VEHICLE AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20160229262A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,245,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

The invention provides a vehicle air-conditioning apparatus comprising 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; an impeller; a motor of the impeller; a blow-out flow channel; and a motor cooling air introduction chamber, wherein 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, and 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 at least one airflow regulating rib facing the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port, and

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

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

the rib arranged adjacent to the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port out of the airflow regulating ribs approaches the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port as it goes downstream.

3. 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 it goes downstream of the first wall, and

an entire part or part of the 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.

4. 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 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.

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

6. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the 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.

7. 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 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.

8. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the 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.

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

a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs or extended planes (F2) of the airflow regulating ribs intersect a blow-out plane (F3) formed by a blow-out port, which corresponds to a downstream end of the blow-out flow channel, and

an angle (θ

2) on the peripheral wall side formed by the blow-out plane (F3) and the airflow regulating rib arranged at the farthest position from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port or the extended plane (F2) thereof is larger than an angle (θ

1) on the peripheral wall side formed by the blow-out plane (F3) and the airflow regulating rib adjacent to the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port.

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

11. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.

12. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.

13. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.

14. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.

15. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.

16. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.

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

18. The vehicle air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of the airflow regulating ribs are arranged so that an upstream end of the rib arranged at a position farther from the peripheral wall provided with the air intake port is located on the upstream side.