JP7097782B2 - Drainage structure of vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drainage structure of an air conditioner arranged on the ceiling in a vehicle provided with a curtain shield airbag.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration of a drainage structure of an air conditioner (air conditioner) arranged on the ceiling in a vehicle provided with a curtain shield airbag attached to a vehicle upper member (roof side rail). In the drainage structure, drainage pipes (drain pipes) connected to the drain port of the air conditioner are arranged along the vehicle width direction. The end of the drain pipe located on the opposite side of the drain port is inserted into the socket portion attached to the vehicle member (center pillar). The drainage pipe passes between the vehicle interior (roof head lining) and the curtain shield airbag in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In the event of a vehicle collision, when the curtain shield airbag expands while pushing open the interior of the vehicle toward the bottom of the vehicle, the curtain shield airbag comes into contact with the drain pipe. At this time, since the end portion of the drainage pipe inserted into the socket portion falls off from the socket portion, the curtain shield airbag can be deployed without any trouble according to the drainage structure.

However, according to the drainage structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the drainage pipe has a structure divided with the socket portion as a boundary, there is a concern that the manufacturing cost will increase.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-477737

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a drainage structure for a vehicle air conditioner that can be configured at a lower cost without hindering the deployment of a curtain shield airbag.

According to the present invention, a curtain shield airbag that is attached to a vehicle upper member and expands downward to the vehicle while pushing open a roof head lining arranged inside the vehicle from the vehicle upper member in the event of a vehicle collision. An air conditioner located above the vehicle above the roofhead lining and a drainage pipe whose upper end is connected to the air conditioner and passes above the vehicle above both the roofhead lining and the curtain shield air bag. A vehicle air conditioner comprising, when viewed from above the vehicle, a portion of the curtain shield air bag that overlaps the drain pipe is provided with a restricting means for restricting the displacement of the portion upward to the vehicle. Drainage structure is provided.

In the practice of the present invention, the regulating means is preferably a bracket attached to the vehicle upper member, and the bracket covers the portion from above the vehicle when viewed from above the vehicle.

According to the drainage structure of the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention, it is possible to make the configuration cheaper without hindering the deployment of the curtain shield airbag.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent by the detailed description given below based on the accompanying drawings.

It is a schematic side view of an example of a vehicle to which the drainage structure of the air conditioner for a vehicle which concerns on this invention is applied. It is a top view (permeating the roof panel and the roof side rail) of an example of a vehicle to which the drainage structure shown in FIG. 1 is applied. It is sectional drawing which follows the line III-III of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line of FIG. It is a schematic plan view of the air conditioner constituting the drainage structure shown in FIG.

An embodiment for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A drainage structure (hereinafter referred to as “drainage structure A”) of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The drainage structure A is composed of an air conditioner 31, a drainage pipe 34, and a curtain shield airbag 40. Note that FIG. 1 is a view seen from the left side of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is transparent to the roof panel 11 and the roof side rail 12 (both of which will be described in detail later) for convenience of understanding.

Here, for convenience of explanation, upr shown in these figures is the vehicle upward direction, dw is the vehicle downward direction, fr is the vehicle front direction, rr is the vehicle rear direction, rh is the vehicle right direction, and lh is the vehicle left direction. .. In the following description, when using up and down without special mention, it means up and down in the vehicle up and down direction, and when using left and right without special mention, it means left and right in the vehicle left and right direction (vehicle width direction). When using front and rear without special mention, it means front and rear in the front and rear direction of the vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the vehicle body 10 includes a roof panel 11, a pair of roof side rails 12, a pair of center pillars 13, and a floor panel 14 as a part of the components thereof. All of these are made by molding a thin steel plate by press working.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the roof panel 11 is located at the upper end of the vehicle. The roof panel 11 corresponds to the ceiling of the vehicle. The roof panel 11 includes a roof outer panel 111 located on the outside of the vehicle and a roof inner panel 112 located on the inside of the vehicle as its components.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of roof side rails 12 are located at the upper end of the vehicle and at the left and right ends of the roof panel 11. Each roof side rail 12 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and is connected to the roof outer panel 111 and the roof inner panel 112 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the pair of center pillars 13 are located at both left and right ends of the vehicle and extend downward from the pair of roof side rails 12. In the drainage structure A, of the pair of center pillars 13, the center pillar 13 located at the left end of the vehicle is the subject of explanation. Therefore, the following description of the center pillar 13 targets the center pillar 13 located at the left end of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 3, the center pillar 13 includes a pillar outer panel 131 located on the outside of the vehicle and a pillar inner panel 132 located on the inside of the vehicle as its constituent elements. The pillar outer panel 131 and the pillar inner panel 132 are joined to each other to form a closed cross section. Above the pillar inner panel 132, an opening 132A penetrating in the vehicle width direction is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the floor panel 14 is located at the lower end of the vehicle. The lower end of the center pillar 13 is connected to the floor panel 14. The floor panel 14 corresponds to the floor of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle interior 20 is an interior member arranged inside the vehicle body 10 with respect to the vehicle body 10. The vehicle interior 20 includes a roof head lining 21 and a pair of center pillar garnishes 23 as a part of its components. The vehicle interior 20 is, for example, an injection molded product made of synthetic resin. In the drainage structure A, of the pair of center pillar garnishes 23, the center pillar garnish 23 located at the left end of the vehicle is the subject of explanation. Therefore, the following description of the center pillar garnish 23 is intended for the center pillar garnish 23 located at the left end of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 3, the roof head lining 21 is arranged inside the vehicle with respect to the roof inner panel 112 (roof panel 11) and the roof side rail 12. A predetermined space is formed between the roof head lining 21, the roof inner panel 112, and the roof side rail 12. The air conditioner 31, a part of each of the liquid tube 32, the suction tube 33 and the drain pipe 34, and the curtain shield airbag 40 are housed in the space. The roof head lining 21 has a pair of side edges 211 located at both left and right ends thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3, the center pillar garnish 23 is arranged inside the vehicle with respect to the pillar inner panel 132 constituting the center pillar 13. Therefore, the center pillar garnish 23 covers the center pillar 13 from the inside of the vehicle. A predetermined space is formed between the center pillar garnish 23 and the pillar inner panel 132. A part of each of the liquid tube 32, the suction tube 33, and the drainage pipe 34 is housed in the space. As shown in FIG. 3, the center pillar garnish 23 has an upper edge 231 located at the upper end thereof. One side edge 211 of the roof head lining 21 is in contact with the upper edge 231.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the air conditioner 31 is located near the center pillar 13 in the vehicle front-rear direction and in the center of the vehicle body 10 in the vehicle width direction. At the same time, the air conditioner 31 is arranged above the vehicle with respect to the roof head lining 21. As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioner 31 has a case 311, a blower 312, an expansion valve 313, an evaporator 314 and a drain port 316.

