Blower apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,723,146 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ninomiya, Hitoshi, Abe, Yukitaka, Nishizawa, Kazutoshi, Iwama, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiesa, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US10/212,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20030029319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 96/18, 96/55--58, 96/63, 96/94, 962/22, 553/851, 553/44, 554/71, 553/501, 553/853, 454/156-161
• US Class Current: 55/344
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00457 Ventilation unit, e.g. combined with a radiator control systems for ventilators B60H1/00828
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0007 Adding substances other than water to the air, e.g. perfume, oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0035 characterised by the control methods for adding the substance
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0071 Electrically conditioning the air, e.g. by ionizing
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/06 Filtering B60H3/0078 takes precedence

Abstract

A blower apparatus for a vehicle for blowing air into a cabin. The blower apparatus including a case member, various units and airflow passages. The units include an air cleaning unit for cleaning the air, and a component-adding unit for adding air components such as ions to the air. The units have compatible external shapes and sizes for selective installation in almost the same positions in the airflow passages, thereby meeting user needs of changing the function of the blower apparatus simply by arranging the units to the desired positions.

Claims

1. A blower apparatus for a vehicle having a cabin, the blower apparatus comprising:

a case which forms an airflow passage therein;

a blower which blows air into cabin through the airflow passage;

an air cleaning unit for cleaning the air blowing through the air flow passage, the air cleaning unit being capable of being disposed in the air flow passage;

a component-adding unit for adding an air component to the air blowing through the air flow passage, the component-adding unit being capable of being disposed in the air flow passage, wherein

outer shapes of the air cleaning unit and the component-adding are essentially the same,

structures of the air cleaning unit and the component-adding unit with respect to mounting them into the air flow passage are essentially the same,

a first installation compartment, where the air cleaning unit is to be installed, and a second installation compartment, where the component-adding unit is to be installed, are provided in the air flow passage,

the air cleaning unit is attachable to the first installation compartment and detachable therefrom,

the component-adding unit is attachable to the second installation compartment and detachable therefrom,

the air cleaning unit is attachable to the second installation compartment and detachable therefrom, and

the component-adding unit is attachable to the first installation compartment and detachable therefrom.

2. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said blower apparatus is provided with a blower apparatus control means for controlling operation of the blower apparatus.

3. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising fan control means, and a unit power supply wire, wherein

said blower includes a fan and a motor for driving the fan, said fan control means controls power to the motor, and said unit power supply wire branches from said fan control means for supplying one of said units with electricity.

4. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 3 further comprising a plurality of connectors attached to and detached from said one unit, and connected with said unit power supply wire, wherein

said plurality of connectors have an identical connector shape and an identical terminal arrangement.

5. A blower apparatus for a vehicle having a battery and a cabin, the blower apparatus comprising:

a case which forms an airflow passage therein;

a blower which has a motor for driving a fan for blowing air into the cabin through the airflow passage;

an electricity supplying means which supplies electricity from the battery; and

two types of unit which have different functions and can be installed at approximately the same installation compartment in said airflow passage, wherein electricity is supplied to one of the units from the electricity supplying means; and

the fan control means controls the fan by controlling electricity supplied to the motor on the basis of a signal from a switch for controlling the blower,

the fan control means controls the electricity supplied to the one unit,

the one unit and the electricity supplying means are electrically connected to each other while installed in the case,

outer shapes of each of the units is essentially the same,

structure of each of the units for mounting them to the air flow passage is essentially the same,

the air flow passage has installation compartments in which the units are to be installed,

each of the units is attachable to a respective installation compartment and detachable from the respective installation compartment, and

the one unit is attachable to the installation compartment for the other unit and detachable from the installation compartment for the other unit.

6. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said electricity supplying means is composed of power supply electrodes fixed on an inner wall surface of said case,

said one unit is provided with electrodes to be connected with said power supply electrodes, and

said electrodes of said one unit and said power supply electrodes are electrically connected with each other by installing said one unit in said case.

7. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

said power supply electrodes have a plate shape, and are provided along the inner wall surface of said case member.

8. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said one unit is provided with unit control means for controlling operation of the unit.

9. The blower apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5 further comprising a scroll portion formed in said case, wherein

said fan is provided in said scroll portion, and said fan control means is provided in an outside space of a nose portion of said scroll portion.

10. A blower apparatus for a vehicle, the blower apparatus comprising:

a case which forms an airflow passage therein;

a blower which blows air through said airflow passage and into said vehicle;

a first installation compartment disposed within said airflow passage of said case;

a second installation compartment disposed within said airflow passage of said case;

a first unit having a first function, said first unit being disposed in either said first installation compartment or said second installation compartment;

a second unit having a second function different than said first function, said second unit being disposed in either said first installation compartment or said second installation compartment but not the same installation compartment as said first unit;

wherein said first unit engages an electrical connector in both said first and said second installation compartments.