Vehicle Door HVAC Duct Layout for Flexible Cabin Airflow
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle designs face constraints in accommodating air conditioning systems, which can limit design flexibility and thermal comfort for occupants.
Innovation Solution
The motor vehicle incorporates an air conditioning system where the outlet ducts extend inside the doors, allowing for flexible roof design and improved air distribution to occupants without interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the air conditioning system is accommodated in conventional positions, then the system structure is simple, but the design flexibility of the vehicle is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioning system is divided into separate functional modules: treatment unit, outlet ducts, and vents. The outlet ducts are further segmented to extend through the door structures, allowing independent routing and positioning that enhances design flexibility without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet ducts are routed through a third dimension by extending them inside the door structures rather than confining them to the conventional roof or dashboard plane. This spatial reconfiguration allows the air conditioning system to adapt to various vehicle designs without increasing operational complexity
2Reliability
If the outlet ducts extend through the doors, then the air distribution to occupants is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The doors serve multiple functions: they provide structural closure for the passenger compartment and simultaneously act as conduits for the air conditioning outlet ducts. This multi-functionality ensures continuous air distribution to occupants without requiring separate dedicated pathways, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet ducts are merged with the door structures, combining the functions of air transport and structural closure in a single integrated component. This merging ensures uninterrupted air flow to occupants while reducing the number of separate elements that would otherwise increase system complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances design flexibility, reduces constraints on the vehicle's design, and improves thermal comfort by ensuring uninterrupted air distribution to occupants.
Implementation Method 1
an air conditioning system (15), also known as HVAC system, configured to heat, ventilate and air-condition the air inside the passenger compartment (3)
Implementation Method 2
a treatment unit (18) fed by the inlet ducts (16, 17) with the air to be treated and configured to treat the air so as to bring it to the desired humidity and temperature values
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Motor vehicle (1) comprising a body delimiting a passenger compartment and comprising a side (6) with a door sill (10), a door (4) arranged above the door sill (10) and movable, relative to the body, between a closed position, in which it forbids access to the passenger compartment, and an open position, in which it allows access to/exit from the passenger compartment, and an air conditioning system (15) to let treated air into the passenger compartment, wherein the air conditioning system (15) comprises, an inlet duct designed to convey air to be treated, a treatment unit fluidly connected to said inlet duct and configured to treat the air to be treated, an outlet duct (19) fluidly connected to the treatment unit and designed to convey the treated air, and an outlet vent (20) fluidly connected to the outlet duct (19) and open towards the inside of the passenger compartment to convey the treated air into the passenger compartment, and the outlet duct (19) extends inside the door (4).