JPH11348527A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent drain water generated in the vicinity of an evaporator from being flown backward to the upstream side of an air conditioner unit. SOLUTION: This air conditioner has a vertical type in which a blower fan 5 and an evaporator 6 are arranged substantially horizontally and an air mixing damper 13 and a heater 7 are laminated on the evaporator 6. In the upstream side of the evaporator 6, a plate 20 made of a material of specific gravity smaller than water is provided. The plate 20 is a plate shaped member and has one side connected to the wall surface 4a of an air conditioner unit 4 by a hinge 20a and the other side rotatable on the hinge 20a as a supporting point. A clearance 20b is formed between the lower surface of the plate 20 and the wall surface 4a. When drain water enters the clearance 20b, the plate 20 rotate upward to shut down a passage in the air conditioner unit 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle which is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile and performs air conditioning such as cooling and heating in a vehicle compartment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a vehicle air conditioner, a blower fan controls the flow of air between an inlet provided at an upstream end of an air conditioner unit for introducing inside and outside air and an outlet provided at a downstream end. It is something to create. An evaporator and a heater are arranged downstream of the blower fan. The air passing through the evaporator is cooled, and the air passing through the heater is heated. Further, an air mix damper is provided on the upstream side of the heater, and by adjusting the opening degree, the cool air and the hot air are mixed on the downstream side. The air conditioner is intended to provide a desired vehicle interior environment by controlling the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle in this way.

[0003] The degree to which the cool air and the warm air are mixed is determined, for example, by a passenger operating a control panel installed in the vehicle. The control panel can normally input a temperature setting and an operation mode of the air conditioner (cooling or heating, etc.). Is automatically controlled. In addition, the control of the air conditioner is usually performed in consideration of the measurement results of the temperature inside the vehicle, the outside air temperature, and the like in addition to the information input by the passenger.

[0004] The arrangement (or assembly) of the components of the air conditioner may be a horizontal type (evaporator, evaporator, etc.).
There are various types such as a type in which a heater, an outlet, and the like are arranged horizontally, and a vertical type (a type in which the components are stacked in a vertical direction). , Various types of computers, CD autochangers, etc.), the mounting capacity of the air conditioner is being limited due to the increase, and thus there is a tendency to adopt an arrangement that can be made as compact as possible. Speaking of the horizontal installation type and the vertical installation type, it can be said that the latter air conditioner is an arrangement form that matches the idea. According to this, it is possible to store all the components constituting the air conditioner in a relatively small volume.

[0005]

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an evaporator E and a part of its casing C in the vertical type air conditioner. Here, the casing C may be considered as a part of the members constituting the air conditioner unit described above. A blower fan (not shown) is provided on the left side of FIG. 3, and an air mix damper, a heater, and the like are provided above the evaporator E so as to be stacked. Therefore, the conditioned air flows from the left to the right in the lower part of the drawing, and flows upward from there through the evaporator E.

As described above, since the conditioned air flowing through the casing C (ie, the air conditioner unit) usually contains moisture, the conditioned air is supplied to the evaporator E.
When passing through, the moisture condenses to generate drain water W. Conventionally, this drain water W is, as shown in FIG.
The evaporator E is installed obliquely from the horizontal direction and falls naturally on the floor Cp of the casing C downward. The drain water W is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through a drain pipe Ch provided in the casing C in advance.

However, as guessed especially in the middle of summer, drain water W exceeding the capacity of drain pipe Ch is assumed.
When this occurs, there is a case where this stays inside the casing C and the drain water W flows backward to the blower fan (not shown). This backflow may occur at the time of turning motion of the vehicle or at the time of running on a slope. If this happens, the blower fan will be flooded,
There is a possibility that the performance of the blower fan may be deteriorated or, at worst, it may be broken. Incidentally, the amount of generated drain water W is generally estimated to be about several tens of cc per hour. However, it cannot be denied that the amount of generated drain water W is greatly affected by the conditions such as the outside temperature and humidity and is large.

Conventionally, in order to prevent the backflow of the drain water W, for example, a wall A inside the casing C as shown in FIG. 4 is provided, or the structure of the casing C as shown in FIG. Change it to saucer B
Countermeasures such as setting up are considered. However, providing the wall A is not preferable because it hinders the progress of the wind blown from the blower fan. In addition, saucer B
In this case, the volume of the air conditioner as a whole is increased, and not only is the structure of the air conditioner compact, but also the drain water W flowing backward cannot be completely prevented. In any case, it can be said that this is not a drastic measure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner which does not allow drain water generated near an evaporator to flow backward to an upstream side of an air conditioner unit. .

