JP5227614B2 - Air conditioner for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

  In a vehicle air conditioner, there is a case where a blowing cylinder connected to the opening of the instrument panel is connected, and a duct is connected to the blowing cylinder. A valve may be provided. In such a case, if the assembly accuracy of the blowing cylinder and the duct is low, the butterfly valve may interfere with the duct when the butterfly valve is opened and closed. Therefore, the positioning of the blowing cylinder and the duct is very important.

By the way, as a connection structure between the air outlet of the instrument panel and the duct, a pin protrudes in the vicinity of the air outlet of the instrument panel, a pin engaging hole is provided in the duct, and the pin is connected to the pin. A connection structure that performs positioning by inserting into an engagement hole is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-123803 A

However, if a pin engagement hole is formed in the duct, there is a risk of air leakage. In addition, it is disadvantageous in terms of formability to provide a pin on the instrument panel or to form a pin engagement hole in the duct.
Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicle air conditioner that can accurately position the blowing cylinder and the duct and has no air leakage with a simple structure.

The vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.
The invention according to claim 1 includes a duct (for example, ducts 3A and 3B in an embodiment described later) connected to an air conditioning unit of a vehicle, and an outlet (for example, an outlet 4 in an embodiment described later) connected to the duct. ) For a vehicle air conditioner having a blowing cylinder (for example, a frame 10 in an embodiment to be described later) for blowing conditioned air into the passenger compartment, and a duct side connecting portion (connected to the blowing cylinder of the duct) For example, one of a connecting portion 20) in an embodiment described later and a blowing cylinder side connecting portion (for example, a connecting portion 12 in an embodiment described later) connected to the duct of the blowing cylinder is formed to have a large diameter. The other is a small-diameter coupling portion that is fitted inside the large-diameter coupling portion, and the large-diameter coupling portion and the small-diameter coupling portion are corner portions (for example, described later) Corner portion 28) in the embodiment, and a vertical wall portion (for example, the vertical wall portion 20a in the embodiment described later) and a horizontal wall portion (eg, the lower wall portion 20d in the embodiment described later) connected to the corner portion. In addition, positioning members (for example, positioning protrusions in the embodiments described later) are provided on at least one of the inner wall of the large-diameter connecting portion and the outer wall of the small-diameter connecting portion so as to straddle the corner portion. 30A, 30B), and the positioning member gradually projects toward the other connecting portion as it proceeds from the opening side end of the connecting portion where the positioning member is provided to the back. they become larger, the front wall portion of the positioning member (e.g., front wall section 31 in the embodiment) is formed in a tapered inclined surface, blowing the said duct side connecting portion A gap filling member (for example, a seal member 40 in an embodiment to be described later) for filling the gap between the cylindrical body side connecting portions is provided, and a portion corresponding to the positioning member of the gap filling member is another portion. It is the vehicle air conditioner characterized by being formed thinly compared with .

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning member is provided in the duct side connecting portion, and the duct side connecting portion is partially protruded at the time of forming the duct. It is comprised by the rib formed in this.

  According to the invention which concerns on Claim 1, the duct side connection part of a duct and the blowing cylinder side connection part of a blowing cylinder can be positioned with high precision. Further, since no positioning holes are provided in the duct or the blowing cylinder, no air leakage occurs and no sound is generated due to the air leakage. Therefore, the merchantability of the vehicle air conditioner is improved.

Further, since the front wall portion of the positioning member is formed on the tapered slope, the operation of inserting the small diameter connecting portion into the large diameter connecting portion is facilitated, and workability is improved.
Further, since the positioning members are provided on the vertical wall portion and the horizontal wall portion across the corner portion, the positioning in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is possible.
A gap filling member is provided between the duct side coupling portion and the blowing cylinder side coupling portion, and a portion corresponding to the positioning member of the gap filling member is compared with other portions. Therefore, the workability when connecting the duct side connecting portion of the duct and the blowing cylinder side connecting portion of the blowing cylinder is improved. Moreover, it can prevent that the site | part which provided the positioning member overloads locally.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, while being able to form a positioning member easily, the rigidity of the connection part in which the positioning member was provided improves.

