JPH11129729A - Air conditioner for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dry the condensed water generated in an evaporator to prevent the occurrence of an offensive odor by conducting the air in a car room from the downstream of the evaporator toward the upstream thereof by a blower fan to exhaust the air to the outside of the car room immediately after the operation of an air conditioner for automobile is started or stopped. SOLUTION: Immediately after an air conditioner is operated, an outside air introduction port 10 is closed by an inside and outside air change-over door, an inside air introduction port 11 is opened, and a blower fan 12 is driven in this condition to conduct the inside air into an air feeding passage 17. As this time, since end sides of a first door 3 and a second door 4 are in contact mutually, the internal air is conducted onto the downstream 15 of an evaporator 1 through a bypass passage 7. Moreover, since a third door 5 is closed, the inside air does not enter a heater unit 6, passes the evaporator 1, reaches the upstream 14, and is exhausted to the outside of an automobile 20. Consequently, it is possible to blow off dirt and dust which adhere on a heat exchange fin 2 and dry and remove the condensed water at the time of normal operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for an automobile, which can prevent odor generated at the time of starting and stopping the air conditioner for an automobile, and can remove clogging of an evaporator and attached dust.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioner for a vehicle has been used to make the environment inside the vehicle comfortable.
This automotive air conditioner makes the environment in today's automobiles pleasant and comfortable, especially in computer-controlled auto air-conditioners.
Air conditioning, dehumidification, and air supply and exhaust are performed, and the occupant only needs to set the desired indoor temperature to complete the operation. This has important implications for air conditioners for automobiles, and in particular, the driver is not required to perform detailed operations for maintaining a comfortable interior environment, and can concentrate on driving operations of the automobile. Therefore, safer operation is possible. In addition, even during long-distance driving or prolonged traffic congestion, comfortable air conditioning reduces the driver's mental margin and physical fatigue, so driving errors and caution can be avoided. It is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a traffic accident due to the decrease.

[0003] In such an air conditioner for an automobile, a device configuration for producing the conditioned air is as follows.
An air intake for selectively introducing outside air or inside air is provided, and the introduced air is sent to an air supply passage by a blower fan installed next. The air supply passage is connected to a cooling case, and an evaporator is built in the cooling case. The air introduced from the air supply passage reaches the upstream side surface of the evaporator and is cooled while passing through the heat exchange fins of the evaporator while being in contact therewith. The cooled introduced air is discharged from the downstream side of the evaporator and sent to the next heater unit.

[0004] In the air conditioner for a vehicle having the above-described configuration, in all parts through which the introduced air passes,
There is a possibility that spores and contaminants of microorganisms such as molds contained in the outside air or inside air, contaminants, and other debris may adhere thereto. Among them, the possibility of adhesion is particularly high, and the degree of contamination is severe even in an actual use state is on the upstream side of the evaporator where the introduced air comes into contact first. In this evaporator, the heat exchange fins are formed so as to come in contact with as much air as possible, and the number of the heat exchange fins is also large, so that the gap between the heat exchange fins is narrow. The dirt adhering to the heat exchange fins of the evaporator often causes an odor of the conditioned air discharged from the air conditioner for a vehicle, and the type of the odor varies depending on the type of the dirt.

[0005] These odors can be roughly classified into vehicle interior odors,
It is classified into moldy odor, urine odor, freezer odor, and outdoor odor. Of these, both the cabin odor and the external odor are caused by carry-in into the cabin or because there is a source of odor outside the vehicle. is not.

[0006] A moldy odor, a urine odor, and a freezer odor are odors adhering or adsorbing to the evaporator. The surface of the evaporator immediately after starting or stopping the air conditioner begins to get wet due to the generation of condensed water, or becomes dry. It occurs during the process of starting to do so. This is because the odor component adhering to the fins of the evaporator is dissolved in the condensed water and the odor component is released into the air when the dissolved condensed water is dried. That is, the odor component adhering to the evaporator is activated in both the transient state of the generation and the drying of the condensed water, and is released into the air, so that the occupant feels the odor.

As a countermeasure against these odors, conventionally, a deodorant or an air purifier is installed in a vehicle compartment, or an fragrance is installed, and a window is temporarily opened to reduce the odor as soon as possible. Methods such as spreading outside were adopted.

