VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20200130467A1
• Filed: 10/24/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: IMAIZUMI, Yuichiro, SEKI, Kazuhiko, MATSUMOTO, Subaru
• Granted Patent: US 11,299,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00028 Constructional lay-out of the devices in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00285 for vehicle seats vehicle seats with heating or ventilation means independent from the HVAC system of the vehicle B60N2/56
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00849 for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air B60H1/00842 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/248 Air-extractors, air-evacuation from the vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00221 Devices in the floor or side wall area of the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/2281 Air supply, exhaust systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5628 coming from the vehicle ventilation system, e.g. air-conditioning system
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5657 blown towards the seat surface

Abstract

A vehicle air conditioning apparatus is provided which includes: a plurality of seat air conditioning units configured to selectively perform cooling or heating per corresponding seat among a plurality of seats installed in a cabin, respectively; and a plurality of exhaust ducts for discharging, outside the cabin, part of air used in the plurality of seat air conditioning units. An exhaust duct of a given one of the plurality of seat air conditioning units is connected to an air inlet of another seat air conditioning unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a plurality of seat air conditioning units configured to selectively perform cooling or heating per corresponding seat among a plurality of seats installed in a cabin, respectively; and

a plurality of exhaust ducts for discharging, outside the cabin, part of air used in the plurality of seat air conditioning units,

wherein an exhaust duct of a given one of the plurality of seat air conditioning units is connected to an air inlet of another seat air conditioning unit.

2. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of air supply ducts for supplying outside air to the plurality of seat air conditioning units,

wherein the plurality of air supply ducts are merged.

3. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each seat air conditioning unit comprises:

a condenser for condensing a refrigerant;

an evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant;

passages through which outside air or inside air flows; and

a passage switching device confitured to perform switching between the passages such that during cooling operation, the outside air is guided in a direction toward the condenser and during heating operation, the outside air is guided to a direction toward the evaporator.

4. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each seat air conditioning unit further comprises:

a first outside air passage through which the outside air flows into the condenser;

a second outside air passage through which the outside air flows into the evaporator;

a first inside air passage through which the inside air flows into the condenser; and

a second inside air passage through which the inside air flows into the evaporator,

wherein an air inlet of the first outside air passage and an air inlet of the second outside air passage are merged;

an air outlet of the first outside air passage and an air outlet of the second outside air passage are merged; and

an air inlet of the first inside air passage and an air inlet of the second inside air passage are merged.

5. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first outside air passage and the first inside air passage share a common space around the condenser;

the second outside air passage and the second inside air passage share a common space around the evaporator; and

the passage switching device is configured to switch between the passages such that during cooling operation, the outside air passes through the first outside air passage and the inside air passes through the second inside air passage and during heating operation, the outside air passes through the second outside air passage and the inside air passes through the first inside air passage.

6. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each seat air conditioning unit comprises:

a condenser for condensing a refrigerant;

an evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant;

passages through which outside air or inside air flows; and

a passage switching device confitured to perform switching between the passages such that during cooling operation, the outside air is guided in a direction toward the condenser and during heating operation, the outside air is guided to a direction toward the evaporator.

7. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each seat air conditioning unit further comprises:

a first outside air passage through which the outside air flows into the condenser;

a second outside air passage through which the outside air flows into the evaporator;

a first inside air passage through which the inside air flows into the condenser; and

a second inside air passage through which the inside air flows into the evaporator,

wherein an air inlet of the first outside air passage and an air inlet of the second outside air passage are merged;

an air outlet of the first outside air passage and an air outlet of the second outside air passage are merged; and

an air inlet of the first inside air passage and an air inlet of the second inside air passage are merged.

8. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first outside air passage and the first inside air passage share a common space around the condenser;

the second outside air passage and the second inside air passage share a common space around the evaporator; and

the passage switching device is configured to switch between the passages such that during cooling operation, the outside air passes through the first outside air passage and the inside air passes through the second inside air passage and during heating operation, the outside air passes through the second outside air passage and the inside air passes through the first inside air passage.