[0010]

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, the air conditioner according to claim 1 has an outside air inlet and an inside air inlet that are opened and closed by a damper at an upstream end, and an air conditioning unit that has a conditioned air outlet into a vehicle cabin at a downstream end. A blower fan, an evaporator, a heater, and an air mix damper provided in the air conditioner unit are provided, and a water flow prevention plate capable of arbitrarily opening and closing a passage of the air conditioner unit is provided upstream of the evaporator. It is characterized by the following.

According to this, when the water condensed by the evaporator, that is, the drain water flows backward in the direction of the blower fan, the backflow is prevented by the water flow prevention plate blocking the passage of the air conditioner unit. Becomes possible.

Further, in the air conditioner according to the present invention, the water flow prevention plate has a plate shape, one side is connected to a wall surface of the air conditioner unit via a rotatable member, and the other side is the other side. The air-conditioning unit is configured so as to rotate with a rotatable member as a fulcrum, and a gap is formed between a lower surface of the water flow prevention plate and a wall surface of the air conditioner unit.

According to this, when a small amount of the above-mentioned drain water flows back, the back flow is prevented by flowing into the gap. If the amount of drain water is large, the drain water that has flowed into the gap acts as a force to rotate the rotating side of the water flow prevention plate upward, thereby blocking the passage of the air conditioner unit. As a result, even if the amount of drain water is large, the back flow is prevented.

Further, the air conditioner according to claim 3 is characterized in that the water flow prevention plate is made of a material having a lower specific gravity than water.

According to this, it is easy for the drain water flowing into the above-mentioned gap to apply a force for rotating the water flow prevention plate.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle air conditioner of the embodiment. This air conditioner has an air conditioner unit 4 having an air passage 3 inside. An inlet 1 for sucking inside and outside air is formed at an upstream end of the air conditioner unit 4, and an outlet 2 for blowing conditioned air into a vehicle compartment is formed at a downstream end. Air conditioning unit 4
A blower fan 5 is arranged on the upstream side, and an evaporator 6 and an air mix damper 1 are arranged downstream from the blower fan 5 in that order.
3. A heater 7 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, a blower fan 5 is arranged below the inlet 1 and an evaporator 6 is arranged so as to be substantially horizontal with the blower fan 5, as shown in FIG. At the same time, the air mix damper 13, the heater 7, and the air outlet 2 are stacked above the evaporator 6 to form a so-called vertical type air conditioner. Therefore, the flow of the conditioned air from the upstream end, that is, the inlet 1, of the air conditioner unit 4 to the downstream end, that is, the outlet 2, has a U-shape facing the side.
In particular, paying attention to the evaporator 6, the conditioned air flows in such a manner as to pass upward from below the evaporator 6.

Hereinafter, each component will be described. The inlet 1 of the air conditioner unit 4 is composed of an outside air inlet for introducing outside air, and an inside air inlet for introducing circulating air inside the vehicle.
Between the outside air introduction port and the inside air introduction port, there is provided an inside / outside air switching damper (not shown) for opening one of the outside air introduction port and the inside air introduction port to switch between outside air and inside air.

The air outlet 2 of the air conditioner unit 4 is
A defroster outlet 2a formed at the upper part of the air conditioner unit 4 for blowing air onto a windshield or the like in the passenger compartment to prevent fogging and the like, a face outlet 2b for blowing air from the front of the dashboard or the like, and formed at a lower part of the air conditioner unit 4. Foot outlet 2c that blows air from the lower part of the passenger compartment
Consists of The defroster outlet 2a, face outlet 2b, and foot outlet 2c are provided with a defroster-side damper, a face-side damper, and a foot-side damper (each not shown) for adjusting the opening area.

The blower fan 5 sucks the inside and outside air from the outside air inlet or the inside air inlet, and
And is connected to the electric motor 5a. The evaporator 6 is an element of the refrigeration cycle and cools the air flowing through the air conditioner unit 4.
The heater 7 is incorporated in the hot water circulation path and heats the flowing air. The air mix damper 13 corresponds to the arrow 1 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3a, control relating to the opening / closing operation is performed on the upstream side of the heater 7, and the ratio of the wind passing through the heater 7 and the wind not passing through the heater 7 is adjusted in accordance with the stop position, so that the cold wind and the hot It functions to adjust the mixing ratio of the wind.