Embodiments of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings of FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows an instrument panel center 1 installed substantially at the center of an instrument panel (not shown) of a vehicle, blowout units 2A and 2B installed on the left and right rear sides of the instrument panel center 1, and a blowout unit 2A. , 2B is a perspective view showing a state in which the ducts 3A, 3B connected to the 2B, respectively, are assembled. The instrument panel center 1, the blowing units 2A and 2B, and the ducts 3A and 3B are all made of resin.

Openings 4 and 4 are formed at the left and right ends of the instrument panel center 1, and the ends of the left and right blowing units 2A and 2B are connected to the openings 4 and 4, respectively, and are connected to the rear ends of the blowing units 2A and 2B. The front ends of the left and right ducts 3A and 3B are connected to each other, and the rear ends of the ducts 3A and 3B are arranged close to each other in parallel and connected to each other by a connecting member 50 so as not to be relatively movable.
Since the blowout units 2A and 2B and the ducts 3A and 3B have symmetrical configurations and the basic configuration is the same, the right blowout unit 2B and the right duct 3B will be described below, and the description on the left side will be omitted. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the blowout unit 2 </ b> B includes a cylindrical frame (blowout cylinder) 10 having a blowout port 17 formed at the tip, and the blowout port 17 can change the blowout direction of the conditioned air. 11 is rotatably provided. The front end of the frame 10 is fitted into the opening 4 of the instrument panel center 1, and the air outlet 17 and the louver 11 are exposed from the opening 4.

The rear end portion of the frame 10 is a connecting portion (blowing cylinder side connecting portion, small-diameter connecting portion) 12 to which the duct 3B is connected, and as shown in FIG. In the vicinity, a shutter valve 13 for opening and closing the air outlet 17 is attached to be rotatable in the vertical direction. When the shutter valve 13 rotates, a part of the shutter valve 13 enters the duct 3B.
As shown in FIG. 2, a dial 15 is rotatably attached to the distal end side of the right side wall 14 of the frame 10, and the dial 15 is connected to the rotation shaft of the shutter valve 13 via a link 16. The shutter valve 13 can be opened and closed by rotating 15.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting portion 12 of the frame 10 includes left and right vertical wall portions 12a and 12b extending in the vertical direction, an upper wall portion 12c connecting the upper ends of the left and right vertical wall portions 12a and 12b, It consists of the lower wall part 12d which connects the lower end of the vertical wall parts 12a and 12b. The right vertical wall portion 12b is shorter than the left vertical wall portion 12a. Therefore, the lower wall portion 12d is formed of an inclined wall that gradually rises toward the right side.

The duct 3B is substantially L-shaped in plan view, and has a front end portion which is a connecting portion (duct side connecting portion, large diameter connecting portion) 20 connected to the blowing unit 2B, and a rear end portion connected to an air conditioning unit (not shown). It becomes the air-conditioning connection part 21 to be performed.
The front view shape of the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B is substantially similar to the connecting portion 12 of the frame 10 in the blowing unit 2B, and the vertical wall portions 12a and 12b, the upper wall portion 12c of the connecting portion 12 of the frame 10, Vertical wall portions 20a and 20b, an upper wall portion 20c, and a lower wall portion (horizontal wall portion) 20d corresponding to the lower wall portion 12d are provided. However, the connecting part 20 of the duct 3B is formed larger than the connecting part 12 of the blowing unit 2B by a predetermined dimension so that the connecting part 12 of the blowing unit 2B can be inserted inside thereof. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B constitutes a large-diameter connecting portion, and the connecting portion 12 of the blowing unit 2B constitutes a small-diameter connecting portion.

