KR102470413B1 - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner for vehicles capable of quickly discharging condensate generated by an evaporator of an air conditioning case to a lower portion and at the same time preventing back flow of condensed water from an air conditioning case to a blower unit. An air conditioning case 200 having an air inlet 202 formed on the inlet side and an air discharge port formed on the outlet side, an air blower unit 100 connected to the air inlet 202 to blow indoor or outdoor air, and the air conditioning case ( 200) and an evaporator 300 installed inside the evaporator 300 and a condensate discharge unit 210 formed on the lower part of the evaporator 300 to discharge condensed water, wherein the bottom of the air conditioning case 200 a drain induction path 220 formed on the surface and guiding condensed water from the air inlet 202 side to the condensed water outlet 210; It relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that it is included.

Description

Vehicle air conditioner {AIR CONDITIONER FOR VEHICLE}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner for a vehicle characterized in that condensed water generated by an evaporator of an air conditioning case can be quickly discharged to the lower side and at the same time, condensed water in an air conditioning case can be prevented from flowing back to a blower unit.

BACKGROUND ART In general, an air conditioner is provided inside a vehicle to heat or cool internal and external air and introduce or circulate the air inside the vehicle to maintain the indoor temperature in an appropriate state and provide a comfortable riding experience to passengers.

1 is a view showing an example of a conventional air conditioner. As shown in the figure, a blower unit (10) for controlling the amount of air discharged into the vehicle interior by introducing internal/external air according to an air intake mode, and an evaporator (30) for cooling the air blown from the blower unit (10) is built in and includes an air conditioning case 20 in which a plurality of vents (not shown) are installed at the outlet to adjust the wind direction of air discharged into the vehicle interior, and the air conditioning case 20 has a heater core for heating air. (not shown) may be further embedded.

The blower unit 10 is installed in an air intake duct 11 having an inside inlet 11a and an outside air inlet 11b, the opening of which is controlled by a switching door (not shown), and a lower portion of the air intake duct 11 and a scroll case 12 having a bell mouth 12a communicating the inside with the air intake duct 11 at the top, and disposed inside the scroll case 12 to rotate the air intake duct 11 A blowing fan 13 for sucking air introduced through the axial direction and blowing it radially toward the discharge port 12b of the scroll case 12, a motor 14 for rotating the blowing fan 13, and the air It includes a filter 15 installed at the lower end of the intake duct 11.

In addition, at the bottom of the air conditioning case 20 corresponding to the evaporator 30, a condensate outlet 21 for discharging condensed water generated in the evaporator 30 is formed.

In addition, between the air conditioning case 20 and the evaporator 30, an insulation 40 functioning as a buffer material, a seal material, or a heat insulating material is installed, and the insulation 40 has the evaporator 30 ) A drain hole 41 is formed to guide the condensate generated in the condensate outlet 21 to the condensate outlet 21.

In the conventional vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to the above configuration, the blower unit 10 and the air conditioning case 20 are provided to prevent condensate generated in the evaporator 30 of the air conditioning case 20 from flowing back to the blower unit 10. height difference is formed. That is, the lower end of the air conditioning case 20 is formed lower than the lower end of the blower unit 10, and forms a downward slope from the discharge port 12b of the blower unit 10 toward the air inlet 22 of the air conditioning case 20. configured to connect.

Therefore, the above-described conventional vehicle air conditioner has a structure in which the lower part of the air conditioning case 20 protrudes, thereby placing great restrictions on the layout of various parts installed between the engine room of the vehicle and the inside of the vehicle. In particular, in the case of a rear wheel drive vehicle, since a drive shaft extending from an engine room at the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle must be installed, the protruding structure due to the height difference of the lower end of the air conditioning case further intensifies the layout problem.