In this air conditioner, when the blower fan 5 is driven, outside air or inside air is introduced into the air conditioner unit 4 from the outside air introduction port or the inside air introduction port, and the introduced air passes through the air flow path 3 to the downstream side. Is sent. The air flowing in the air conditioner unit 4 is then cooled by passing through the evaporator 6 and flows downstream. At this time, if the air mix damper 13 completely covers the heater 7 side passage, the air goes to the outlet 2 without passing through the heater 7, and cool air is blown from the outlet 2 into the vehicle. When the air mix damper 13 fully opens the heater 7 side passage, all of the air passes through the heater 7 and is heated.
The air is blown out from the air outlet 2 into the vehicle interior. When the air mix damper 13 is at the intermediate position, the cold air that does not pass through the heater 7 and the warm air that has passed through the heater 7 are mixed on the downstream side of the air mix damper 13 in accordance with the degree of opening, and the mixed air Is blown out of the outlet 2 into the vehicle interior.

The features of the present invention and the parts related thereto will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the evaporator 6 is installed so as to be slightly oblique from the horizontal direction. In order to cope with this, the wall surface 4a of the air conditioner unit 4 below the evaporator 6 is also inclined from the horizontal direction. In FIG. 1, the wall surface 4a is a slope that descends from left to right. A drain pipe 4b is formed at the lowermost end of the slanted wall surface 4a, that is, at the rightmost end in FIG.
The drain pipe 4b is connected to the outside of the vehicle at an extension end (not shown).

On the upstream side of the evaporator 6, there is provided a plate (water flow prevention plate) 20 which can freely open and close the passage of the air conditioner unit 4. In FIG. 1, the plate 20 is installed in the air conditioner unit 4 between the evaporator 6 and the blower fan 5. The plate 20 is a plate-like member having a cross section similar to that of the wing, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. Then, one side is connected to the wall surface 4a via a rotatable hinge (a rotatable member) 20a, and the other side can be freely rotated with the hinge 20a as a fulcrum as shown by an arrow P in FIG. It has become.

The plate 20 is installed so that a gap 20b is formed between the lower surface of the plate 20 and the wall surface 4a of the air conditioner unit 4, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. . In the present embodiment, the gap 20b is formed by the plate 2 described above.
It depends largely on the wing-shaped cross section of zero. Also, the gap 20b
A recess 4b is formed in the portion of the wall surface 4a facing the lower surface of the plate 20 in order to increase the capacity of the plate 20 as much as possible.

The plate 20 is made of a material having a smaller specific gravity than water, for example, styrene foam. The plate 20 made of such a light material is in a state of being pressed against the wall surface 4a by the conditioned air sent from the blower fan 5 during the normal operation. However, it is assumed that the gap 20b is also secured at this time.

The operation and effect of the air conditioner having the above configuration will be described. If the air taken in by the air conditioner contains a large amount of moisture, such as during summer operation, moisture condensed when the conditioned air passes through the evaporator 6 appears. This so-called drain water adheres around the evaporator 6 and drops on the wall surface 4 a of the air conditioner unit 4. The drain water is supplied to the evaporator 6 and the wall 4
Since a is installed diagonally, it naturally flows downward. If the amount of drain water is not so large, the drain water is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the drain pipe 4b.

In the case where the amount of the drain water is increased and exceeds the drainage capacity of the drain pipe 4b, the water is removed from the wall 4a.
Will temporarily stay on top. At this time, when the vehicle is in a turning motion, running on a slope, or the like, the drain water flows backward to the higher side of the wall surface 4a. In the present embodiment, the drain water that has begun to flow backward flows into the gap 20b between the lower surface of the plate 20 and the wall surface 4a. Therefore, the drain water does not reach the blower fan 5.

If a larger amount of drain water is generated following the above state, more water may flow backward. At this time, the water flowing into the gap 20b is a source of an action force that rotates the plate 20 upward. Since the plate 20 is made of a material having a lower specific gravity than water, it can be seen that it is easy for the force of the water to rotate the plate 20. Therefore, the passage connecting the blower fan 5 and the evaporator 6 in the air conditioner unit 4 is blocked by the plate 20. That is, even in such a case, the drain water does not reach the blower fan 5.

