Vehicle Air Conditioner Rear Vent and Temp Door Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle air conditioners face limitations in triple zone control and suffer from insufficient airflow to rear seats due to the placement of components, which reduces the flow rate and increases the separation wall structure, thereby decreasing the airflow space.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design includes a casing with a cooler and heater, featuring front and rear temperature doors to control airflow to separate zones, optimizing the airflow path to increase the flow rate to rear seats and reducing the separation wall structure to enhance airflow space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rear door is disposed over the heater and temp door, then the air can be guided through the open entrance, but the flow rate of air discharged to the rear vent is reduced due to the inappropriate route
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional airflow path by positioning the rear vent at the lower portion of the casing under the cooler, rather than having air pass over the heater and temp door. This reversal creates a direct airflow route from the cooler to the rear vent, eliminating the inappropriate route and increasing the airflow rate to rear seats.
2Reliability
If a separation wall is installed for discharging condensate water, then condensate can be discharged, but the space for air to flow after passing through the evaporator is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the space conflict by changing the spatial arrangement: the separation wall is positioned at the rear of the evaporator rather than in the airflow path. This dimensional repositioning allows the separation wall to perform condensate discharge while maintaining sufficient airflow space in the evaporator outlet region.
3Device complexity
If a single zone control type is used, then the structure is simple, but triple zone control that is being recently studied cannot be applied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the airflow control into multiple independent zones by providing separate temp doors for the front seat zone and rear seat zone, along with independent vents. This segmentation enables triple zone control (front left, front right, rear) while maintaining relatively simple structure through modular door and vent design.
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 allows for increased airflow to rear seats, separate temperature control for front and rear zones, and improved airflow space by optimizing the airflow path and reducing the separation wall structure, addressing the limitations of existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler (102) disposed in the internal space of the casing, and configured to decrease a temperature of air discharged to an interior of a vehicle
Implementation Method 2
a heater (104) disposed in the internal space of the casing, and configured to increase the temperature of the air in the interior of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner for a vehicle includes: a casing to accommodate a cooler and a heater; a front temp door disposed in the casing to control a temperature of air supplied to a front seat zone; a rear temp door disposed under the front temp door to control a temperature of air supplied to a rear seat zone; and a rear vent disposed at a lower portion of the casing to discharge air to the rear seat zone. The air conditioner can secure the flow rate of the air that is supplied to the rear seat zone of the interior of a vehicle by improving the route for flow of the air that is supplied to the rear seat zone.