As one method for solving this problem, there is a method of deleting the protruding structure of the air conditioning case 20 by configuring the height of the lower end of the blower unit 10 and the air conditioning case 20 to be the same. However, in this case, since the condensate outlet 21 formed on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case 20 cannot have a sufficient depth, the condensate generated in the evaporator 30 cannot be discharged smoothly, and the air conditioning during vehicle operation cannot be smoothly discharged. When the tilting of the device occurs, the condensate on the lower side of the air conditioning case 20 flows back to the blower unit 10, causing flooding damage to the blower motor 14 or water falling into the passenger seat. There is a problem.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-170322 (published on 2005.06.30)

The present invention has been made to solve the above conventional problems, and the condensate remaining around the inlet side of the evaporator installed in the air conditioning case and the air inlet is quickly guided to the condensate discharge unit formed on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case to be discharged. By doing so, it is possible to prevent back flow of condensate from the air conditioning case to the blower unit even in a situation where the air conditioner is tilted due to vehicle operation, and through this, the protruding structure at the lower end of the air conditioning case is largely eliminated to secure the lower part of the air conditioner. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle that enables.

According to the present invention for achieving the above object, an air conditioning case having an air inlet on the inlet side and an air outlet on the outlet side, a blower unit connected to the air inlet to blow internal or external air, and the air conditioning case An air conditioner for a vehicle including an evaporator installed inside the evaporator and a condensate discharge unit formed under the evaporator to discharge condensate, which is formed on a bottom surface of the air conditioning case, and condensate is discharged from the air inlet side to the condensate discharge unit. There is provided an air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that a drainage induction path for inducing is included.

A backflow prevention rib may be formed in the drain guideway to prevent backflow of condensate toward the air inlet.

The drain induction passage may be rounded at a bent portion of the passage to facilitate the flow of condensed water.

A backflow prevention baffle may be provided on a bottom surface between the evaporator and the drainage induction passage to prevent backflow of air conditioning air and condensate from a lower end of the evaporator to the drainage induction passage.

The drainage induction path may be branched into at least two or more pluralities.

The drain guideway may be formed at an angle toward a drain hole provided in the condensate discharge unit.

According to the air conditioner for a vehicle of the present invention, condensate remaining on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case is quickly induced and discharged to the condensate discharge unit, thereby preventing the condensate from the air conditioning case from flowing backward to the blower unit, and improving the operation of the vehicle. Even when the air conditioning case is tilted by the air conditioning case, it is possible to effectively prevent the condensed water of the air conditioning case from flowing into the blower unit.

In addition, it is possible to prevent submersion damage of the blower motor due to reverse flow of condensate and the phenomenon of water falling to the passenger seat side of the vehicle, and the height of the lower end of the blower unit and the air conditioning case is formed horizontally to increase the space under the air conditioning case. .

1 is a cross-sectional side view showing the structure of a conventional air conditioner;
2 is a perspective view showing an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention by cutting it;
3 is a side view showing a lower shape of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a lower shape of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a perspective view showing an enlarged bottom surface of an air conditioning case of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a side cross-sectional view showing the bottom surface of the air conditioning case shown in FIG. 5;
7 is a plan view showing a bottom surface of an air conditioning case of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the technical configuration of the air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail according to the accompanying drawings.

2 is an exploded perspective view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a side view of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. is a cross-sectional side view of

For reference, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the lower shapes of the blower unit 100 and the air conditioning case 200 are disassembled. There is no significant difference between devices. Therefore, the description of the vehicle air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 will be replaced with a detailed configuration of the upper shape.

2 to 4, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention is composed of a blower unit 100 and an air conditioning case 200.

The blower unit 100 adjusts the amount of air discharged into the interior of the vehicle by introducing internal and external air according to the air intake mode, and an air intake duct having an internal inlet and an external air inlet whose opening is controlled by a switching door (not shown; see FIG. 1), a scroll case 120 installed at the bottom of the air intake duct and communicating the inside with the air intake duct at the top, and disposed inside the scroll case 120 A blowing fan 130 that sucks air introduced through the air intake duct in the axial direction as it rotates and blows it radially toward the outlet 122 of the scroll case 120, and a motor that rotates the blowing fan 130 (140).