[0008]

However, even if a deodorant or an air purifier is installed in the cabin, these countermeasures are only for the odor once generated in the cabin. It is still unpleasant. Further, in the odor countermeasure by the fragrance, the scent of the fragrance itself becomes a new odor source and is only a temporary measure. In addition, opening the windows is very inconvenient, which not only leads to a decrease in the efficiency of the air conditioner, but also causes a temporary odor in the passenger compartment, which is still unpleasant to the occupants. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems associated with the prior art, and provides an automotive air conditioner that can prevent the generation of odor due to the operation of an air conditioner in a vehicle compartment. The purpose is to do.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an outside air inlet having a door which can be opened and closed to introduce outside air, and an inside air inlet provided with a door which can be opened and closed to introduce inside air. A mouth, a blower fan that supplies introduced outside air or inside air to a cooling case via an air supply passage, an evaporator that is installed in the cooling case and cools the introduced air from an upstream side, A heater unit connected to the downstream side of the cooling case to increase the temperature of the introduced air, and a second door that opens and closes a bypass passage that connects the upstream side and the downstream side of the evaporator, in a vehicle air conditioner including: A first door provided in the air supply passage for opening and closing communication between the outside of the vehicle and the upstream side, and a third door for opening and closing the entrance of the heater unit;
Control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the first door, the second door, and the third door, wherein the control means introduces the first door, the second door, and the third door in an interlocked manner. A solution is provided by an air conditioner for a vehicle, wherein air is vented from a downstream side to an upstream side of the evaporator so that the air can be exhausted outside the vehicle.

Specifically, for example, immediately after the air conditioner for a vehicle is started or stopped, air in the vehicle compartment is ventilated from a downstream side of the evaporator to an upstream side by a blower fan. The air after this passage is exhausted outside the vehicle compartment without returning to the vehicle interior again.

According to this structure, the condensed water generated in the evaporator can be effectively dried, and the odor generated in the process can be exhausted to the outside of the vehicle without causing the occupant to feel the odor. In addition, dirt and dust attached to or clogged with the fins of the evaporator can be discharged.

Further, when the air conditioner for a vehicle is operated, the configuration is automatically selected and controlled, and the air conditioner for a vehicle according to claim 1 is a solution.

More specifically, in an air conditioner for a vehicle equipped with a microcomputer and performing automatic control, not only the exhaust operation immediately after the air conditioner is started or stopped immediately but also during the operation of the air conditioner. Also, the amount of condensed water on the evaporator surface is monitored, and the clogging of the fins is monitored by the air flow sensor, and the exhaust to the outside of the vehicle is automatically performed based on the data.

With this configuration, the odor is automatically exhausted, so that the occupant can enjoy a comfortable environment without worrying about the odor. In addition, since the number of operations performed by the driver can be reduced, the burden can be reduced.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explanation showing an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where an automobile air conditioner of the present invention is operating. FIG. 2 shows another operation state of the automotive air conditioner of the present invention.

First, FIG. 2 shows one state of the operation of the air conditioner for a vehicle of the present invention, and shows a normal operation state of the air conditioner for a vehicle.

Outside air is introduced from the outside air inlet 10, and the inside air inlet 11 is closed by a door (not shown). Outside air is introduced by a blower fan 12 driven by a motor 13 and guided to a subsequent air supply passage 17. The introduced air reaches the evaporator 1, where heat is exchanged by the heat exchange fins 2. At this time, the moisture contained in the introduced air becomes condensed water and is generated on the surface of the heat exchange fins 2 and other portions of the evaporator 1. As a result, the humidity of the introduced air is reduced, so that conditioned air having a comfortable humidity and temperature for the occupant is created. This conditioned air is guided to a heater unit 6 connected to the downstream side 15 of the evaporator 1, where it is heated and adjusted if the temperature of the conditioned air is too low.

The evaporator 1 forms a part of a refrigeration cycle (not shown), and receives a supply of a refrigerant necessary for heat exchange. The heater unit 6 is also connected to an engine cooling system (not shown), and heated cooling water flows through the inside. Of course, when the air conditioning effect is unnecessary, the operation of the evaporator 1 and the heater unit 6 can be stopped arbitrarily by the occupant or automatically. Further, each of them can be operated independently as needed.

In such a configuration of the automotive air conditioner, the effects of the present invention are achieved by the interlocking operation of the first door 3, the second door 4, the third door 5, and the bypass passage 7 shown in FIG. It is preferably exhibited. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the linked operation state.

The operating state shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 0 is closed by a door (not shown), and the inside air inlet 11 is opened so that inside air (air in the vehicle compartment) can be introduced. Here, the inside air introduced by the blower fan 12 enters the following air supply passage 17. Here is the first door 3
The second door 4 and the second door 4 are brought into contact with each other by bringing their ends into contact with each other, and guide the intruded inside air to the bypass passage 7. By passing through the bypass passage 7, the inside air is removed from the evaporator 1.
, Where the third door 5 is closed, so that it does not enter the heater unit 6 but ventilates the evaporator 1 and reaches the upstream side 14.

In this case, the third door 5 can be omitted. In a case where the third door 5 is omitted, the same effect as the third door 5 can be obtained by closing all openings (not shown) such as vents, foot openings, and defroster openings that communicate with the vehicle interior.

