes an interior air duct attached to the interior air intake port or a door member (152) provided at the interior air intake port that opens and closes the flow path inside the interior air duct or the interior air intake port, and a stopper (153) that restricts the range of movement of the door member toward the interior of the vehicle.

4. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outside air intake is provided at the rear of the vehicle component (8) within the vehicle width direction and vehicle height direction, within the range of the vehicle component capable of suppressing the dynamic pressure of wind caused by vehicle movement in the motor room (5) or engine room of the vehicle.

5. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air conditioning case is provided with at least a face outlet opening (17) through which conditioned air is blown over the upper body area of ​​an occupant seated in a seat, and a foot outlet opening (18) through which conditioned air is blown over the lower body area of ​​an occupant seated in a seat, but is not provided with a defroster outlet opening (43) through which conditioned air is blown towards the front windshield.

Images