Then, the drain water is filled with the gap 20 with time.
When the plate 20 is pulled from the position b, the plate 20 opens the passage of the air conditioner unit 4 again. This is naturally achieved by the conditioned air sent out by the blower fan 5.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the amount of the drain water is small, the gap between the lower surface of the plate 20 and the wall surface 4a, and when the amount of the drain water is large, the drain water flowing into the gap 20b rotates the plate 20 upward to cause the air conditioner to rotate. By blocking the passage of the unit 4, the backflow of the drain water to the blower fan 5 is prevented. Therefore, the blower fan 5 does not get wet, and there is no inconvenience such as a decrease in performance or a failure. That is, stable operation of the air conditioner can be continued.

In the above embodiment, the plate 20 is a single plate member, but the present invention is not particularly limited in this respect. For example,
1 and 2, the depth direction (perpendicular to the paper surface)
The length of the plate 20 may be divided into a plurality of parts. That is, a plurality of plates are provided. One end of each of these plates is independently fixed by a hinge, and the other end is rotatable. In this case, only the plate corresponding to the portion where the drain water has flowed back rotates. Thereby, the air-conditioning air sent from the blower fan 5 is hardly blocked, and the plate 20 is
Even when the internal passage is shut off, stable conditioned air is distributed to each component after the evaporator 6.

In the present embodiment, the gap 20b is formed by the wing-shaped cross section of the plate 20, but the present invention is not particularly limited in this regard. That is, the present invention does not particularly limit the cross-sectional shape of the plate 20. Regardless of the cross-sectional shape of the plate 20, the gap 20b can be ensured by forming a relatively large recess 4b in the wall surface 4a as already shown in FIGS. However, it is meaningless to make the recess 4b too large to increase the volume of the entire air conditioner. The size of the depression 4b is determined by such a restriction.

[0033]

As described above, the air conditioner according to the first aspect has the water flow prevention plate on the upstream side of the evaporator. Therefore, in the case where the drain water flows backward in the direction of the blower fan, that is, in the case where it flows backward to the upstream side, it is possible to prevent the backward flow by operating the water flow prevention plate in the direction of blocking the passage of the air conditioner unit. . Therefore, a stable operation of the air conditioner can be ensured without causing a trouble such as a failure of the blower fan.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner, the water flow prevention plate is a plate-like member, one side is connected to a wall surface of the air conditioner unit by a rotatable member, and the other side is connected to the rotatable member. It is configured to rotate as a fulcrum, and a gap is formed between the lower surface of the water flow prevention plate and the wall surface of the air conditioner unit. Accordingly, when the amount of drain water is small, the drain water flows into the gap, and when the amount of drain water is large, the drain water that has flowed into the gap rotates the water flow prevention plate upward to cause the air conditioner unit passage to flow. Acts as a blocking force. In any case, the drain water does not flow backward in the direction of the blower fan. That is, it can be said that the air conditioner according to the present invention is the most influential configuration for realizing the above-described effects.

Further, in the air conditioner according to the third aspect, the water flow prevention plate is made of a material having a lower specific gravity than water. This makes it easy for the drain water flowing into the gap to rotate the water flow prevention plate upward as described above. That is, the backflow of the drain water can be effectively prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a vehicle air conditioner.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a configuration of a conventional vehicle air conditioner.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conventional air conditioner for a vehicle in which a countermeasure for preventing backflow of drain water is taken.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a vehicle air conditioner to which a drain water backflow prevention measure of a different form from that of FIG. 4 is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 inlet 2 outlet 4 air conditioner unit 4a wall 5 blower fan 6 evaporator 7 heater 13 air mix damper 20 plate (water flow prevention plate) 20a hinge (rotatable member) 20b gap

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yuki Izawa 3-1-1 Asahicho, Nishibiwashima-cho, Nishi-Kasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture Inside Air Conditioning Works of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. 3-chome No. 1 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Air Conditioner Works

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner unit having an outside air inlet and an inside air inlet that are opened and closed by a damper at an upstream end, and an air conditioning air outlet at a downstream end into a vehicle cabin, and an air conditioning unit provided in the air conditioning unit. Blower fan,
An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: an evaporator, a heater, and an air mix damper; and a water flow prevention plate that can arbitrarily open and close a passage of the air conditioner unit is provided upstream of the evaporator. 2. The water flow prevention plate is formed in a plate shape, and one side is connected to a wall surface of the air conditioner unit via a rotatable member, and the other side rotates with the rotatable member as a fulcrum. 2. A structure according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between a lower surface of the water flow prevention plate and a wall surface of the air conditioner unit.
An air conditioner for a vehicle as described in the above. 3. The air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the water flow prevention plate is made of a material having a lower specific gravity than water.