When viewed from the evaporator 1, the series of movements of the inside air are completely reverse to the flow of the air during the normal air conditioning operation. Thus, the downstream side 1
By ventilating from 5 to the upstream side 14, dirt and dust contained in the introduced air that have adhered to the heat exchange fins 2 during normal operation are blown off and removed. In this operation state, condensed water generated in the heat exchange fins 2 and the entire evaporator 1 is dried and removed.

The exhaust gas from the evaporator 1 is exhausted from the upstream side 14 to the outside 20 of the vehicle, and does not enter the vehicle interior. The formation of the exhaust passage to the outside of the vehicle 20 is based on the linkage between the first door 3 and the second door 4, and is simultaneously formed by the linkage operation by the two doors for allowing the inside air to flow through the bypass passage 7. Is done. That is,
The first door 3 and the second door 4 cooperate with each other to form a ventilation path to the bypass passage 7 on one side and an exhaust path from the upstream side 14 to the outside 20 of the vehicle. is there. In addition, a series of these operations including FIGS. 1 and 2 are performed by a control unit (not shown).
The operation burden on the occupants has been reduced.

With such a configuration, for example, immediately after starting or stopping the air conditioner for a vehicle, the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is used to effectively remove condensed water generated in the evaporator 1 and the heat exchange fins 2. Can be discharged.

The cause of the odor that the occupant feels unpleasant is due to the fact that, during the process of generating condensed water, the components that cause the odor are activated by moisture and diffused into the air. Conversely, it is also caused by the odor components dissolved in the process of drying the condensed water being diffused into the air. Therefore, the odor generated during the generation and the drying of the condensed water is exhausted to the outside 20 of the vehicle without entering the vehicle interior, so that a comfortable interior space without odor can be provided. In addition, since mold spores and the like can be removed, generation of microorganisms that cause odor can be prevented beforehand, and growth of the generated microorganisms can be suppressed by drying.

The operation state shown in FIG. 1 may be performed by an occupant, but is more preferably automatically selected in conjunction with the operation state of the vehicle air conditioner. Further, when the temperature and humidity inside and outside the vehicle change extremely, continuous control is performed according to the state of condensed water, so that a comfortable state can be always obtained without smell.

In an air conditioner for a vehicle equipped with a microcomputer and the like, which performs automatic control, not only the exhaust operation immediately after the start and stop of the air conditioner, but also the evaporator surface during the operation of the air conditioner. It is also possible to monitor the amount of condensed water and to monitor clogging of the fins with an air flow sensor, and to automatically exhaust the outside of the vehicle based on the data.

The embodiments described above are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, but are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

In addition to the above-described embodiment, the same odor prevention effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to, for example, an air conditioner for a vehicle having a heat pump type cooling / heating cycle.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the condensed water generated in the evaporator can be effectively dried, and the odor generated in the process can be felt by the occupant. It can be exhausted out of the car without it. Also,
It can discharge dirt and dust attached to the fins of the evaporator or clogged dirt and debris, and can further suppress the generation and growth of microorganisms that cause odor such as mold.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the odor is automatically exhausted, so that the occupant can obtain a comfortable environment without worrying about the odor. Further, the operation burden on the driver can be reduced, and dirt and dust attached to the evaporator can be automatically removed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an operation according to an embodiment of the present invention;
It is a schematic diagram for explaining other states.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Evaporator, 2 ... Heat exchange fin, 3 ... First door, 4 ... Second door, 5 ... Third door, 6 ... Heater unit, 7 ... Bypass passage, 10 ... Outside air inlet, 12 ... Blower fan, 13 ... Motor, 14 ... Upstream side, 15 ... Downstream side, 16 ... Cooling case, 17 ... Air supply passage, 20 ... Outside the vehicle.

Claims (2)

[Claims] An outside air inlet (10) having an openable and closable door to introduce outside air, an inside air inlet (11) having an openable and closable door to introduce inside air, and A blower fan (12) for supplying air to a cooling case (16) via an air supply passage (17), and cooling the introduced air from an upstream side (14) installed in the cooling case (16). Evaporator (1), and a heater unit connected to the downstream side (15) of the cooling case (16) to raise the temperature of the introduced air
And (6) a second door (4) for opening and closing a bypass passage (7) communicating between an upstream side (14) and a downstream side (15) of the evaporator (1). The air supply passage (17) is provided outside the vehicle (20) and the upstream side (14)
A first door (3) for opening and closing communication with the first door, a third door (5) for opening and closing the entrance of the heater unit (6), and the first door
(3) and control means for controlling opening and closing operations of the second door (4) and the third door (5), wherein the first door (3) and the second door are controlled by the control means.
(4) and the third door (5) work together to allow the introduced air to flow from the downstream side (15) to the upstream side (14) of the evaporator (1) and exhaust to the outside (20). Characteristic air conditioner for automobiles. 2. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the configuration is automatically selected and controlled during operation of the vehicle air conditioner.