The air conditioning case 200 flows internal and external air supplied from the blower unit 100, and an evaporator 300 for cooling the internal and external air is built-in, as well as a heater core for heating the internal and external air (not shown). ) is installed.

Air conditioning air that has undergone heat exchange between the evaporator 300 and the heater core is discharged through outlets (not shown) formed at the outlet of the air conditioning case 200 to cool and heat the interior of the vehicle.

In the evaporator 300, moisture contained in the air is condensed on the surface of the evaporator 300 in the process of heat exchange between the internal and external air to generate condensate. ) is formed.

The condensate discharge unit 210 is provided in the form of a groove having a depth at the bottom, and guides the condensate to the drain hole 212 formed at the deepest part to discharge the condensate to the outside of the air conditioning case 200.

2 to 4 together, the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention is formed on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case 200 in which the evaporator 300 is installed, and the condensate discharge unit at the air inlet 202 side. A drainage induction path 220 leading condensed water to 210 is included.

The drainage passage 220 is formed as a groove having a height lower than the lower end of the evaporator 300 located on the bottom surface of one side of the air conditioning case 200, and condensate is discharged from the air inlet 202 side of the air conditioning case 200. It is formed to slope downward toward the portion 210.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the air conditioner for a vehicle according to the present embodiment may be formed in a horizontal structure having the same height as the lower end of the blower unit 100 and the air conditioning case 200 .

When formed in such a horizontal structure, the evaporator ( The condensed water generated by 300 flows down the drainage induction path 220 and is guided to the condensed water discharge unit 210, thereby preventing the condensed water in the air conditioning case 200 from flowing back to the blower unit 100.

However, the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention is not limited to a horizontal structure in which the lower end of the blower unit 100 and the air conditioning case 200 have the same height. That is, in a situation where the air conditioning case 200 is formed at a height lower than that of the blower unit 100 to discharge condensate more quickly by applying it to a general structure with a step or slope, or when the air conditioner is tilted by vehicle operation It may serve to prevent condensate from flowing back to the blower unit 100.

5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the lower shape of the air conditioning case 200 of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing the lower shape of the air conditioning case 200 shown in FIG. 5 .

5 and 6, the drainage induction path 220 includes a front flow path 220a extending from the air inlet 202 side of the air conditioning case 200 to one front side of the evaporator 300, It may consist of a bent part 225 formed at the rear end of the front passage 220a, and a rear passage 220b extending from the bent part 225 toward the lower part of the evaporator 300 and leading to the condensate discharge part 210. have.

The front passage 220a is a part located upstream of the drainage induction passage 220, and extends horizontally from the air inlet 202 side of the air conditioning case 200 to the front of the evaporator 300 in the left and right directions of the evaporator 300. It extends to the approximate central part of the

Further, the rear passage 220b is a portion located downstream of the drain induction passage 220, and is bent at approximately 90° at the bent portion 225 at the rear end of the front passage 220a leading to the front of the evaporator 300 to condensate water. It leads to the discharge part 210.

The drain induction path 220 has a gradient gradually descending from the front flow path 220a to the rear flow path 220b to induce drainage to the condensate discharge unit 210, and from the front flow path 220a to the rear flow path ( 220b) may be configured so that the flow of condensed water is more easily achieved by forming rounds R at each bent portion.

In addition, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an evaporator 300 and a drainage induction path 220 located in front of the evaporator 300, that is, the above-described front flow path ( A backflow prevention baffle 230 may be provided on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case 200 between 220a to block the reverse flow of air conditioning air and condensate from the lower end of the evaporator 300 toward the front flow path 220a.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the backflow prevention baffle 230 shields the inlet side of the lower end of the evaporator 300 to prevent it from communicating with the drainage induction path 220 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent condensed water generated in the evaporator 300 from flowing into the drainage passage 220 and, in particular, to prevent air conditioning air from being bypassed to the drainage passage through the lower end of the evaporator 300 . The backflow prevention baffle 230 is bent in a 'L' shape at the corner of the evaporator 300 located at the side of the air inlet 202 of the air conditioning case 200, so that the drainage guideway 220 and the air inlet It can be formed to simultaneously block both directions towards (202).