As shown in FIG. 5, the case 311 is a housing that houses the blower 312, the expansion valve 313, and the evaporator 314. The case 311 is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The blower 312 takes in the air inside the vehicle from the air inlet (not shown) provided in the case 311 and supplies the air into the case 311. The fan of the blower 312 is, for example, a sirocco fan. The expansion valve 313 and the evaporator 314 form a part of the refrigeration cycle (air cooling function) in the air conditioner 31. The expansion valve 313 decompresses and expands the liquefied low-temperature refrigerant. The refrigerant is, for example, hydrofluorocarbon (R134a). The low temperature refrigerant expanded under reduced pressure by the expansion valve 313 is distributed to the evaporator 314. The evaporator 314 cools the air supplied into the air conditioner 31 by utilizing the heat of vaporization of the low temperature refrigerant. The air cooled in the evaporator 314 is blown into the vehicle from the air outlet (not shown). Condensed water generated by cooling the air in the evaporator 314 is discharged from the drainage port 316 located at the lower end of the case 311. The drainage port 316 faces the center pillar 13.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, a liquid tube 32 and a suction tube 33 are connected to the air conditioner 31. A low-temperature refrigerant liquefied by a compressor (not shown) and a condenser (not shown) arranged in an engine room (not shown) flows through the liquid tube 32. The refrigerant flows to the expansion valve 313 via the liquid tube 32. The refrigerant vaporized and vaporized by the evaporator 314 flows through the suction tube 33. The refrigerant flows through the suction tube 33 to the compressor described above. The liquid tube 32 and the suction tube 33 form a refrigerant circulation path between the engine room and the air conditioner 31 described above.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the liquid tube 32 and the suction tube 33 extend from the air conditioner 31 toward the center pillar 13 and bend toward the lower side of the vehicle in the vicinity of the roof side rail 12. Each section of the liquid tube 32 and the suction tube 33 from the air conditioner 31 to the center pillar 13 passes above the vehicle above the curtain shield airbag 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the bent liquid tube 32 and suction tube 33 extend downward along the center pillar 13. The liquid tube 32 and the suction tube 33 extending below the vehicle from the floor panel 14 extend toward the front of the vehicle and then reach the engine room described above.

As shown in FIG. 3, the curtain shield airbag 40 is attached to the roof side rail 12 located at the left end of the vehicle among the pair of roof side rails 12 by a fastening member such as a screw in a state of being folded into a cylindrical shape. Has been done. The roof side rail 12 corresponds to the "vehicle upper member" described in the claims of the present invention. The "vehicle upper member" is not limited to the roof side rail 12, but includes the vehicle body 10 located in the vicinity thereof. The curtain shield airbag 40 is housed between the roof side rail 12 and the roof head lining 21 arranged inside the vehicle from the roof side rail 12 along the vehicle front-rear direction. The curtain shield airbag 40 is a kind of SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) of a vehicle. The curtain shield airbag 40 protects the occupant from the vehicle window or the like by deploying the roof head lining 21 so as to hang down while pushing open to the inside of the vehicle in the event of a vehicle collision.

