AU709429B1 - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Denso Corporation ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: Vehicle air conditioner The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to a rib structure provided in a case of a vehicle air conditioner, for restricting condensed water generated from a cooling unit from scattering toward a downstream air side.

2. Related Art: Conventionally, various structures are disclosed to restrict condensed water generated from a cooling unit of a vehicle air conditioner from entering into a heater unit disposed on a downstream air side of the cooling unit. For example, a rib is provided on a bottom of a case for accommodating a cooling unit evaporator) at a downstream air side of the cooling unit. The rib protrudes upwardly from the case to be perpendicular to an air flow direction, thereby restricting condensed water generated from the cooling unit from moving toward the downstream air side along with air flow.

However, when a vehicle is steered around a sharp curve or is rapidly accelerated or is stopped abruptly, a relatively large centrifugal force is applied to condensed water accumulated in the bottom part of the case. Therefore, condensed water moves toward a direction where centrifugal force is applied. As a result, height of a surface of the condensed water may be instantaneously increased. In this case, a height of the rib may be increased to correspond to the la maximum height of the surface of the condensed water. However, when the height of the rib is increased, pressure loss (flow resistance) of air may be increased in the case, and an air flow amount in the air conditioner may be decreased.

On the other hand, when a recessed portion having a sufficiently large capacity is provided in the case of the cooling unit at a downstream air side of the cooling unit, condensed water tends to be collected into the recessed portion, thereby restricting condensed water from moving toward the downstream air direction and facilitating discharge of condensed water. However, in this case, a size of the air conditioner may be increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle, in which condensed water generated from a cooling unit is effectively restricted from moving toward a downstream air side by a rib structure, even when a vehicle is steered around a sharp curve or is rapidly accelerated or is stopped abruptly.

It is an another object of the present invention to provide to an air conditioner for a vehicle, in which condensed water generated from a cooling unit is effectively restricted from moving toward a downstream air side by a rib structure while pressure loss of air within the air conditioner is decreased.

According to the present invention, in an 'air -2conditioner for a vehicle, a first rib extending in an extending direction perpendicular to an air-flowing direction is disposed on a bottom of a case at a downstream air side of a cooling unit, to restrict condensed water generated from the cooling unit from moving toward a downstream air side. A second rib protrudes from the first rib toward an upstream air side of the first rib, so that an upstream air side space of the first rib is separated into plural areas by the second rib.

Further, the second rib is perpendicular to the extending direction of the first rib. Therefore, the second rib prevents the condensed water from moving in the extending direction of the first rib. Thus, even when the vehicle is steered around a sharp curve or the like and a centrifugal force is applied to condensed water, condensed water only moves within each of the plural areas, and is restricted from moving toward a direction of centrifugal force by the second rib, thereby preventing a height of a surface of condensed water from increasing. Thus, condensed water is effectively restricted from moving toward the downstream air side by the first rib and the second rib without increasing a height of the ribs. As a result, pressure loss of air within the air conditioner can be decreased even when the first and second ribs are provided.

Preferably, the case is made of resin, and the first and second ribs are integrally formed with the case.

Therefore, the first and second ribs can be readily provided.

More preferably, the second rib includes plural rib portions disposed in parallel with each other at a -3predetermined interval. Therefore, even when the vehicle is steered around a sharp curve or the like and a centrifugal force is applied to condensed water, the height of surface of the condensed water can be further effectively restricted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This and other objects and features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a better understanding of the preferred embodiment described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a cooling unit for a vehicle air conditioner when an upper case is removed, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a part of the cooling unit according to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner 10 for a vehicle has a cooling unit 11 for cooling air passing therethrough. In the embodiment, an evaporator is typically used as the cooling unit 11. The cooling unit 11 is accommodated in a case composed of an upper case and a lower case 12. The upper case and the lower case 12 are detachably connected to each other -4integrally by a fastener such as a metal spring clip (not shown).

The air conditioner 10 is disposed under an instrument panel in a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a direction shown in FIGS. 1, 2. In the embodiment, the air conditioner is mounted on a vehicle having a left steering wheel.

Therefore, a blower unit (not shown) for blowing into the case is disposed at a right side a seat side next to a driver's seat) of the cooling unit 11, and a heater unit (not shown) for heating air is disposed at a left side the driver's seat side) of the cooling unit 11. Thus, air blown by the blower unit passes through the cooling unit 11 from a vehicle right side to a vehicle left side as indicated by arrow A in FIGS. 1, 2.

Each of the upper case and the lower case 12 is made of resin which is superior in mechanical strength and has elasticity to some degree, such as polypropylene. The lower case 12 has a supporting portion 13 for supporting a bottom peripheral portion of the cooling unit 11, and a funnel-like condensed water receiving surface 14 (hereinafter referred to as receiving surface 14) which inclines downwardly. Further, a drain port 15 through which condensed water is discharged is formed at a bottom of the receiving surface 14.

Further, a main rib 16 for restricting condensed water from moving toward a downstream air side is disposed at a bottom of the lower case 12 at a downstream air side of the cooling unit 11. The main rib 16 protrudes from an upper end of the receiving surface 14, and extends in a direction perpendicular to an air-flowing direction indicated by arrow A.