In addition, the backflow prevention baffle 230 may be formed to cover the entire area of the lower end of the evaporator 300 in order to increase the effect of preventing air conditioning air from bypassing through the lower end of the evaporator 300 .

7 is a plan view showing a bottom surface of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7 , the rear flow path 220b extending from the bent portion 225 of the drainage passage 220 to the condensate discharge unit 210 is at an angle toward the drain hole 212 formed in the condensate discharge unit 210. can be formed as

For reference, the drain hole 212 may be formed at the center of the condensate discharge unit 210, or may be formed at an arbitrary portion biased to either the left or right side.

Also, the rear passage 220b may be formed such that at least two or more of them diverge at a predetermined angle therebetween. At this time, one of the two or more plurality of rear passages 220b is formed so that its rear end faces the drain hole formed in the condensate discharge unit 210, and the other has its rear end vertically toward the condensate discharge unit 210. It can be formed to be connected.

In addition, referring to FIG. 7 , a backflow prevention rib 222 may be formed in the drain guideway 220 to prevent the backflow of condensate toward the air inlet 202 .

The backflow prevention rib 222 may be configured such that a plurality of ribs extending from the center of the channel in the width direction to contact the side wall in the upstream diagonal direction are arranged in a zigzag pattern at a predetermined distance from each other.

Therefore, since the backflow prevention rib 222 is formed on the drainage induction passage 220, the condensate flowing from the drainage induction passage 220 to the condensate discharge unit 210 flows through the center of the passage. , Condensate flowing back from the condensate discharge unit 210 to the drainage induction passage 220 is trapped in the clogged space on the side wall side of the drainage induction passage 220 by the backflow prevention rib 222 and flows back into the drainage induction passage 220 being blocked

The backflow prevention ribs 222 may be formed in the entire area of the drain guideway 220 leading from the air inlet 202 side of the air conditioning case to the condensate discharge unit 210, or a bent portion of the drain guideway 220. It may be formed only in the rear flow path (220b) leading to the condensate discharge unit (210) from (225).

In this way, when the backflow prevention rib 222 is formed on the rear flow path 220b, even if the depth of the groove constituting the condensate discharge unit 210 is made short, the condensate goes beyond the condensate discharge unit 210 to the drain guideway. Since back flow to 220 can be prevented, the length protruding downward from the lower end of the air conditioning case 200 can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

When the vehicle air conditioner is operated in the cooling mode, the air blown by the blower unit 100 passes through the evaporator 300 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing inside the evaporator 300 to change it to cold air, and then the inside of the vehicle. to cool the interior of the vehicle.

In this cooling mode, the surface temperature of the evaporator 300 is reduced so that dew is aggregated and condensed water falls to the bottom, and this condensed water flows into the condensate discharge unit 210 formed on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case 200 to is emitted through

However, when the air conditioner is tilted due to driving of the vehicle while the air conditioner is operating, the condensate that has fallen to the bottom of the air conditioning case 200 is not quickly discharged to the condensate discharge unit 210 and the air conditioning case 200 The condensate remaining on the bottom surface of the evaporator 300 and in front of the evaporator 300 may flow backward to the adjacent blower unit 100 .

In the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention according to the above configuration, the drainage guideway 220 slopes downward from the air inlet 202 of the air conditioning case 200 to the condensate discharge unit 210 through the front of the evaporator 300. ), the condensed water remaining around the evaporator 300 may be rapidly induced to the condensate discharge unit 210 and discharged.

Accordingly, it is possible to prevent condensed water from flowing backward to the blower unit 100 through the air inlet 202 of the air conditioning case 200 .

In addition, a backflow prevention baffle 230 is formed between the drain induction passage 220 located in front of the evaporator 300 and the evaporator 300 so that the lower end of the evaporator 300 and the drainage induction passage 220 communicate with each other By preventing this, condensate in the evaporator 300 as well as air conditioning air flowing into the evaporator 300 may be prevented from flowing backward through the drain induction.

