Air-conditioning apparatus

• US 6,932,693 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tominaga, Tetsuo, Nakagawa, Nobuya, Izumi, Hajime, Kondo, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US10/377,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 454/107, 454/108, 454/109, 454/137, 454/144, 454/156, 454/158
• US Class Current: 454/137
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00564 of air ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/243 located in the lateral area (e.g. doors, pillars)
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/245 located in the roof
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/247 Disposition of several air-diffusers in a vehicle for ventilation-air circulation in a vehicle cabin

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus 1 for a vehicle has an air supply duct 6 for supplying air and a vent 40 communicating with the air supply duct 6 for blowing the air into a compartment of the vehicle. The direction of the air blown from the vent 40 is adjustable. The air supply duct 6 includes a branch chamber 14, 16 for reducing flow speed of the air flowing through the air supply duct 6 so that the speed-reduced air in the branch chamber 14, 16 is blown from the vent 40.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an air supply duct for supplying air, said air supply duct including a flow passage that extends in an extending direction;

at least one vent communicating with said air supply duct for blowing the air into a compartment of the vehicle, said at least one vent enabling the direction of the air blown into the vehicle to be adjustable; and

at least one branch chamber disposed laterally with respect to said extending direction of said flow passage and adjacent to said flow passage;

wherein said at least one said branch chamber includes a front wall for guiding air flowing in said flow passage into said branch chamber, said front wall having a curved surface such that an air flow direction of the air flowing into said branch chamber from said flow passage is gradually changed so that a flow speed of the air is reduced; and

wherein said at least one vent communicates with said air supply duct by communicating with a respective said at least one branch chamber at an air stagnating point in said at least one branch chamber that is located behind a centroid of said at least one branch chamber.

2. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one branch chamber is a plurality of branch chambers and said at least one vent is a plurality of respective vents.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said air supply duct, said at least one branch chamber and said at least one vent are provided on a ceiling of the vehicle.

4. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 3, wherein said air supply duct extends across the ceiling of the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle.

5. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4, wherein said air supply duct includes a chamber provided on the ceiling rearward of a rear seat of the vehicle, said chamber having a vertical thickness that is larger than that of said flow passage.

6. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one branch chamber is a plurality of branch chambers and said at least one vent is a plurality of respective vents, and said air supply duct comprises a first portion through which the air flows from said chamber to at least one of said vents for front side seats of the vehicle and a second portion through which the air flows from said chamber to at least one of said vents for rear side seats of the vehicle.

7. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 5, wherein said chamber has a vertical thickness that is two or more times larger than that of said air passage.

8. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 3, wherein said at least one vent is a plurality of vents provided in front of and above each of front side seats and rear side seats of the vehicle.

9. An air-conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an air supply duct for supplying air, said air supply duct including a flow passage that extends in an extending direction;

a plurality of vents communicating with said air supply duct for blowing the air into a compartment of the vehicle; and

a plurality of branch chambers disposed laterally with respect to said extending direction of said flow passage, adjacent to said flow passage and in communication with said flow passage;

wherein said branch chambers each includes a front wall provided at a forward part thereof with respect to a direction of air flow in said flow passage so that air flowing in said flow passage is guided into said branch chambers, said front wall having a curved surface such that the air flow direction of the air flowing into said branch chamber from said flow passage is gradually changed and so that a flow speed of the air is reduced, a centroid and an air stagnating point rearward of said centroid with respect to the direction of air flow in said flow passage; and

wherein said vents communicate with said air supply duct by communicating with respective said branch chambers at said air stagnating point therof.

10. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 9, wherein said air supply duct, said branch chambers and said vents are provided on a ceiling of the vehicle.

11. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 10, wherein said air supply duct extends across the ceiling of the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle.

12. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 11, wherein said air supply duct includes a chamber provided on the ceiling rearward of a rear seat of the vehicle, said chamber having a vertical thickness that is larger than that of said flow passage.

13. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 12, wherein said air supply duct comprises a first portion through which the air flows from said chamber to at least one of said vents for front side seats of the vehicle and a second portion through which the air flows from said chamber to at least one of said vents for rear side seats of the vehicle.

14. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 12, wherein said chamber has a vertical thickness that is two or more times larger than that of said air passage.

15. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 10, wherein said vents are provided in front of and above each of front side seats and rear side seats of the vehicle.