Forced cooling of vehicle air-conditioning blower motor with airflow regulating ribs

• US 10,245,919 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Japan Co., Ltd. (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Japan Co., Ltd. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Yamanaka, Mitsunobu, Oshima, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruby, Travis C
• Application Number:
  US15/007,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00021 Air flow details of HVAC devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00507 Details, e.g. mounting arrangements, desaeration devices B60H1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00514 Details of air conditioning housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00521 Mounting or fastening of components in housings, e.g. heat exchangers, fans, electronic regulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00528 Connections between housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00564 of air ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00085 of air intake
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00092 of air deflecting or air directing means inside the device
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/006 Noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/282 the leading edge of each vane being substantially parallel to the rotation axis
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/422 Discharge tongues F04D17/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4226 Fan casings
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/444 Bladed diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/667 by influencing the flow pattern, e.g. suppression of turbulence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2250/52 Outlet

Abstract

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus that includes a blower unit including a scroll casing including a first wall having an intake port, a second wall opposing the first wall, and a peripheral wall, and an impeller. The apparatus further includes a motor of the impeller, a blow-out flow channel, and a motor cooling air introduction chamber. The motor cooling air introduction chamber is in communication with the blow-out flow channel via an air intake port opening in the peripheral wall of a tongue portion facing the blow-out flow channel at a position more closer to the first wall side than an inner wall surface of the second wall. At least one airflow regulating rib facing the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is provided, and the airflow regulating rib projects from the inner wall surface of the second wall and having a top portion in the blow-out flow channel.

Claims

1. A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus comprising:

a blower unit, the blower unit including;

a scroll casing including a first wall having an intake port;

a second wall facing the first wall; and

a peripheral wall connecting peripheral edge portions of the first wall and the second wall, and

an impeller rotatably provided in the scroll casing;

a motor having a revolving shaft configured to rotate the impeller and to be mounted on the second wall;

a blow-out flow channel provided between a bending end portion of the scroll casing and a tongue portion of the scroll casing; and

a motor cooling air introduction chamber provided outside the tongue portion, wherein;

the motor cooling air introduction chamber is in communication with the blow-out flow channel via an air intake port opening in a peripheral wall of the tongue portion facing the blow-out flow channel at a position more closer to the first wall side than an inner wall surface of the second wall,

the blow-out flow channel is provided with a plurality of airflow regulating ribs comprising a first rib and a second rib intersecting a blow-out plane formed by a blow-out port and facing the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port,

the plurality of airflow regulating ribs projects from an inner wall surface of the second wall and having a top portion in the blow-out flow channel, and

the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the first rib among the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall than a downstream end of the first rib provided the air intake port is located on the upstream side, the first rib approaching the peripheral wall from the upstream end to the downstream end,

wherein the first rib defines a first angle with the blow-out plane and the second rib defines a second angle with the blow-out plane, and

wherein the first angle is greater than the second angle.

2. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the blow-out flow channel includes an enlarged portion gradually spread out in a direction along the revolving shaft at least as the first rib goes downstream of the first wall, and

an entire part or part of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is provided in an enlarged portion projection range, which is an area of the enlarged portion projected on the second wall along the revolving shaft.

3. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a maximum height of a rib arranged adjacent to the peripheral wall (53a) provided with the air intake port out of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is not higher than Hb+2 mm where Hb [mm] is a minimum height of an end portion of the air intake port on the second wall side.

4. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the top portions of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs approach the second wall as they go downward.

5. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged along an air flow, and the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged in descending order according to the height from a peripheral wall side provided with the air intake port.

6. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maximum height of the rib arranged adjacent to the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port out of the plurality of airflow regulating ribs is lower than the minimum height of the end portion of the air intake port on the second wall side and is not lower than Hb−

10 mm where Hb [mm] is the minimum height of the end portion of the air intake port on the second wall side.

7. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged along the air flow, and a rib arranged at a position farthest from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port out of the plurality of the airflow regulating ribs has an area having a larger radius of curvature than a maximum radius of curvature of the rib adjacent to the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port.

8. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that a downstream end of the second rib is arranged at a position nearer to the peripheral wall than an upstream end of the second rib provided the air intake port is located on a downstream side.