That is, in the embodiment, the main rib 16 extends in a frontrear direction of the vehicle. Further, plural auxiliary ribs 17 are disposed at the bottom of the lower case 12, in the vicinity of the upper end of the receiving surface 14. The auxiliary ribs 17 protrude from the main rib 16 in a direction perpendicular to the main rib 16 toward an upstream air side of the main rib 16, thereby separating an upstream air side space of the main rib 16 into plural areas. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, nine auxiliary ribs 17 are disposed in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval L.

In the embodiment, a height H of the main rib 16 is in a range of 10-20 mm. A top end of the auxiliary rib 17 is lowered from a top end of the main rib 16 by a predetermined length h. The length h is set to 5 mm, for example. The interval L between adjacent auxiliary ribs 17 in the extending direction of the main rib 16 is set in a range of 30-40 mm. A protruding length D of each auxiliary rib 17 protruding from the main rib 16 is set to 20 mm. Further, a distance M between the cooling unit 11 and the main rib 16 is set to 40 mm.

The main rib 16 and the auxiliary ribs 17 may be formed integrally with the lower case 12 made of resin. Refrigerant is introduced into the cooling unit 11 through an inlet, and is discharged from the cooling unit 11 through an outlet. The inlet and outlet of the cooling unit 11 are provided in a joint 18.

-6- Next, operation of the air conditioner 10 will be described. When the air conditioner 10 is activated, inside air air inside the passenger compartment) or outside air air outside the passenger compartment) is blown by the blower unit and passes through the cooling unit 11 in the airflowing direction indicated by arrow A. When air passes through the cooling unit 11, refrigerant of a refrigerant cycle flowing through the cooling unit 11 absorbs heat from air and is evaporated. As a result, air is cooled and dehumidified, thereby generating condensed water from the cooling unit 11.

Most of the condensed water falls downwardly along the cooling unit 11 by gravity, but a part of the condensed water is pushed by the air flow toward a downstream air side of the cooling unit 11, toward the left side of the cooling unit 11 in FIGS. 1, 2.

According to the embodiment, the main rib 16 protruding from the bottom of the lower case 12 extends in the direction perpendicular to the air-flowing direction along the whole width of the lower case 12 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the main rib 16 restricts the condensed water from moving toward the downstream air side. Both the condensed water stopped by the main rib 16 and the condensed water directly falling downwardly along the cooling unit 11 flows on the receiving surface 14 to be collected into the drain port 15, and is discharged from the drain port 15 to an outside of the passenger compartment through a drain pipe (not shown).

-7- When the vehicle is steered around a sharp curve or the like, the condensed water on the receiving surface 14 tends to move toward a direction of centrifugal force vehicle front-rear direction in FIG. However, in the embodiment, the upstream air side space of the main rib 16 is separated into plural areas by the auxiliary ribs 17. Therefore, the condensed water moves only within each separated area between adjacent the auxiliary ribs 17, thereby restricting the whole condensed water from moving toward the direction of centrifugal force.

As a result, the height of the surface of the condensed water is not instantaneously greatly increased even when the vehicle is steered around a sharp curve or the like.

Therefore, the height H of the main rib 16 can be set to a relatively small value such as 10-20 mm. Thus, pressure loss (flow resistance) of air flowing in the air conditioner 10 can be decreased.

To sufficiently prevent the surface of the condensed water from being increased when the centrifugal force is applied to the condensed water, the interval L between the adjacent auxiliary ribs 17 needs to be set to an appropriate value. Preferably, the interval L is equal to 100 mm or less, more preferably, is in a range of 30-40 mm, as described above.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those -8skilled in the art.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the auxiliary ribs 17 protrudes from the main rib 16 toward an upstream air side of the main rib to be perpendicular to the extending direction of the main rib 16. However, the auxiliary ribs 17 may be not perpendicular to the extending direction of the main rib 16, and may be inclined relative to the main rib 16 by a predetermined angle.

Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations suchas "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

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Claims (7)

1. 2. The air conditioner according to claim i, wherein said second rib is perpendicular to said extending direction of said first rib.
2. 3. The air conditioner according to claim i, wherein: said case is made of resin; and said first rib and said second rib are integrally formed with said case.
3. 4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein: said second rib includes plural rib portions protruding from said first rib; and said rib portions are disposed in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein said predetermined interval is in a range of 30-40 mm.
4. 6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: said drain port is provided in said bottom of said case at a lower side of said cooling unit.
5. 7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: said first rib protrudes from said bottom of said case vertically; said second rib protrudes from said bottom of said case at a directly upstream air side of said first rib; and said second rib has a height protruding from said bottom of said case, said height of said second rib being lower than that of said first rib.
6. 8. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising: a blower unit, disposed at an upstream air side of said cooling unit, for blowing air in said case; and a heating unit, disposed at a downstream air side of said first rib, for heating air passing therethrough.
7. 9. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising: -11- a cooling unit for cooling air passing therethrough; a case for accommodating said cooling unit, said case having a drain port through which condensed water generated from said cooling unit is discharged; a rib for restricting the condensed water from moving toward a downstream air side, said rib protruding from a bottom of said case at a downstream air side of said cooling unit, and extending in an extending direction perpendicular to an air- flowing direction; and means for restricting the condensed water from moving in said extending direction of said rib, said means protruding from said rib toward an upstream air side of said rib. -12-