The connecting portion 20 is provided with a flange 23 on the entire circumference along the opening edge thereof, an inclined step 24 is connected to the back of the flange 23, and a fitting portion 25 is connected to the back of the inclined step 24 so as to be fitted. A step portion 26 is connected to the flange of the portion 25, and a general portion 27 of the duct 3 </ b> B is connected to the flange of the step portion 26. The inclined step portion 24 is formed so as to gradually protrude inward as it proceeds from the flange portion 23 to the flange, and the step portion 26 is formed so as to protrude inward substantially at right angles to the fitting portion 25. Yes.
Moreover, in order to avoid interference with the link 16 etc. which protrudes from the right side wall 14 of the blowing unit 2B, a relief portion 22 is formed in the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B. The escape portion 22 is formed in the flange portion 23, the inclined step portion 24, and the fitting portion 25 from the lower half of the vertical wall portion 20b on the right side of the connecting portion 20 to the right end portion of the lower wall portion 20d.

  Positioning convex portions (positioning members) 30A and 30B are formed on the left vertical wall portion 20a and the inner wall of the lower wall portion 20d in the vicinity of the lower left corner portion 28 of the connecting portion 20, respectively. The positioning convex portions 30A and 30B are constituted by a front wall portion 31, an upper wall portion 32, and two side wall portions 33 and 33. The front wall part 31 of the positioning convex parts 30A, 30B is formed in a tapered slope whose inward projecting dimension gradually increases as it advances to the heel, and the front end of the front wall part 31 continues to the heel part 23, The rear end of the wall portion 31 terminates at a position slightly entering the ridge from the front end of the fitting portion 25 and continues to the upper wall portion 32. The upper wall portion 32 is formed substantially parallel to the fitting portion 25, and the back end thereof is continuous with the inner edge portion of the step portion 26. The positioning protrusions 30A and 30B are integrally formed when the duct 3B is formed, and are formed by partially projecting corresponding portions inward. If it does in this way, positioning convex part 30A, 30B can be formed very easily.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the connecting portion 12 of the frame 10 of the blowing unit 2 </ b> B is inserted into the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3 </ b> B, and the distal end of the connecting portion 12 is substantially the depth direction of the fitting portion 25 in the connecting portion 20. Located in the center, between the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 25 of the connecting portion 20 and the upper wall portions 32, 32 of the positioning convex portions 30A, 30B, the entire circumferential direction thereof. A seal member 40 that fills the gap therebetween is sandwiched. The seal member 40 is made of an elastic material, and can be made of, for example, a sponge.

  In the seal member 40, the portion disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 12 and the upper wall portions 32, 32 of the positioning convex portions 30A, 30B is extremely thinner than the other portions. This is because the sealing member 40 is partially thinned in advance in consideration of the projecting dimensions of the positioning convex portions 30A and 30B, so that the sealing member 40 has a uniform thickness over the entire circumference. Compared to the case, the operation of inserting the connecting portion 12 of the blowing unit 2B into the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B is facilitated. Moreover, it can prevent that the stress by local overload arises between the outer peripheral surface of the connection part 12, and the upper wall parts 32 and 32 of positioning convex part 30A, 30B.

In the vehicle air conditioner configured as described above, conditioned air sent from an air conditioning unit (not shown) flows into the blowing units 2A and 2B through the ducts 3A and 3B, and blows out from the blowout ports 17 and 17 into the vehicle interior. Is done.
As described above, since the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the ducts 3A and 3B and the blowing units 2A and 2B, the conditioned air does not leak. Therefore, noise caused by air leakage does not occur.

  Further, since the vertical wall portion 12a in the connecting portion 12 of the frame 10 of the blowout unit 2B is in contact with the upper wall portion 32 of the positioning convex portion 30A in the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B via the extremely thin seal member 40, Thereby, the connection part 20 of the duct 3B is accurately positioned in the left-right direction with respect to the connection part 12 of the blowing unit 2B. Similarly, the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3A is accurately positioned in the left-right direction with respect to the connecting portion 12 of the blowing unit 2A.

  Further, since the lower wall portion 12d of the connecting portion 12 of the frame 10 of the blowing unit 2B is in contact with the upper wall portion 32 of the positioning convex portion 30B of the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B via the extremely thin seal member 40, Accordingly, the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B is accurately positioned in the vertical direction with respect to the connecting portion 12 of the blowing unit 2B. Similarly, the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3A is accurately positioned in the vertical direction with respect to the connecting portion 12 of the blowing unit 2A.