The drain pipe 34 has an upper end 341 and a lower end 342 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end 341 is connected to the drainage port 316 of the air conditioner 31. The lower end 342 penetrates the floor panel 14 below the vehicle. The drain pipe 34 is inserted into the opening 132A provided in the pillar inner panel 132 of the center pillar 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the section of the drainage pipe 34 from the upper end 341 to the opening 132A passes above the vehicle more than both the roof head lining 21 and the curtain shield airbag 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the curtain shield airbag 40 has a portion overlapping the drain pipe 34 when viewed from above the vehicle. In the drainage structure A, the section of the drainage pipe 34 intersects the curtain shield airbag 40 above the vehicle. The section of the drainage pipe 34 has a downward slope from the upper end 341 toward the opening 132A. As shown in FIG. 3, the section of the drain pipe 34 from the opening 132A to the lower end 342 extends downward to the vehicle in a closed space composed of the pillar outer panel 131 and the pillar inner panel 132 of the center pillar 13.

Condensed water discharged from the drain port 316 of the air conditioner 31 flows down to the drain pipe 34. The condensed water flowing down the drain pipe 34 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle from the lower end 342. The drain pipe 34 is made of, for example, EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) and is formed by injection molding.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the curtain shield airbag 40 is provided with the regulating means 41. In the drainage structure A, the regulating means 41 is a steel bracket attached to the roof side rail 12 by a fastening member such as a screw. When viewed from above the vehicle, the bracket covers the portion of the curtain shield airbag 40 overlapping the drain pipe 34 from above the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 4, the regulating means 41 regulates the displacement of the portion of the curtain shield airbag 40 upward to the vehicle. In addition to the means by the bracket, the regulating means 41 holds the portion of the curtain shield airbag 40 by a plurality of fastening members and the portion of the curtain shield airbag 40 by a molded protector made of synthetic resin. Means and the like can be adopted.

Next, the action and effect of the drainage structure A will be described.

The drainage pipe 34 constituting the drainage structure A passes above the vehicle more than both the roof head lining 21 and the curtain shield airbag 40. As a result, when the curtain shield airbag 40 is deployed due to a vehicle collision, the curtain shield airbag 40 can be deployed toward the lower side of the vehicle without interfering with the drain pipe 34. Further, the portion of the curtain shield airbag 40 that overlaps the drain pipe 34 when viewed from above the vehicle is provided with a regulating means 41 that regulates the displacement of the portion to the upper side of the vehicle. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the drainage pipe 34 is prevented from being lifted above the vehicle by the curtain shield airbag 40. That is, in the section of the drainage pipe 34 passing above the vehicle from both the roof head lining 21 and the curtain shield airbag 40, a state in which a predetermined downward gradient from the air conditioner 31 toward the lower side of the vehicle is maintained is maintained. To. As a result, the condensed water generated from the air conditioner 31 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the drain pipe 34 without staying in the air conditioner 31. Therefore, according to the drainage structure A, it is possible not to hinder the deployment of the curtain shield airbag 40.

According to the drainage structure A, the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not have a socket portion. In the conventional structure, the drain pipe 34 is divided at the socket portion. This eliminates the need to divide the drainage pipe 34 and eliminates the need for a socket portion, so that the drainage structure A can be configured at a lower cost.

In the drainage structure A, the regulating means 41 is a bracket attached to the vehicle upper member (roof side rail 12). When viewed from above the vehicle, the bracket covers the portion of the curtain shield airbag 40 overlapping the drain pipe 34 from above the vehicle. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to regulate the displacement of the curtain shield airbag 40 upward to the vehicle in the relevant portion.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the present invention can be freely redesigned.

A: Drainage structure 10: Body 11: Roof panel 111: Roof outer panel 112: Roof inner panel 12: Roof side rail 13: Center pillar 131: Pillar outer panel 132: Pillar inner panel 132A: Opening 14: Floor panel 20: Vehicle interior 21 : Roof head lining 211: Side edge 23: Center pillar garnish 231: Upper edge 31: Air conditioner 311: Case 312: Blower 313: Expansion valve 314: Evaporator 316: Drain port 32: Liquid tube 33: Suction tube 34: Drain Pipe 341: Upper end 342: Lower end 40: Curtain shield airbag 41: Regulatory means

Claims (2)

A curtain shield airbag that is attached to the vehicle upper member and expands downward to the vehicle while pushing open the roof head lining located inside the vehicle from the vehicle upper member in the event of a vehicle collision.
An air conditioner located above the vehicle above the roof head lining,
The upper end is connected to the air conditioner and includes a drainage pipe that passes above the vehicle rather than both the roof head lining and the curtain shield airbag.
The portion of the curtain shield airbag that overlaps the drainage pipe when viewed from above the vehicle is provided with a regulating means for regulating the displacement of the portion upward to the vehicle.
When viewed from above the vehicle, the drainage pipe includes a section straddling the restricting means in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the regulating means.
The section has a downward slope with respect to the direction away from the upper end of the drainage pipe.
When viewed from above the vehicle, the section extends along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the restricting means, and is a drainage structure of a vehicle air conditioner. The regulating means is a bracket attached to the vehicle upper member.
The drainage structure of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the bracket covers the portion of the curtain shield airbag from above the vehicle when viewed from above the vehicle.

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