In addition, a plurality of rear passages 220b of the drainage induction path 220 leading to the condensate discharge unit 210 are formed in a plurality of two or more, and condensate is induced in a direction toward the drain hole 212 of the condensate discharge unit 210. Condensate can be discharged more quickly, and at the same time, by adding the configuration of the anti-backflow rib 222, the possibility that the condensate will flow back upstream of the drain induction path 220 and into the inside of the blower unit 100 can be minimized. .

In particular, the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention having the above configuration and operation has each case in which the blower unit 100 and the lower end of the air conditioning case 200 are formed in a horizontal structure, and the air conditioning case 200 is moved by the operation of the vehicle. A solution capable of effectively preventing condensate from flowing back to the blower unit 100 in the case of tilting may be presented.

So far, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, but this is only exemplary, and anyone skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of technical protection should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

100: blower unit 122: discharge port
200: air conditioning case 202: air inlet
210: condensate discharge unit 220: drain induction path
220a: front flow path 220b: rear flow path
222: backflow prevention rib 225: bent portion
230: backflow prevention baffle 300: evaporator

Claims (13)

An air conditioning case 200 having an air inlet 202 formed on the inlet side and an air outlet formed on the outlet side, an air blower unit 100 connected to the air inlet 202 to blow internal or external air, and the air conditioning case ( 200), an evaporator 300 installed inside, and a condensate discharge unit 210 formed on the lower part of the evaporator 300 to discharge condensed water,
A drain guideway 220 formed on the bottom surface of the air conditioning case 200 and guiding condensate water from the air inlet 202 side to the condensate discharge unit 210; included,
The drain induction path 220 includes a front flow path 220a extending from the front end of the air inlet 202 to one front side of the evaporator 300; A rear flow path 220b bent at the rear end of the front flow path 220a and leading to the condensate discharge unit;
The front flow passage 220a extends in the left and right directions parallel to the direction of air flowing from the blower unit 100 to the air inlet 202, and the rear flow passage 220b is bent vertically in the front flow passage 220a. A vehicle air conditioner characterized in that it forms a continuous flow path. According to claim 1,
The drainage induction path 220,
An air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that formed as a groove having a height lower than the lower end of the evaporator (300). According to claim 1,
The drainage induction passage 220 is formed to be inclined downward toward the condensed water outlet 210 from the air inlet 202 side. According to claim 1,
The air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that the drainage induction path (220) is formed with a backflow prevention rib (222) to prevent the condensed water from flowing backward toward the air inlet (202). delete According to claim 1,
The drain induction path 220 is a vehicle air conditioner, characterized in that a round (R) is formed at a bent portion in the flow path to facilitate the flow of condensed water. According to claim 1,
The air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that the rear flow passage (220b) is formed with a backflow prevention rib (222) to prevent the condensed water from flowing backward toward the air inlet (202). According to claim 1,
On the bottom surface between the evaporator 300 and the front flow path 220a, a backflow prevention baffle 230 is provided to block the back flow of air conditioning air and condensate from the lower end of the evaporator 300 to the front flow path 220a. An air conditioner for a vehicle, characterized in that provided. According to claim 8,
The backflow prevention baffle (230) is a vehicle air conditioner, characterized in that bent in a 'L' shape to surround the corner side of the evaporator (300) located on the side of the air inlet (202). According to claim 8,
The backflow prevention baffle (230) is a vehicle air conditioner, characterized in that formed to cover the entire area in front of the lower end of the evaporator (300). According to claim 1,
The rear flow path (220b) is a vehicle air conditioner, characterized in that at least two or more branches from the rear end of the front flow path (220a). According to claim 1,
The rear flow passage (220b) is formed at an angle toward the drain hole (212) provided in the condensate discharge unit (210). According to claim 4 or 7,
The backflow prevention rib 222 is characterized in that a plurality of ribs extending from the center in the width direction of the flow path to come into contact with the side wall of the upstream diagonal direction are arranged in a zigzag form spaced back and forth at a predetermined interval.

Images