  Therefore, even when a part of the shutter valve 13 enters the ducts 3A and 3B when the shutter valve 13 provided in the blowing units 2A and 2B is rotated to open and close the air outlet 17, it interferes with the ducts 3A and 3B. Therefore, the shutter valve 13 can be reliably rotated.

Further, since the front wall portion 31 of the positioning convex portions 30A and 30B is formed in a tapered shape, the front wall portion 31 can be connected to the blowing unit 2B when the connecting portion 12 of the blowing unit 2B is inserted into the connecting portion 20 of the duct 3B. Since it functions as a guide for guiding, the insertion becomes easy, and the workability when assembling the blowing unit 2B to the duct 3B is extremely good. The same is true when the blowing unit 2A is assembled to the duct 3A, and the assembling workability is extremely good.
Further, the positioning protrusions 30A and 30B provided on the connecting portion 20 of the ducts 3A and 3B not only function as positioning members but also function as ribs that increase the rigidity of the connecting portion 20.

[Other Examples]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the positioning member is provided on the inner wall of the connecting portion of the duct. However, a positioning member may be provided on the outer wall of the connecting portion of the blowing unit instead. Or you may provide a positioning member in both the inner wall of the connection part of a duct, and the outer wall of the connection part of a blowing unit, In that case, it is preferable to shift and provide a position so that positioning members may not interfere.

  In the above-described embodiment, the connecting portion of the blowing unit is fitted inside the connecting portion of the duct. Conversely, the connecting portion of the duct may be fitted inside the connecting portion of the blowing unit. In this case, the installation position of the positioning member is the outer wall of the connecting portion of the duct or the inner wall of the connecting portion of the blowing unit.

Also, the shape of the connecting portion of the duct and balloon unit is not limited to embodiments, various shapes can be adopted.

1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the duct and blowing unit in the vehicle air conditioner of an Example. It is a principal part perspective view of the state which removed the duct in the vehicle air conditioner of an Example. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection part of the duct from the front side in the vehicle air conditioner of an Example. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection part of the duct from the back side in the vehicle air conditioner of an Example. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the connection part of a duct and a blowing unit from the front in the vehicle air conditioner of an Example. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is BB sectional drawing in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

3A, 3B Duct 4 Outlet 10 Frame (outlet cylinder)
12 connection part (blowing cylinder side connection part, small diameter connection part)
20 connecting part (duct side connecting part, large diameter connecting part)
20a Vertical wall portion 20d Lower wall portion (horizontal wall portion)
30A, 30B Positioning convex part (positioning member)
40 Sealing member (gap filling member)

Claims (2)

A vehicle air conditioner having a duct connected to an air conditioning unit of a vehicle, and a blowout cylinder that is connected to the duct and blows out conditioned air from a blowout port into the vehicle interior,
A large-diameter connecting portion in which either one of a duct-side connecting portion connected to the blowing cylinder of the duct and a blowing cylinder-side connecting portion connected to the duct of the blowing cylinder is formed with a large diameter, The other is a small-diameter coupling portion that is fitted inside the large-diameter coupling portion, and the large-diameter coupling portion and the small-diameter coupling portion have a corner portion and a vertical wall portion and a lateral wall portion that are continuous with the corner portion,
Positioning members are provided on at least one of the inner wall of the large-diameter coupling portion and the outer wall of the small-diameter coupling portion so as to straddle the corner portion, and the positioning member includes the positioning member. The amount of protrusion that protrudes toward the other connecting portion gradually increases from the opening side end of the connecting portion provided to the other connecting portion, and the front wall portion of the positioning member becomes a tapered slope. A gap filling member is provided between the duct side coupling portion and the blowing cylinder side coupling portion, and a portion corresponding to the positioning member of the gap filling member is compared with other portions. The vehicle air conditioner is formed to be thin .   2. The positioning member is provided on the duct side connecting portion, and is formed of a rib formed integrally by partially projecting the duct side connecting portion when the duct is formed. The vehicle air conditioner described in 1.

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